By Genevieve
Happy long weekend! I can't believe it's already the last weekend of August, which to me pretty much equals the end of summer, since school starts back up next week. As a grad student, I don't really get to experience the whole "back to school" process anymore, since my program runs all year long, but I still get caught up in the excitement of all the students returning to campus and the feeling of a fresh new start!
But until Fall officially begins, I'm going to enjoy every last drop of summer that I can! That means spending as much time outside in the sun as I can, and eating up the rest of summer produce.
It also means that I'm still focusing on tropical fruits like pineapple. There was an amazing sale on pineapples at the market last weekend, so I bought one without any specific plans for it. After eating some with my yogurt for breakfast, I came up with this tasty dinner recipe.
I love pairing pineapple with broccoli, and I had been wanting to make my own rice bowl after seeing this recipe on Babble. I thought that a spicy peanut sauce would go perfectly with my broccoli, pineapple and tofu combination, and then I remembered that I had bookmarked a recipe for a pineapple-peanut sauce, which sounded even more appropriate!
I kept the dish as simple as possible - all you need to do is blend up the sauce, prepare a serving of rice, and cook the tofu and vegetables. Then everything gets mixed together in a bowl, which you can add as much sauce as you like to - I always prefer having extra sauce on my dish, so I used the full amount!
This was an easy single-serving meal complete with fruit, veggies, protein, and carbs. I thought all of the components went so well together, and I especially loved the chewy tofu and the sweet-and-spicy sauce that had a hint of peanutty flavour!
I'm looking forward to more delicious summer meals enjoyed outside with my family this weekend. Hope you all enjoy the long weekend too!
Tofu, Broccoli & Pineapple Rice Bowl with Pineapple Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
- ~100 grams firm tofu
- 1/4 cup dry brown rice
- 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced broccoli
- 1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp cashews (toasted in a dry skillet if desired)
- 1-2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Pineapple Peanut Sauce
Adapted from Robin Robertson
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tsp sriracha
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- pinch of salt
Instructions:
Prepare the sauce by adding all ingredients to a blender and pureeing until smooth.
Lay tofu between layers of paper towels and press under a heavy book for 15-30 minutes. When done, slice into cubes.
Cook the rice according to package directions. When it is done, transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu pieces and sauté, turning occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Keep the pan heated and add the broccoli, pineapple, and water to the pan. Cover with a lid and let steam for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times to toss the broccoli around.
Remove lid and reduce heat to low. Add the tofu to the pan and pour about half of the sauce over everything. Stir to mix and let cook for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.
Pour the contents of the pan over the rice. Top with the cashews and garnish with cilantro.
Heat the remaining sauce for about 10 seconds in the microwave. Serve sauce on the side and stir in extra to the bowl if desired (I used all of mine!)
Makes 1 serving.
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