This asian-inspired rice dish combines fresh veggies, marinated tofu, toasted cashews and sesame seeds with short-grain brown rice for a wholesome and filling meal anytime of day.
It can be easily adjusted to suit your taste preferences or dietary needs . Cruciferous veggies such as lightly blanched broccoli or cabbage are great and delicious additions to this dish.
The toasted sesame oil really helps to take this meal to the next level. It’s satisfying and hearty taste and aroma combined with the sweetness of rice wine vinegar and the umami of soy sauce makes for a delicious combo over rice.
Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets
Not for:
low-sodium or migraine diets
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tofu super-firm or extra-firm, pressed
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup Bragg's liquid aminos or tamari
- 2 tbsp agave syrup brown rice syrup
- 2 tbsp dark toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp hot chili oil
- 1-1/4 cups brown rice short-grain (240 g)
- 1 carrots medium, or 10-12 baby carrots
- 12-15 fresh snow peas
- 1/2 bell peppers red, yellow, orange
- 1 green onions scallions, spring onions
- 3/4 cup cashews raw (85 g)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds raw, black and tan, mixed
Instructions
- Press the tofu using weights or a TofuXpress, overnight if you can. Cut into small cubes and put in a container with a tight-fitting lid. TofuXpress kindly sponsored me to Camp Blogaway, so show them some love. What I really like about their product is that the unit comes with a wonderfully tight-fitting lid, so you can marinate and shake it up without worrying if it will leak.
- Combine the ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, syrup, and sesame oil in a jar or bottle with a lid and shake well. Pour about 1/4 of the mixture over the tofu, add the hot chili oil, cover, and shake well to coat. Let the tofu marinate while you are making the rest of the dish. (You can also do this the night before, so the tofu really marinates. The longer it's in the marinade, the more flavor it will have. See the notes at the bottom for getting the most possible flavor into the tofu.)
- Rinse and drain the rice. Add 2-1/2 C. (590 ml) filtered water and bring to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat with the lid on. Once it comes to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit 15 minutes with the lid on. Don't lift the lid until it's completely done.
- Wash the veggies. You're going to cut everything into bite-sized pieces. I like to cut the carrots into lengthwise matchsticks (a.k.a. julienned).
- Pull off the ends of each snow pea and unzip the tough "string" along each side. (Very young tender peas might not have this.) Cut lengthwise into thin strips.
- Cut the pepper into thin strips. I usually take one side off the pepper with my chef's knife and remove the rib and any seeds. Then I can cut it crosswise into thin sticks.
- Remove both ends of the scallion (green onion) and slice thinly.
- Toast the cashews and sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant.
- Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and add the marinade from the tofu container. Toss the rice with the marinade, adding just enough extra dressing as needed to lightly coat it. Add the veggies, tofu, and toasted cashews and sesame seeds. Taste again and add just a little more dressing. I usually have enough dressing left over to make this recipe again, or to use on salad.
