Teriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice & Vegetables – Glam Radar

by Maria · October 22, 2014

You asked for more healthy recipes, so here you are!

Last week I told you that we often just eat a salad along with a soup or dip at dinnertime. For the most part, this does actually satisfy us and leaves us feeling full (especially since we follow it with a healthy dessert or some fruit!). However, once in a while I like to change things up by making a big, hearty dinner. I decided to have a Japanese dinner night, which consisted of Japanese cucumber salad, miso soup, and this dish. I’m not very good at making Japanese food but I do love eating it, so I’m slowly trying more Japanese recipes. This one is my own invention, using a teriyaki tofu recipe that Mum taught me a few years ago and adding the rice and veggies.teriyaki-tofu-with-brown-rice-vegetables

I know a lot of people cringe when they hear the word tofu. My husband used to, too! It can be very bland. The secret to tasty tofu is either marinading it in advance so the flavors soak in or creating a tasty dipping sauce. Fried or baked tofu is my favorite – the following is fried, but I have a great recipe for baked tofu coming up soon.

Teriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice & Vegetables Serves 2-4 as a main course

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 200g packet tofu, chopped into cubes
  • 1″ ginger, slivered
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1-2 spring onions, chopped, with their leaves
  • a handful of spinach
  • any other vegetable you have on hand: broccoli, greens, etc.
  • 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 2+ tbsp sesame oil, for cooking
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  1. First, prepare the tofu marinade. Mix all marinade ingredients together. If the sugar isn’t melting into the sauce, heat it a bit in a saucepan. Then, toss the tofu with the marinade ingredients, and place in the fridge. You should give it at least one hour, and stir often (I place my tofu in a plastic box, so all I have to do is shake it every so often).
  2. Cook the brown rice. I like to do this in advance, so when it’s time to make dinner, all I have to do is fry up the tofu and vegetables and put it all together.
  3. Fry the tofu. In a wok, heat a tbsp or so of sesame oil, then fry the tofu till the pieces are evenly browned all around. Remove them and set aside.
  4. Heat a bit more sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion first, then when they are transparent, add the onion leaves and any other vegetables and greens.
  5. As soon as the greens begin to wilt, add the cooked rice. Stir it around to give it a fried-rice sort of quality.
  6. Add the tofu and heat everything through.
  7. As a final step, sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and serve.
  8. Note: you probably don’t need to add salt. Soy sauce is very salty, and I normally cook the brown rice with a bit of salt, but of course you should taste test to see if you need to add any.

The tofu and brown rice serve as the protein components in this meal. Brown rice is also full of fibre and has a lovely nutty flavor. The sesame provides calcium (and sesame oil really does provide a delicious flavor!). This is a nutritious and filling meal, very easy to make (although requires some prior planning) and leftovers make great packed lunches. Hope you like it!

Tags: how to cook Teriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice & VegetablesTeriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice & VegetablesTeriyaki Tofu with Brown Rice & Vegetables Recipe

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