Are you looking for a super fast and easy dinner that the whole family will love?
If so, the look no further than this tofu fried brown rice an vegetables. This high protein meal will really hit the spot! It’s filling, tasty, satisfying, and its low GI and high fiber content will help to keep you fuller for longer and promote weight loss.
This dish is a healthier version of your classic egg fried rice. And, you don’t even need to add any fats to cook this meal, so it’s virtually fat free too.
The Whole Foods Plant Based Diet
The reason all our recipes at ZestForever contain whole foods, including ‘whole’ grains is because they are healthier, more complex carbs. Low GI complex carbs will help to stabilise your blood sugar, thus stopping those carb cravings that are so bad for the waitline and health in general.
Adhering to the whole foods plant based lifestyle also has a myriad of pretty great health benefits. These include the following:-
- MORE ENERGY
- BETTER SKIN
- WEIGHT LOSS
- MORE CLARITY
- LESS INFLAMMATION
- HIGHER FITNESS LEVELS
- LESS RISK OF DIABETES
- A HAPPIER OUTLOOK
The whole foods plant based diet has become hugely popular these past few years, and it’s clear to see why. This is why all of our recipes adhere to being just whole foods as much as possible.
This means minimal oils, and no refined sugars or carbohydrates. There are many ways you can swap these very common ingredients for whole foods versions, such as:-
- WHITE RICE – Brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat grouts, amaranth, pearl barley
- WHITE BREAD – Spelt, sourdough, rye bread, wholegrain
- BUTTER – Mashed avocado, tahini, hummus, smooth nut butters
- OILS – Spray oil, stock, water, tamari, liquid aminos
- PROTEINS – Beans and pulses, tofu, seitan, tempeh, green peas
The Healthy Ingredients In This Tofu Fried Rice Dish
This tofu fried brown rice dish is full of great ingredients that are very family friendly, so feel free to serve this to the everyone in the knowledge they will enjoy it.
BROWN RICE
Brown rice is full of fiber, B-Vitamins, magnesium and fiber. Fiber helps keep you regular, is heart healthy and will help keep your blood sugar stable.
White rice on the other hand, is similar to eating refined sugar. It has hardly any nutrition or fiber, and it’s sugars hit the bloodstream fast, causing a sugar spike. Eating foods like this frequently may eventually cause insulin resistance.
It’s important to note that brown rice is considered a ‘whole’ food due to the fact that it hasn’t had its husk removed in the refining process. When your average white rice gets refined, all the goodness of the husk is taken off in this process along with the fiber and nutrients.
TOFU
Tofu is basically soy bean curd that is coagulated and pressed into firm white blocks. It can be either silken (good for desserts and protein shakes) or varying degrees of firmness (usually used in savoury dishes such as this recipe)
It’s a fantastic high protein food for plant based and vegan eaters. The protein in soy products is also pretty close to animal sources in terms of its amino acid profile in a highly absorbable form. This is why tofu is used so much in pant based and vegan cooking.
Always source non GMO, organic tofu if you want the highest benefits.
GREEN PEAS
Green peas are such an underrated POWERHOUSE of nutrition. They are low in calories, high in protein, and very high in nutrition.
Your average 1/2 cup serving of green peas contains 34% of your RDA vitamin A, 34% vitamin K. 15% Thiamine, 13% vitamin C, 12% Folate, 11% Magnesium, 7% Iron, and 6% Phosphorus.
Your average 1kg bag of frozen green peas will cost you under £1, making them a very budget friendly superfood.
SWEETCORN
The addition of sweetcorn in this tofu fried brown rice really gives it a sweet pop. You can use fresh, frozen or canned and you will get the same effect.
Sweetcorn is also a very high fiber, whole grain food, so a great addition to a whole foods plant based diet in moderation.
This healthy grain is another underrated, budget friendly food that happens to be high in the two major eye antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which can improve eye health and vision.
ONION
Onions are a cheap superfood that can be easily eaten daily in various dishes. They contain antioxidants and compounds that can help lower chronic inflammation, decrease triglycerides and reduce cholesterol levels.
The humble onion is also high in vitamin C, heart healthy antioxidants, and B Vitamins.
Red onions seem to hold even more benefits due to the colour of its skin. It’s that bright red colour that holds all of its antioxidants and phytochemicals that are so good for anti aging of the body, both inside and out.
You can use red or white onions in this ‘eggless’ fried rice dish, but the red will be sweeter and may not work as well.
RED BELL PEPPER
We love the red pepper in this tofu fried rice because it adds a pop of colour and a good hit of yet more ANTIOXIDANTS. And, boy do we love those antioxidant rich foods to keep us looking and feeling more youthful, right?
You can use any colourful bell pepper, but the red really seems to stand out and has the perfect level of sweetness to compliment the dish.
Colourful bell peppers are a source of vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, folate, iron, lypocene and caretenoids, all of which are antioxidant compounds that help to fight free radical damage in the body.
TURMERIC
You would have to be living on the moon to have not heard all the hype around turmeric. This is the spice we use in this tofu fried rice to give the dish a yellowy hue, akin to ‘egg’ colour. You don’t have to use this, but it really does add to the antioxidants and makes it look so much more appetising.
The curcumin in turmeric is the specific antioxidant compound that gives it its vibrant yellow colouring. And, it’s this compound that gives turmeric all those amazing benefits you hear about.
These benefits include the proven benefits of being anti inflammatory, antioxidant, good for brain function, may lower risk of heart disease, alleviate the symptoms of depression and arthritis, and help delay aging and fight age related chronic diseases.
Tofu Fried Brown Rice & Vegetables
Equipment
- Large frying pan or wok
- Medium sized saucepan
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Hand held potato masher (or fork)
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 400 g block of firm pressed tofu
- 3 cups of cooked brown rice any kind
- 1 medium white onion chopped finely
- 1 red bell pepper chopped into small cubes
- 1.5 cups of frozen peas
- 1 cup of sweetcorn kernels
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic crushed
- 2 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 4-5 finely sliced spring onions to serve
- Tamari or soy sauce to taste
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-cook your rice as per packet instructions for about roughly 4 servings
- Prepare your tofu by taking out of the packet and squeezing excess water out over your sink. The best way to do this is in between the palm of your hands, unless you have a tofu press. Next, put your block of tofu on a chopping board and use a potato masher to mash it down into a scrambled egg like texture. Do not over-mash. One mash on each area is usually enough because you don't want it to be too mushy. Keep in some texture!
- In a large, non-stick frying pan heat a couple of tablespoons of water
- Add your chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add more hot water to prevent sticking or browning too much as you go along.
- Add your bell pepper, peas, sweetcorn, crushed garlic, turmeric powder, paprika, a good crack of black pepper, and 2 x tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce and soften everything for a few minutes. Add more hot water if you need to, but be careful not to make the whole thing too wet at this point.
- Once you veggies are softened, add your tofu and fry for a further minute or so. Add your rice last, along with your spring onions and heat through. You may need to check spices and adjust flavourings at this point.
- Serve with more tamari/soy sauce splashed on the top and you're good to go!
Video
This awesome recipes from ZestForever is one of the fast and easy dishes from our BUSY People Meal Plans.
Please share this recipe to help others enjoy plant based food as much as we do!
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