...Ginger Miso Tofu with Coconut Rice and Vinegar Steamed Vegetables
Serves 2-3
For this recipe, you'll need:
*1 package firm tofu
*1 chunk of ginger, about two inches long
*2 green onions
*1/2 cup of Naam (or other) miso gravy
*3 cloves garlic
*2 red bell peppers
*2 carrots
*2 cups sugar snap peas (snow peas would work, too)
*1/2 tbsp sesame oil
*1/2 tbsp peanut oil, plus more for cooking
*1 tbsp soy sauce
*1 tbsp brown sugar
*2 tbsp rice vinegar
Note: Please see below for coconut rice recipe.
To begin, slice the tofu into 10 pieces, like in the photo below. Pat them dry very well, and let them sit on paper towels for at least twenty minutes. Before you cook the tofu slices, pat them dry again. Too much moisture will hinder the cooking process, and since tofu is packed in water...you really need to do your due diligence here. Trust me, I've had many a soggy tofu meal. Not what you want with this recipe!
The knife in this photo was included for the sole reason that I wanted to tell more people how in love I am with it. This knife will seriously change your cooking life. Those little scoops from the blade make cutting anything incredibly smooth and keeps things from sticking to the knife. This means that instead of just crushing cheese or softer vegetables, you slice right through them. It's wonderful. So go buy yourself a knife like this (or get your father-in-law to, like I did)! You won't regret it!
Before I start cooking, I like to chop everything and have all the ingredients ready to go. This keeps me from realizing too late that I didn't leave myself enough time...and keeps my family from eating charcoal. Chop the garlic as finely as you like it. I love garlic in any way, shape, or form, so I leave it pretty big so that I can really taste in when I am eating. If you are more of a garlic-in-the-background person, go ahead and mince it finely. Chop the bell peppers in half, remove the cores and the seeds, and then slice them into long strips. If you're sharing the meal with kids, I'd recommend cutting the strips in half so they can fit the pieces in their little mouths. I like to leave them long if my daughter isn't eating with us. Peel the carrots and slice them into coins. If one end is much thicker than the other, chop the bigger ones in half. The sugar snap peas are ready for you (and so delicious - try not to eat most of them while you're cooking, like I did!). Chop both ends off the green onions, and toss them. Chop the rest of the stalks about the thickness of your finger. While you're at the cutting board, grate the ginger with a microplane or the smallest side of a cheese grater.
Now would be a good time to start the rice. I used a recipe from About.com, for Easy Thai Coconut Rice. I did make a couple small changes, so I'll put the recipe I used here. The changes I made are tiny and just personal preference, so feel free to use either recipe.
For the Thai Coconut Rice, you'll need:
*1/2 tsp coconut or other vegetable oil
*2 cups white Jasmine rice (the recipe at About.com provides a brown rice alternative)
*2 1/4 cups Lite Coconut milk
*1 1/2 cups water
*2 tbsp unsweetened baking coconut (shredded), plus more for garnish
*1/2 tsp salt
Rub the oil all over the bottom of a saucepan. Add the rice, Coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing burns or gets stuck to the bottom of the pan. When the liquid starts to bubble a little bit, give everything a good stir and put a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan. Immediately turn the heat down to low, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the rice after the timer goes off, and once most of the liquid has disappeared, turn off the burner. Leave the saucepan on the burner (still off) until you're ready to serve it. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Let's jump back a few steps. After starting the rice, put a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the minced garlic and let it saute without browning for about three minutes. Add the carrots, and wait about three more minutes. Now add the peppers and the sugar snap or snow peas. Give the vegetables a few more minutes to start to soften, and then add the sesame oil, peanut oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar.
Note: These vegetables are steamed in vinegar. This gives them almost a pickled taste. My husband and I like pickles and things like that, and so we enjoy this recipe. If you aren't into tastes like that, with a mild sour kick, skip the rice vinegar, or use an entirely different sauce for the veggies.
Put a lid on the vegetables. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let them do their own thing while you cook the tofu. If you are going to toast some shredded coconut as a garnish, do it now and reuse the frying pan for the tofu when you're done. It will only take a couple of minutes, and the results are really yummy! Turn a burner on to medium, and put a dry frying pan on it. Add the coconut immediately, and keep a close eye on it. Give the pan a shake once in a while, or stir the coconut. Once the coconut looks like the picture below, wait about thirty seconds and put in in a bowl and leave it to the side. You can sprinkle it on the rice immediately before you're ready to eat.
Give the frying pan a quick wipe (without burning yourself, please! Make sure you use a dry cloth or paper towel.) and put a tablespoon of peanut oil in it. Heat it on medium heat. Hold your hand about 5 inches above the pan to test the temperature. Once you can feel the warmth coming off the pan, add the grated ginger and the chopped green onion. After about two minutes, add the tofu slices. If you can't fit them all, do it in two batches. Let the tofu cook for about three minutes, and then turn one over. If it starting to become golden and crispy, turn the rest over. Otherwise, flip it back over and give them another two minutes. Once they are a light gold in colour, turn them all over and cook the other side. If you are using Naam Miso Gravy, pour it into a small saucepan and let it heat up over low heat. Stir it as often as possible. If it starts to bubble up, turn the heat down and do not stop stirring. It can burn very easily. Once it is warm, take it off the heat.
Note: If you need to cook the tofu in two (or more) batches, keep a close eye on the ginger and green onion. If they are starting to darken in colour, remove them from the pan and put them to the side.
Once all the tofu is done, the rice and vegetables should be ready as well. Put the vegetables and the rice on the plate. The vegetables shouldn't need any additional sauce from the pan, as they should already be very flavourful. Sprinkle some of the toasted coconut on the rice. Lay the slices of tofu on the plate, and spoon some of the ginger and green onions over them. Pour a tablespoon or two (or eighteen, if you're me) of Naam Miso Gravy on the tofu, and get ready to enjoy delicious Ginger Miso Tofu with Coconut Rice and Vinegar Steamed Vegetables.
xoxo,
Claire
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