Vegan sweet chile lime tofu with lime cardamon quinoa and collard greens

I saw this recipe pop up on yumsugar today and knew I wanted to make it. It is super healthy (no oils or fatty ingredients in it at all). I'd venture to say it is weight-watcher's friendly, too. The verdict is that this is a recipe we'll make over and over. It is super simple, quick and very flavorful.

I was surprised I had cardamon, as I have never used it before and this is my spice-drawer-o-rama:

 I wasn't sure where to buy collard greens, but I was able to find them at Fresh And Easy, which was awesome! I was also able to find pre-cooked quinoa, which cuts this recipe prep time by a lot.

Vegan sweet chile lime tofu with 

lime cardamon quinoa and collard greens

INGREDIENTS
Quinoa:
3/4 C quinoa, rubbed/rinsed, drained
Zest from one lime, divided in half and slice lime for garnish (use 1/2 the zest)
2 bruised cardamon pods (I used 2 pinches of dried cardamon)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tiny cinnamon stick (optional-I didn't use)
1-1/3 C water (If you use the pre-cooked quinoa, you don't need the water)
Sweet Chili Lime Sauce:
3 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs tamari
1-3/4 Tbs lime juice
1/2 zest of the lime
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (If you don't have red chili flakes, you can use1/2 tsp of Ancho chili pepper)
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2)
1/4 tsp salt
4 mint leaves, sliced thinly
The Greens:
1 bunch collard greens, washed with middle veins removed (you can use kale as a substitute)
2-3 Tbs water
1 tsp lime juice
1 pinch salt
 The Rest:
14-oz extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
Lime slices for a garnish (optional)
Mint leaves for a garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Combine the quinoa, 1/2 the lime zest, cardamon, cinnamon stick, salt, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and don’t remove the lid. Let steam for 10 minutes.  (I USED PRE-COOKED QUINOA FROM FRESH AND EASY AND MIXED IN THE LIME ZEST, CARDAMON AND SALT IN THE HEATED-UP BOWL OF QUINOA).
Sweet chili lime sauce: Whisk together the sugar, tamari, lime juice, lime zest, red chili flakes, garlic,  salt, and mint until the sugar and salt and dissolved. Set aside. (I DOUBLED THE SAUCE, TO HAVE EXTRA GLAZE ON THE TOFU).

I love my new zester!

.

Tofu: Slice the tofu into 7-8 rectangles:

Then cut each rectangle in half to make two squares, and then each square into four triangles:

Saute the tofu in a dry skillet for about 10 minutes on each side on medium-high heat. Add the chili lime sauce and stir to coat the tofu for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.  The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze.

While this is happening, slice up the collard greens. In a wok (which I didn’t have, so I used a small skillet) add water, lime juice, and salt. Cover with a lid and steam until tender on medium high heat (should be ready in under 5 minutes).

To serve, layer plate with  a scoop of quinoa, collard greens, then tofu. Garnish with lime slices and mint (optional). Enjoy!