From my friend Judy Shabert, served up with beets-from-her-garden salad and first-of-the-season artichokes. It’s a salad high in omega-3 fatty acids and plant proteins — contained in the tofu, edamame and rice — and it packs well in a lunch box.
Serves 4-6 as main course. Can be served sans tofu as a side dish.
3 cups cooked black rice (or Lundberg's Japonica rice, follow package directions (1 cup uncooked)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup walnut pieces
1 cup edamame
1/2 pound tofu
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 to 2/3 cup (to taste) sesame ginger vinaigrette
1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, diced bell pepper, walnut pieces and edamame.
2. Slice the tofu about 1/2 inch thick, and blot with paper towels. Cut into 1/2-inch dice, and toss with the soy sauce. Add to the rice along with the chives and cilantro.
3. Just before serving, toss with the vinaigrette.
Advance preparation: The rice will keep in the refrigerator for three or four days, and it freezes well. The salad can be assembled several hours before serving, but don’t toss the tofu with the soy sauce until you’re ready to serve it. If you want the rice to be extra flavorful, toss it with the dressing and marinate for a few hours. You can even freeze it in the dressing.
ASIAN DRESSING
This dressing is great with green salads and cooked vegetables, as well as with noodles and grains.
1 garlic clove, finely minced or puréed
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar or agave nectar
5 tablespoons canola oil or light sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1. Place all of the ingredients in a minichop or blender (because the amounts are small, I prefer a minichop) and blend until homogenized.
Yield: Makes 2/3 cup.
Advance preparation: This dressing keeps for several days in the refrigerator.
