Today was my first day back to school. Last year, I decided to go back to school to take baking classes so I could improve my baking skills. I’ve been out of school for quite a few years now, so it felt a bit strange to go back to school. The first class was a standard intro class. The professor walked us through the syllabus and the importance of learning the science behind baking. Since I knew today would be a long day, I packed one of my high protein tofu rice bowls. It is also one of my go-to lunch bowls. I am absolutely addicted to rice bowls. In fact, over the last few months, I’ve been purchasing rice bowls from Currito every Friday night for dinner. At Currito, there are tons of rice bowl recommendations on the menu, but I love to build my own bowl. My usual go-to bowl starts off with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, tofu, shredded kale, shredded lettuce, arugula, edamame, cucumber, corn salsa, medium salsa, golden raisins, side of house vinaigrette and side of sour cream. I’ve ordered this exact bowl combination during my last five visits to the restaurant. The ingredients are always super fresh and I can’t help but want to devour the entire bowl in one sitting. People often say we eat with our eyes. The more color there is in a dish, the more appealing the dish looks and tastes. I definitely think there is some truth to the saying. I tend to love foods with tons of color. I also have a high tolerance for eating the same dish all the time. Kevin pointed out to me the other day the phases I tend to go through with food. There are weeks when I really crave a single dish and consistently order the same dish every week for months at a time. During the summer, my Friday routine consists of going to work, heading to the gym, and then having dinner at Blaze Pizza. In the fall, my Friday routine shifts to going to work, heading to the gym, and then having dinner at a local sushi restaurant or Vietnamese restaurant. When winter rolled around this year, my routine became going to work, picking up groceries, and then having dinner at Currito. I shifted my workouts to Sunday during the winter because it is just too cold to head to the gym in the evenings. Lately, my cravings for rice bowls have extended beyond just Friday nights. I started making tofu rice bowls to serve for lunch throughout the week. My homemade version includes cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fresh homemade salsa, seasoned tofu, fresh parsley, and a wedge of lime. I’ve eaten tofu rice bowls so often, I can’t believe I am not sick of it yet. Tofu rice bowls, sushi, and pizza are probably the three rotational dishes I don’t think I will ever get sick of. In the spirit of celebrating my favorite go-to lunch dish, I am sharing my tofu rice bowl recipe below.
Tofu Rice Bowl:
For the seasoned tofu:
· 1 teaspoon cumin
· 1 teaspoon garlic salt
· ¼ teaspoon paprika
· ¼ teaspoon chili powder
· ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 2 sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
· 2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut into cubes
For the fresh salsa:
· Click here for my fresh salsa recipe
For the cilantro lime rice:
· 1½ cups cooked rice
· ½ lime, zested and juiced
· 3 sprigs of cilantro, roughly chopped
· ¼ teaspoon salt
For the rest of the bowl:
· 1 (15-ounce) can of cooked black beans
· fresh cilantro
· lime wedge for serving
Directions:
1) In a small bowl, combine the cumin, garlic salt, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, chopped parsley, and chopped cilantro.
2) Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the tofu cubes and spices from the bowl into the skillet. Brown the tofu cubes in the skillet on all sides, turning occasionally, about 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat.
3) Prepare the fresh salsa following my instructions here. Prepare the cilantro lime rice by combining the cooked rice, lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Set aside the salsa and ingredients for the rest of the bowl.
4) To assemble the bowls, add a layer of cilantro lime rice, cooked black beans, fresh salsa, seasoned tofu, and top with fresh cilantro.
Takeaways: Tofu bowls are extremely versatile. You can swap in any protein of your choice and add any other vegetables your heat desires. To add sweetness to the bowl, you can add a handful of golden raisins, regular raisins, or dried cranberries.