Coconut-Mango Cauliflower Rice with Grilled Tofu & Pineapple

Have you run out of ideas for the grill? Sweet and savory, with a little bit of spice, this dish has it all!

A couple of weeks ago, I made some coconut cauliflower rice with dinner, something I’ve made many times, and really enjoy. As I was eating it, I thought about how much better it would be with some mango! After that, I was constantly thinking of everything else I’d add to make this a delicious meal.

I definitely wanted to top my “rice” with ingredients from the grill. I decided tofu would work well, especially with the right marinade. I also thought some grilled pineapple would go perfectly with the flavors in this.

My husband, Michael, does the grilling around here, so he stars as my guest chef in this one. Sunday is our barbecue day, and he always makes us something delicious. I cook up a feast in the kitchen, but can honestly say I’ve never touched an outdoor grill. Michael does such a great job, so why not let him work his magic?

I had this recipe in my head for two weeks before I finally gave it a go. I’d taken notes, gone back and forth on certain ingredients, and planned it all out as well as possible. I was incredibly happy when it turned out a success!

Your first step after your tofu is drained and pressed, is the marinade. For that, you start with the pineapple, because I used some of its juice. I have a pineapple corer, which works great for saving the juice, because it keeps it at the bottom of your hollowed out pineapple. If you don’t have one of these, I suggest cutting yours over something that can catch the runoff fluids. A baking dish or large bowl should work.

I did have to use some canned juice as well, and if you prefer, you could use only canned. That will make things a little simpler. Though I do think the fresh is tastier, and to make a little more of it, I took some of the pineapple scraps which I wouldn’t be grilling and blended them up in the food processor.

Also in the marinade is jalapeño, coconut oil, salt, and pepper. You put these ingredients in your food processor with the pineapple scraps and juice, then blend until smooth. If your pineapple is cold, the coconut oil will firm up. If this happens, stick your marinade in the microwave until its melted again. Also, let your tofu marinate at room temperature. Otherwise, you’ll have the same problem with the coconut oil solidifying.

To cut the tofu, you will slice each block in half lengthwise and crosswise, creating four equal sized pieces for each block. The tofu will then sit in the marinade for an hour, flipping once halfway through. Doing this will then give you time to prep your cauliflower ingredients.

You will need to dice your mangos, onion, and chile, and then chop your scallion and cilantro. Of course, let’s also not forget about ricing the cauliflower. I picked a large head of cauliflower, and it equaled around 3 pounds before I did any of the trimming. I didn’t quite use all of it and ended up with 1 1/2 pounds after ricing.

The cauliflower rice will take you about 20-25 minutes in the skillet, sautéing, stirring, and adding a little of this and that as you go. The grilling only takes about 14 minutes. The pineapple only cooks for 2 minutes per side, and the tofu only about seven on each side. If you’re as lucky as me to have a co-chef, this can all be done at the same time, but if there’s only one of you, it’ll have to be done in stages. Unless of course, you have an outdoor stovetop or an indoor grill.

If doing in two stages, you have a couple of options. You can do your grilling first, and can keep your pineapple and tofu warm in the oven or toaster oven while making the cauliflower. Otherwise, if you decide to do your cauliflower first, you can simply turn it back to a medium-high heat a couple of minutes before serving to get it hot again. I’d maybe even save the last step for after your grill is done.

When serving, you will top your “rice” with cilantro and then a couple of slices of both pineapple and tofu. Next, you will sprinkle cilantro over all of it, and squeeze with lime before eating. The lime especially tasted good over the tofu.

Again, a special thanks to my hubby for helping make this all come together. I can’t begin to express how happy I was with the outcome. Some tropical fruit, the coconut, some spice, the lime, and cilantro. Everything complimented each other nicely. If you enjoy it as much as we did, let me know by sharing a pic on Instagram and tagging me @veggiesattiffanis