Moroccan-Flavoured Tofu with Apricots, Olives, and Almonds

When cooking for the Jewish New Year, you are looking for something sweet, as a hint on how the year should turn out. The recipe had to be vegan, so I couldn't use any of my regular recipes. In my search I came across a great site, VegKitchen (http://www.vegkitchen.com), and this recipe is from there with some very small adaptations.

The recipe is easy and quick to cook; just prepare all the ingredients in advance. I served it with quinoa, but you can be more authentic and use couscous.

Ingredients >   3 Tblsp olive oil >   1 packet of firm Tofu, cubed >   1 medium onion, halved, thinly sliced and the slices halved >   2 tsp grated or finely chopped ginger >   4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped >   6 scallions, thinly slice both the white and green parts, but keep them separate >   3 Tblsp flour >   2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth >   1 tsp cumin >   1/2 tsp turmeric >   Pinch of cinnamon >   2 Tblsp (or more to taste)of lemon juice >   3 Tblsp (or less) Agave syrup or granulated sugar - can use date syrup  >   1 cup sliced green olives >   3/4 cup sliced dried apricots >   Salt and freshly ground pepper For the quinoa >   1 cup quinoa >   1/2 tsp turmeric >   1 tsp cumin >   2 cups water Garnish >   1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted >   1/2 cup chopped parsley

Steps 1.  Prepare all the ingredients as listed. 2.  Heat half the olive oil in a large pan (I use the wok), fry the tofu cubes until lightly brown. 3.  Pour the tofu into a bowl and put aside for later. 4.  prepare the quinoa. Follow these instructions so that you have a really tasty quinoa without any bitterness. a.  Put the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse it vigorously with water, to get rid of the bitterness. Let in drain. b.  Put the drained quinoa, turmeric, cumin and water into a saucepan. c.   Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. d.  Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand for 5 minutes. 5.  In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in  the pan, add the onion and ginger and fry  over a medium heat until translucent.   6.  Add the white part of the scallions and the garlic and continue frying until the onions are golden. 7.  Stir in the green part of the scallions and stir. 8.  Sprinkle the flour over the mixture in the pan and quickly stir in. 9.  Add the broth and stir constantly until the liquid thickens. 10.Stir in the turmeric, cumin and cinnamon. 11.Stir in the lemon juice and agave syrup. 12.Stir in the tofu, olives and apricots. 13.Season well and heat through. 14. Spread the quinoa on the platter, pushing it around the sides and leaving a well in the centre. 15.Pour in the tofu mixture. 16.Garnish with the almonds and parsley. Update: Today I made it as a general, not festive, meal. I simply mixed the prepared quinoa into the tofu mixture and added the almonds. Still delicious, but easier to serve and store leftovers.