Terriaki Tofu and Pears with Balsamic

Last weekend, Matt and I made our most favorite Terriaki Tofu from Nava Atlas's amazing book, Vegetarian Family Cookbook. What I do is double or tripple the sauce/marinade so it it extra juicy and flavorful. Alongside the tofu we have Quinoa Salad with cherry tomatoes, lots of fresh parsley, and red onion. Here's how to make it:

**Combine 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid. Meanwhile, halve a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, chop a handful of fresh parsley, and mince half a small red onion. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a serving bowl, and add the veggies along with the juice of 1 lemon and a generous pinch of salt. Serve warm or chilled.

Matt had never had quinoa before, and he loved it. It cooks faster than brown rice, has more flavor and more nutrition.

For dessert is baby pears with reduced balsamic syrup. They're not really "baby"pears, but they are really small and cute.

This sounds fancy, but it's really, really easy. Just get yourself 3 ripe baby pears (for two people) and cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and core with a melon baller or small spoon. Meanwhile, pour about 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar (it doesn't have to be the fancy or expensive kind) in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over med/high heat. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer gently until it is reduced 1/2 to 1/3. It may not appear to thicken, so let it cool slightly (but not all the way). Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the pear halves and listen in amazement as you hear yourself say, "This is better than chocolate!"