Name: Jerk Tofu Bowls with Hemp Ranch
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 4 medium garlic cloves, minced; 1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (or less for a milder heat); 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 juicy lime); 3 tablespoons tamari; 2 tablespoons brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup; 2 tablespoons water, if needed; 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 bunch broccoli, chopped into florets (approx. 4 cups); 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced; 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided; Couple pinches each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 (454 gram) block organic firm or extra firm tofu, sliced into triangles, chopped into cubes, or crumbled, depending on your preparation method (see instructions); 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon tamari; 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch; 1/3 cup+ Jerk Sauce; 1 cup quinoa, rinsed; 1 3/4 cups water; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 3/4 cup hemp hearts (hulled hemp seeds); 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice, or to taste; 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast; 1 large garlic clove

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Tofu “steaks” baked with a homemade jerk sauce, roasted vegetables, hemp ranch, and quinoa make up these delicious, healthy vegan bowls!

One of my 2020 highlights has been discovering jerk sauce. I’m sure you are familiar with this Caribbean barbecue sauce that is at once spicy, salty, and sweet, but if you are not, allow me to introduce you to something that is certain to become a healthy obsession!

JERK SPICE MIXES AND SAUCES

Jerk spice mixes are typically a combination of ginger, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, and chiles. For a jerk sauce, all of these spices are used, along with onion, garlic, and some combination of acid, sweetener, and salt (in the following recipe, that’s lime juice, brown sugar or maple syrup, and tamari or coconut aminos). The flavour of this sauce is utterly tantalizing! In these bowls, it’s spooned over tofu “steaks,” but it’s delicious mixed into everything from cooked grains and beans, too! In other words, it’s something nice to have on hand in the fridge at all times.

The other components of these bowls are roasted broccoli, red pepper, and sweet potato; hemp “ranch” sauce to cool the palate and provide a creamy counterpoint to the tofu and veggies; and quinoa. All in all, these bowls come together easily, especially if you have made the jerk sauce in advance!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

FOR THE JERK SAUCE: Extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, chili flakes, lime juice, tamari, and either brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup, plus a couple tablespoons of water, as needed, to thin.
FOR THE TOFU: Firm or extra-firm organic tofu, olive oil, tamari, and arrowroot starch.
FOR THE ROASTED VEGETABLES: Broccoli, red pepper, sweet potato, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
FOR THE HEMP RANCH: Hemp, lime or lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper, water, fresh herbs of your choice (cilantro is a good choice), and water. Sometimes, I even add a whole avocado to the sauce for slightly thicker version.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE JERK SAUCE: Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 8 minutes or so. Add the thyme, allspice, cinnamon, and chili flakes, and cook for a few more minutes to allow the spices to brown. Add the lime juice, tamari, and sugar to an upright blender, followed by the contents of the skillet. Blend until smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time to help it along. The sauce should be quite thick.
PREPARE THE ROASTED VEGETABLES: Note that the sweet potatoes take longer to roast than the broccoli, so it’s best to roast them separately and combine them right before serving. Place the sweet potato in a bowl and drizzle with ¾ tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper, toss to coat, and transfer onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until fork tender and crispy to your liking. Next, place the broccoli, onion, and peppers in the same bowl and drizzle with the remaining ¾ tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and transfer to a second baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 20-25 minutes. NOTE: You can just roast the broccoli and red peppers and skip the sweet potato for a simpler, though no less delicious, meal. I just added sweet potato for a pop of colour, but if you’re short on time and oven space, don’t worry about it!
PREPARE THE TOFU: There are a few ways to prepare the tofu. See detailed instructions for each in the actual recipe card!
COOK THE QUINOA: Combine quinoa, water, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat, and lightly fluff with a fork.
MAKE THE HEMP RANCH: Place the hemp, lime juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, maple syrup, salt, pepper, water, and avocado (if using) to an upright blender. Blend until smooth and transfer into an airtight jar or container.
Serve the bowls: Add desired amount of quinoa, tofu, and roasted vegetables to bowls. Top with hemp ranch. Leftover jerk sauce can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks- add it to simple beans and grains for a big flavour boost!

MORE VEGAN BOWLS

I hope that you love these jerk tofu bowls with hemp ranch! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post. And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag it @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing what you’ve made.

Enjoy!