This meal-in-a-bowl is gluten-free, balanced, approachable, and delicious! My older kids and I especially like the chicken-style tofu. Yum!
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Asian
Servings: 3
Ingredients
Grain:
3/4cupuncooked quinoa, rice, millet, or your choice of grain
Chicken-Style Tofu:
1packagesuper-firm tofu (12 to 16 ounces)
2tablespoonscornstarch
1-2tablespoonstamari or soy sauce
1tablespooncanola oil
1teaspoondried oregano
1/2teaspoonsmoked paprika
1/4teaspoongarlic powder
1/8teaspoonsalt
Slaw:
1/4cabbage, or a zucchini, finely grated
2-4tablespoonscilantro or garlic chives, chopped
1heaping tablespoonmayo (I like Woodstock Farms brand)
1teaspoonDijon mustard (I like Annie's brand)
1 1/2teaspoonscider vinegar or lime juice
salt and pepper
Dressing:
1ripe avocado
2tablespoonscider vinegar
1 to 3clovesgarlic, to taste
1/8teaspoonground cumin
1/8teaspoondried coriander
salt and pepper
1/2cupwater
2tablespoonscanola oil or other mild-tasting oil
Other Ingredients:
1canblack beans or other beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans
1 1/2cupscherry tomatoes, or a red bell pepper, or salsa, or chopped fruit (a black plum and two small apricots are amazing in this recipe) -- basically a colorful fruit or vegetable
Instructions
Grain:
If you are cooking quinoa, put the dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and run water through it, to rinse off the bitter saponins. Rinsing other grains is optional.
Put the grain in a pot with 1 1/2 cups of water. Heat to boiling, turn down the heat, and cook until the water is absorbed.
Chicken-Style Tofu:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Choose a pan: I like to use a silicone 8 or 9 inch square or round pan, but you could also use a nonstick cookie sheet, a silicone cookie sheet (on top of a solid cookie sheet), or a version of one of these things that isn't necessarily nonstick but with a sheet of parchment paper on top to prevent sticking. I use silicone without parchment and it works really well for this recipe.
Cut the tofu into about 12 pieces.
In the pan you chose, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch all over the bottom. Add the tofu, then the tamari and oil. Then stir the tofu around, to coat it evenly. Then sprinkle on the other tablespoon of cornstarch.
Now bake in an oven or toaster oven for 22 minutes.
After baking, sprinkle on the rest of the Chicken-Style Tofu ingredients.
Slaw:
Grate the zucchini, or shred the cabbage (a food processor works well for doing this very quickly and finely). Stir in all the other slaw ingredients.
Dressing:
Place all dressing ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Other Ingredients:
Rinse the beans in a strainer.
Chop the brightly colored item (red bell pepper, fruit, whichever item you are using).
To Serve:
To serve, divide the cooked grain among three bowls. Then add little piles of each of the other ingredients. And serve!