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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

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Coconut-Mango Cauliflower Rice with Grilled Tofu & Pineapple

Author Tiffani

Ingredients

  • 2 blocks extra firm tofu drained and pressed
  • 1 large pineapple will need 8 round slices plus scraps and juice
  • 1 cup pineapple juice either fresh from the pineapple or canned (will probably need some canned either way)
  • 1 jalapeño stemmed, deseeded, and cut in chunks
  • 10 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp + a couple dashes sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp + a couple dashes black pepper
  • 1 1/2 lbs riced cauliflower about 3/4 florets from a large head
  • 2 cups diced mango 3 mangos worth
  • 1 sweet onion diced
  • 1 Tbsp large Anaheim chile diced small
  • 1 Tbsp scallion chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
  • a couple dashes powdered ginger
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
  • 2 limes quartered

Instructions

For the marinade

  • Before making the tofu marinade, we will want the pineapple juice. If you have a pineapple corer, remove slices and pour remaining juice into a measuring cup. If you do not have a corer, cut pineapple over a baking dish or large bowl to reserve the escaped juice. Set aside 8 pineapple slices. You will need 1 cup of juice. You can place some of the pineapple scraps into the juice you've already saved (it will blend with the other marinade ingredients) to make more, and/or fill the rest with canned pineapple juice (making sure it's 100% juice). Mine was about 1/2 cup fresh juice + scraps with 1/2 cup canned.
  • Place the pineapple juice in your food processor with the jalapeño, 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted), 1/2 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Process until smooth. If your juice was cold the coconut oil may have gotten firm. If this happens just melt your marinade in the microwave until liquified.
  • Slice tofu blocks in half both crosswise and lengthwise, making a total of 8 equal pieces. Place in a dish with the marinade and let sir for 1 hour at room temperature (not in the refrigerator). Flip tofu after 30 minutes.

For the rice

  • Melt 2 tbsp coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet onion and Anaheim chile. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes, until onion is translucent.
  • Add the cauliflower and sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and powdered ginger. Stir completely. Continue to cook on medium for 5 more minutes, stirring periodically.
  • Stir in the mango, scallion, coconut sugar, and shredded coconut. Pour in the coconut milk, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Place a lid on your skillet and continue to let cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Stir occasionally
  • Remove lid and turn heat up to medium high. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until cauliflower gets slightly browned. Keep an eye on it and stir as needed to prevent bottom from burning. Turn off heat and sprinkle with cilantro.

On the grill

  • On a medium high grill, cook marinated tofu for about 7 minutes on each side.
  • Grill the 8 slices of reserved pineapple over high heat for about 2 minutes per side.

Notes

Divide cauliflower rice between 3-4 bowls. Top with a couple slices of pineapple and a couple slices of tofu. Sprinkle with more cilantro and garnish with two lime wedges. Squeeze with lime before devouring. Enjoy! Want to get notified when I post new recipes? Like me on Facebook or follow me on Instagram! Oooo... and don't forget to click below to share!!!
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