Braised Tofu w/ Veggies & Coconut Rice

Let's talk dinner!  Yes, I'm that person.  The one who sits next to you at work and asks at 10am "what's for lunch?"  I enjoy food for the reasons most people do - it tastes good, it fuels you, and you get to share it with people you love ... there's really nothing better than that :).

That said, I'm sure no one will be surprised that my favorite time of day is dinnertime.  I'll paint you a quick little picture: It's 5pm and I'm off of work.  On the drive home, in addition to serenading traffic with my personal rendition of Apple Bottom Jeans (yes, I just discovered this ... where have I been?!), I am thinking up something a) quick and simple and b) DE-licious.  Now, having no formal training in the kitchen, I do use the term delicious with modesty, mainly because my husband and I are the only people tasting these humble works of foodie art.  

What I'm about to post is one of my recent favorites - it's easy breezy vegan and pretty tasty.  Happy eating!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white or brown rice (I like long grain)
• 1 can coconut milk
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave

• 1 package extra firm tofu (organic)
• 1 head of broccoli 
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow onion

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 
• 2-3 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• coconut oil (Nutiva is great) or any other vegetable oil for frying

How To Prepare:

• Take your tofu out and place it in a strainer in the sink ... let the juices drain out.  You want the tofu as dry as possible.  You can press it lightly with a spatula to encourage quicker draining ;).
• Place the first five ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once it's boiling, stir well, reduce heat to low, and cover.  The key to great rice is low heat, and patience.
• While the rice is cooking, grab your tofu block and cutting board.  I like my tofu bits smallish (about the size of dice), but you can slice the tofu to any size that makes you happy.  
• Use a spoonful of vegetable oil (coconut is my favorite) to coat the bottom of a large pan - keep on medium/high heat.  Then toss your tofu in and lay the cubes out evenly.  You'll want to flip the tofu with a spatula every few minutes - the idea is to crisp the tofu bits on all sides.
• While the tofu and rice are cooking, chop up your veggies any way you like and prep the sauce:
• Combine the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and sesame oil in a cup or bowl.  Stir briskly to incorporate.
• Once the tofu is lightly browned, pour the sauce over, then the veggies on top, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to medium/low, simmering until the vegetables are tender.  Stir occasionally.

• The rice is done when all visible liquid is absorbed.

• Turn off heat for both rice and tofu and let sit a few minutes prior to serving.
• I add avocado to truly everything ... so if you have one around, slice it up and toss it on!