Wednesday, September 30, 2015

BROWN RICE with TOFU & BROCCOLI



I love creating and eating vegetarian meals. Brown rice with tofu & broccoli is a favourite of mine, as it is so easy to make and very filling, due to the plentiful amount of protein that tofu contains. Make sure to follow step 1 and 'dry out' the tofu first or it will not hold its shape when cooking. If you are not a fan of tofu, you could substitute for 2 eggs and make an omelette or cook 400g chicken breast. 


INGREDIENTS

  • 400g firm tofu, halved 
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1 head of broccoli, stalk & florets roughly chopped 
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • paper towel
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. Place the halved tofu between two chopping boards or plates with a weight on top (I used a jar of nuts). Raise one end (I placed a small scale underneath one side of the chopping board) and sit for 25 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, bring the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, covered with a lid. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer and place a small colander or sieve with the broccoli florets & stalk on top of the pan, covered. Leave to steam for around 5 minutes, then check to see if the broccoli is tender by placing a fork into a stalk. If the fork slides in with just a little bit of resistance, the broccoli is tender but not mushy. Remove the colander or sieve with the broccoli and continue to cook the rice, covered for another 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. 

3. Once the tofu has sat for 25 minutes, chop into slim, even strips. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, swirling to coat. Add the tofu strips and cover the pan. Cook for around 3 minutes on each side or until the tofu is lightly browned. Remove from the heat and place on a few paper towels, then pat with another few paper towels to remove the excess oil. 

4. Lower the heat on the stove to low, then add the 2 spring onions and garlic, stirring to cook for 2 minutes. Next add the cooked broccoli, cooked rice, cooked tofu and soy sauce and stir gently over low heat until all ingredients are combined. 

Divide the rice into 4 bowls, then sprinkle extra spring onions on top, if desired. 

Serves / 4
Preparation & Cooking Time / around 35 minutes 

x Emily 

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