Brown rice and baked tofu salad  

This recipe comes from The Global Vegan, a new cookbook by popular blogger Ellie Bullen, inspired by the food she ate on her travels around the world. Inside are over a hundred plant- based recipes, each beautifully photographed by her. 

Her brown rice and tofu salad is an easy recipe I keep coming back to. Tofu can be boring and bland but when it is baked in the oven with a sesame seed topping it crisps up. The tamari and lemon dressing added just before serving makes it very tasty.

In case you were wondering, the hemp seeds are perfectly legal. They contain only trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana and are readily available in a health food shop. They are rich in healthy fats, protein and various minerals.

Veganism has become very popular of late, especially with the younger generation and there is often a vegan or two to cater for when our whanau comes over to stay. The recipes for dried mango muesli, hash browns with turmeric-cashew sauce, mushroom tacos, Korean sushi and pecan-maple banana bread are sure to appeal to their tastebuds. And to ours as well as, although we are not vegans, we are endeavouring to eat more plant-based recipes these days.

Brown Rice and Baked Tofu Salad – by Ellie Bullen

When I lived in Bali, this warm salad was one of my favourite dishes. It is simple to make and contains a great balance of carbs, fats and protein. I love topping my salads with hemp seeds, as they add even more nutrition.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

250 g firm tofu, cut into 2 cm cubes

¼ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons avocado oil

3 tablespoons brown rice

160 g shredded kale leaves

4 broccolini stalks

1 avocado, halved, stone removed

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

Lemon–tamari dressing:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Whisk the lemon juice and tamari or soy sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Arrange the tofu on the prepared baking tray, sprinkle over the salt, pepper and sesame seeds and drizzle with half the oil.

Bake for 35–40 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the packet instructions.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and sauté the kale for 2 minutes or until slightly wilted.

Transfer to serving bowls.

Add the broccolini to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes or until cooked through.

Add to the bowls with the kale, along with the rice.

Toss everything together, then top with the baked tofu and half an avocado.

Sprinkle over the hemp seeds and chilli flakes, if using.

Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

This recipe comes from:

‘The Global Vegan by Ellie Bullen, Published by Plum, RRP $34.99, Photography by Ellie Bullen’    

Reviews by Lyn Potter

Parent and grandparent, Avid traveler, writer & passionate home cook

Read more by Lyn here.