Sweet & Spicy Sticky Tofu Bowl

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Health Benefits:

I love a good grain bowl and this is no exception. As someone with Celiac Disease, I rarely get to have any type of Asian-style take-out food but this dish will give satisfy any craving for a sticky, sweet, spicy sauce similar to those found in many American-Asian style dishes, minus the excess sodium and fat found in restaurant food.

Crispy baked tofu, tossed in a rich, umami sauce and served alongside roasted broccoli and quinoa makes for a perfectly balanced meal, both nutritionally and flavor-wise.

It's easily adaptable to any leftover grains you have in the fridge and I've added some ways to reduce the prep time for when you just need to get food on the table.

When you do have the time, I like to add mushrooms such as shiitake or maitake, roasting them alongside the tofu. then coating them in the sauce as well.

Arrowroot starch is the star here because it thickens the sauce and also gives it that "sticky" quality. A little goes a long way so start with 1tsp per 1tbsp water and allow the sauce to thicken while cooking. If you don't have arrowroot, you can use cornstarch, just increase from 1tsp to 1 tbsp/1 tbsp of water.

And while I love broccoli for it's flavor and texture, I also love it for what it adds to the meal. Broccoli has almost 3g/protein per one uncooked cup. almost 100% of your daily Vitamin C levels and almost 75% of your Vitamin K making it a true nutrient booster.

This meal also works great as leftovers, so make extra for lunches!

Quick Cheats: Ways to Make this Recipe Faster

• Use leftover grains from a previous meal. Brown rice, millet or farro (farro is not GF) would all work well.

• If you have an air fryer, use it for the broccoli and tofu, it will cut down on cooking time. Check at ten minutes and every 5 after that.

• In a pinch, you can skip pre-roasting the tofu. It won't have the same crispy texture, instead being softer but if you like the texture of tofu, it works this way.

• Try making the sauce in a microwave safe glass dish. To do so combine all the sauce ingredients excluding the water/arrowroot. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in-between until the garlic is fragrant. Add the arrowroot slurry and microwave for just 20 seconds more, then stir well.

Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings):

• 1 cup dried quinoa

• 2 cups vegetable broth or water

• 6 cups raw broccoli florets

• 4 tsp olive oil, divided

• 1/2 tsp salt, divided

• 16 oz firm tofu

For the Sauce:

• 1.5 tbsp sesame oil

• 4 large garlic cloves

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 4 tbsp tamari soy sauce (GF if needed)

• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

• black pepper to taste

• 1 tsp arrowroot starch

• 1 tbsp water, plus more as needed

Suggested Toppings:

• Scallions

• Sesame Seeds

• Hemp Seeds

• Hot Sauce

• Microgreens

Equipment Needed:

• Colander

• Medium sauce pan

• 2 baking sheets

• Cutting Board

• Knife

• Small sauce pan

• Measuring spoons

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 425F.

• Rinse the dried quinoa and add it to a medium saucepan along with the broth or water (your choice).

• Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.

• Allow the quinoa to cook for 15 minutes then turn off the heat and leave the cover on to steam.

• Finely chop or press the garlic for the sauce and set aside.

• Chop the broccoli into bite size pieces and spread onto one baking sheet. Toss with half the salt and olive oil.

• Drain the tofu and pat dry. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

• Place the tofu on another baking sheet and toss with the remaining salt and olive oil.

• Place the broccoli and tofu trays in the oven.

• Bake the tofu for 10-15 minutes until starting to brown, then remove from the oven and set aside.

• Bake the broccoli for 25-30 minutes until starting to take on color and crispy edges, tossing occassionally.

• While the tofu and broccoli bake, prepare the sauce.

• In a small saucepan, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat.

• Add the garlic and sauté until the garlic softens and become fragrant, ~2 minutes.

• Add the maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and black pepper.

• Bring to a simmer.

• In a small bowl or cup, stir together the arrowroot starch and water to form a slurry.

• Add the slurry to the sauce and whisk to combine.

• Allow the sauce to thicken, stirring frequently for another 3-4 minutes.

• Taste and adjust sauce!

• When the sauce is ready, pour it over the cooked tofu (right on the baking sheet!) and toss to coat the pieces.

• To serve scoop a 1/2 cup cooked quinoa into a bowl. Top with broccoli and tofu.

• Sprinkle your choice of toppings and enjoy!

Nutrition Info (per Serving): Calories: 446 Fat: 17g Carbohydrates: 53g Fiber 8g Protein: 22g