Transcendental Grilled Veggies and Tofu - aka Tulum Bliss

This is not so much a secret recipe as a technique. When Aquila and I went to Tulum on the Yucutan we had an incredible Thai-chef's lunch in a beautful beachfront restaurant and went into a blissful reverie. I came close with this meal: on brown rice ( of course) I added grilled olive oil-brushed zuchini, eggplant, plus mushroom and tofu marinated in soy sauce. To accomplish this, I bought a (really too small I find) tiny George Foreman electric grill for under $20. It has ridges on both sides so it grills in a press creating a succulent vegetable with that charred grilled flavor perfectly. Worth investing in one of these, but mine is so small I can do only one vegetable at a time. Fancy ones are pannini presses, but a modest grill works just fine. (some even have a panel to make waffles too)

First, I sliced a small zuk and a dainty long Japanese egglant in half. On each of the four inside surfaces I poked holes with a fork tine every 1/8 inch and then poured a little olive oil on them to soak in. I think next time I will also wipe them down with the sliced edge of a garlic clove. Then grilled them one veggie pair at a time (while the pre cooked rice was reheating). The pair of 3" mushrooms had the stems removed and wiped off, but nothing more (will try olive oil on it next time) and grilled down to a really tasty circle of yumminess. And lastly, I took firm tofu that I had cut earlier into 6 - 1"x1"x3" little blocks, poured a little bit of soy sauce over them to soak in (usually also score tofu to increase absorption) - and then grilled those too.

Wowee! No magic ingredients, just the grilling technique made it great. The tofu developed a brown skin that gave it a new texture with out having to deep fry it. And the grilling adds a smoky complexity to the flavor, creates a succulent veggie inside with a carmelized outer skin/surfaces that make the whole thing great hummy fun in the mouth ...

Too bad I can't also replicate that totally mind blowing fluffy (yes, really fluffy like a snowy powder) limestone sand on the beach at Tulum - or the vivid turquoise sea against white sand and the blue horizon, but this is the next best thing ;)

PS - dined to Natalie Merchant's soulful Motherland - seemed just right to have a musical goddesses voice accompanying the meal. Aq said we had techno instrumental in Tulum tho. Never underestimate the combination of music and a fabulous meal for a sensory high!