Marinated Orange Tofu with Brown Rice & Stirfry
This is an easy little number to whip up with lots of flavor and of course versatility in the recipe. I got this from my friend Juanita Veasey. She taught me the trick to making tofu just the right texture…..boil it for 7 minutes before baking. My kids totally chow this, although I make extra for the Veg Heads, everyone else eats it too. I use leftovers in Vietnamese Bánh mì Sandwiches for the lunchbox. I make a big batch of marinade and put it over a pan of tofu and one of fish or chicken and bake them at the same time. The sauce is the flavoring for the stir fry and rice. A word about salmon here though before you proceed.
“Friends Don’t Let Friend’s Eat Farmed Salmon”
I have a bumper sticker on my car that says this and I particularly like parking in a highly visible spot in the Costco parking lot. My kids hide behind the bunk beads and easy chairs in Costco while I rant loudly about the perils of farmed Salmon while pacing the fish aisle. If you don’t happen to hear me in your local Costco here is the rant. Wild caught Alaskan salmon is packed with healthy omegas and nutrients….farmed, antibiotic laden, dyed pink pieces of dead fish are not. If you can’t find wild, sustainably sourced Salmon, choose something else. Dr. Weil explains it a little more eloquently and not so publicly as I do.
Baked Orange Tofu, Brown Rice & Stirfry
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 servings
Use Tofu, Salmon, Halibut or Chicken Breasts in this recipe. If you are making one pan of Tofu and one of Fish or Chicken, double the marinade recipe and divide it between the two pans. The fish will cook a bit faster than the chicken and tofu. You can let this marinate all day or several hours but will turn out fine if you don't have time for that kind of thing
Ingredients
- 2 cups Short Grain Brown Rice or Quinoa
- 4 cups Water
- 2 pkg. Firm Tofu-only organic, and/or 4 Chicken Breasts, Salmon or Halibut Filets
- Marinade:
- 1-11/2 C. Orange Juice....fresh unless you have a very good excuse for using tropicana
- 1/4 C. Brown Rice Vinegar
- 1/3 C. Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
- splash of Maple Syrup
- 1-2 TBSP Ginger....mince and or grate it, then squeeze some juice out of it and toss it all in
- Stir Fry:
- a big Wok full of chopped and sliced Veg.
- Broccoli, Greens, Snow Peas, Carrot Ribbons, Green Onions, Zucchini, Baby Corn
Instructions
- Rinse the Rice or Quinoa well and cover with water. Cook in a Rice Cooker, Pressure Cooker or Pot -it takes around 45 minutes for Brown Rice so plan accordingly. Quinoa takes 15 min
- Slice the Tofu into 1/4-1/3 inch slabs. Thicker are a bit more chewy in texture
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and gently slide the tofu in, boil 7 minutes, remove and drain
- Mix the Marinade ingredients in a glass shaker
- Put the Protein into shallow baking pan(s) and divide the Marinade between them
- Ideally let marinade awhile while you prepare the Stir Fry Veggies or longer
- Heat oven to 350f or 180c and bake both pans about 25 minutes, checking fish after about 13 minutes. It should flake easily with a fork. The Tofu and Chicken will take a bit longer
- Cook Tofu or Chicken until firm and beginning to brown
- Meanwhile, heat a wok with a glaze of sesame oil and quickly stir fry the Veggies. You don't need to add anything but if it is really dry, add a few splashes of the marinade from the oven
- Serve over Rice with Veg and a ladle of the hot marinade, top with green onions
Baked Orange Tofu with Brown Rice & Stirfry
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