Marinate… Mari… what?
According to Wikipedia, a marinade is an acid, aromatic liquid that is used to improve the taste of meat, fish, tofu, and vegetables. Of course we only deal with the last two here 😉
That aromatic then comes from the liquid itself (eg, soy sauce) and/or from the herbs or other seasonings that you use.
The most common marinades are often a combination of oil, herbs, onion (in various variants) and a liquid of choice (eg fruit juice, wine, beer, even lemonade, …)
Marinating is also extremely simple. You make the marinade in a jiffy, put it in a bowl or plastic bag (ecologically I prefer the bowl) and then let the desired food to be marinated in a few hours.
Personally, I marinate tofu and vegetables at least one day in advance (especially the tofu), because the flavors are then absorbed to a maximum.
Also never forget to shake the bowl regularly. So you know for sure that every piece of tofu or vegetables is covered and will give off taste.
Prepare as desired
After marinating you can prepare the vegetables or tofu according to your wishes. Why not grill it on the barbecue, for example? That is certainly not reserved for meat and fish alone. Of course, baking, wokking or roasting in the oven is also possible. Before you do that you get the food an hour in advance or just from the marinade (otherwise it is too wet to nicely bake).
Spread the marinade back over your tofu, seitan or vegetables as soon as they are baked, or simply fry the moisture with your wok dish. Yummy!
For those whose salivary glands are already activated … below are three of my favorite marinades!
Marinating tofu
Marinating tofu … it looks like it is predestined. It is really the perfect marriage.
Fortunately, I almost dare to say, because in terms of taste it is often poverty with tofu 😉
I think the structure is great and very functional. And since this spongy white mass can absorb flavors very well, you know that something can be done with it. Both salty, sour and sweet!
With these already three of my favorite marinade recipes. Besides tofu, you can of course also use them to ‘pimp’ seitan or vegetables. Only they are usually tasty in themselves, while tofu can use some help.
I have refrained from writing the preparation method because it is too simple. In other words; dispose of all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and add the chosen food. Let it soak overnight for the best result.
Tip: the smaller the pieces of tofu, the stronger the taste will be.
Marinade with sweet and salty soy sauce
- 1 red onion – chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3 tsp. ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 2 el tamari (strong soy sauce)
- 1/2 tsp sambal
- 2 cm fresh ginger – grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp agave syrup
Thyme / mustard / agave / orange
- 100 ml of orange juice
- 2 tbs agave syrup
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme – only the leaves
- pepper and salt
Tip: instead of thyme you can also use tarragon or dill.
Red wine and spices marinade
- 100 ml of vegan red wine
- 1/2 red onion – chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 6 leaves of oregano
- 2 leaves of laurel
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- pepper and salt
Who knows good recipes for marinades? Post it below in the comments.
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