It started with some yummy cubes of pan-seared garlic tofu that I didn’t want to waste. I found the recipe in the Oh She Glows cookbook by Angela Liddon. It’s pretty straightforward. Just press the brick of extra-firm tofu, cut it into cubes, sprinkle on some garlic powder, salt and pepper, and sauté in a hot skillet. Voila! Pale, flavorless, squishy tofu is transformed into crispy, golden nuggets of deliciousness.
To the tofu I added a container of almost forgotten cooked black rice that I had previously served with a stir fry. Chinese black rice is sometimes referred to as forbidden rice, in reference to the legend that it was once eaten only by Chinese Emperors for health and longevity.
Turns out it is a powerfully healthy food. Black rice cooks up to a beautiful dark purple. What makes fruits and vegetables purple? Anthocyanins! These same antioxidants make blueberries blue. Black rice is a whole grain with the bran intact, making it a good substitute for white rice. It’s also high in magnesium and phosphorus.
To the bowl I added some diced red bell pepper and chopped green onions from the produce drawer. Then I remembered a half-used bag of edamame in the freezer. After a quick defrost, into the bowl they went.
I was in a hurry to get back to work and didn’t want to spend the extra 5 minutes to make a dressing, so I drizzled on some bottled Spicy Thai Mango Sauce (Thai Kitchen.)
This colorful rice bowl is so beautiful! I snapped a picture for you before I dug in.
- 1 cup chinese black rice, cooked as directed (I used Lotus Foods Heirloom Forbidden Black Rice)
- 1 block organic extra-firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons organic canola oil
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- garlic powder
- salt & pepper
- Bottled Spicy Thai Mango Sauce (such as Thai Kitchen brand)
- Cook the rice according to package directions, set aside.
- Press the tofu by placing the block in a tofu press and refrigerating for several hours, or place it between stacked layers of paper towels on a cutting board, and top with a heavy skillet for 30 minutes.
- Cut the block of pressed tofu into bite size cubes. Sprinkle on garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron or non-stick skillet to medium high. Add canola oil and cubed tofu to the skillet and sauté until golden brown on all sides. Remove from skillet.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooked black rice with the diced red bell pepper, chopped green onions and edamame. Top with tofu and drizzle with Spicy Thai Mango Sauce. Serve.
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