Healthy vegan Fridays: Teriyaki tofu steaks with cauliflower rice

According to my rough, every-other-day posting schedule, this should have gone out yesterday. However, yesterday I was writing work papers and trying to turn a 20 minutes presentation into a 12 minute presentation. Also, I wanted to link this into the healthy vegan Fridays recipe round up.

This is the fourth such Friday, hosted by Shelby at Everyday Vegan Girl, Gabby at the Veggie Nook, and Carrie at Carrie on Vegan. Whilst it's the first I've participated in, I am a fan of the concept and will try to link my relevant recipes in when applicable.

Today's recipe involves some processed ingredients, but also captures much of what I love about vegan dishes. Easy. Incredibly delicious. Fun. Packed full of vegetables. And yes - healthy.

I had my doubts about the cauliflower rice, which was born out of a need to use up cauliflower that I foolishly bought with no recipe plans, in large quantities, without anyone in the house to eat it with me. I don't understand my vegetable purchase decisions sometimes.

As it turns out, the cauliflower rice was a perfect match for this dish, to the extent that I may not have liked it as much with regular rice. The cauliflower base was not only lighter than real rice, allowing the tofu to take pride of place, but seemed more flavoursome than rice would have been. It soaked up the sauce flavours and was really quite incredible to eat.

My only (minor) complaint with this dish is that it was slightly too salty for my low-salt preferring taste buds. I may reduce the soy sauce slightly next time, or if you use reduced sodium soy sauce that would work well.

Such minor changes aside, I will, without a doubt, be making this again!

Teriyaki tofu steaks with cauliflower rice

One of my favourite meals to date for 2012

Teriyaki sauce adapted from the teriyaki tofu in Peas and Thank You (the book)

Vegan

Serves 3

Print recipe

Ingredients

500g (1 1/2 blocks) firm tofu

1/3 cup soy sauce (I might use a little less next time)

1/3 cup water

2 tbsp mirin (or rice vinegar)

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

3 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cauliflower, roughly chopped into florets and tough stems removed

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium capsicum, thinly sliced

Method

Slice your tofu into six thick 'steaks'. If you're using regular sized tofu blocks, one block gives four steaks. 

Press the tofu steaks using a tofu press (if you have one) or for at least 15 minutes between tea towels and chopping boards, under a pile of books (if you're like me).

While the tofu is pressing, combine all of the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar and whisk to combine. The mixture will thicken on heating.

Place your tofu steaks in a shallow baking dish and cover with half of the teriyaki sauce mixture. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Set the remaining sauce aside.

To make the cauliflower rice, process the cauliflower in a food processor until crumbly and rice-like in appearance. (If you don't have a food processor, you could try mashing it but I haven't tried that. You could also use regular rice.)

When the tofu has marinated, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Cook the tofu steaks for ~12 minutes, turning every few minutes, until crispy. Remove the tofu from the pan and allow to stand while you cook the vegetables.

Add the carrot and capsicum to the non-stick pan, along with a few tablespoons of the remaining teriyaki sauce. Stir fry for ~5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low-medium and add the cauliflower rice and the remaining teriyaki sauce. Stir regularly for a further 2-4 minutes.

Return the tofu steaks to the pan to heat through, and then serve.

I think I may be in love with this dish. It could become one of the few recipes that I force myself to follow exactly for re-makes, so I don't deviate off and ruin the result.

It is definitely my favourite way, ever, to eat cauliflower!

Do you enjoy cauliflower rice? What about tofu in large serves, as here?

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