Rice Bowl With Cabbage and Baked Tofu

I cooked up a pot of Thai purple sticky rice that had been lingering in the pantry, and then decided how I would turn it into a meal. It was too sticky to use for stir-fried rice so I made stir-fried vegetables and oven-baked tofu, and served up rice bowls topped with both. I thought it might be an altogether too purple meal, but it was quickly devoured, and we are all the more anti-oxidant rich because of the anthocyanins in the red and purple foods.

Ingredients

For the tofu

• ¾ pound tofu
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

For the sweet and sour cabbage

• 1 cup rice, any color, cooked (2 to 3 cups cooked rice, depending on the type)
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar or agave nectar
• 3 tablespoons water or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil or peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large red pepper, sliced thin
• 1 medium red cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and coarsely chopped or shredded (about 5 cups shredded or chopped)
• Salt to taste

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    446 calories; 17 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 492 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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Serves 4

Preparation

1. Make the baked tofu: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Pat the tofu dry with paper towels and cut into dominoes, about 1/3 inch thick. In a large, wide bowl whisk together all of the marinade ingredients for the tofu. Pat each square of tofu with paper towels, then dip into the marinade, making sure to coat both sides. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to color and the marinade sets on the surface of the tofu. Remove from the heat and keep warm while you stir-fry the vegetables.
2. Make sure your rice is warm before beginning the stir-fry. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the soy sauce, wine vinegar, agave nectar or sugar, water or broth, and cornstarch. Mix together well. Have all the ingredients within arm’s length of your pan.
3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and sprinkle with salt. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until the vegetables begin to wilt. Stir the sweet and sour mixture and swirl it into the wok. Stir-fry 15 to 20 seconds, then cover and cook 30 seconds. Uncover and stir-fry 1 minute, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

• Advance preparation: The baked marinated tofu will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Cooked rice will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator. The stir-fry is last-minute.

30 minutes