Hearty grains are tossed with sautéed tofu (or tempeh), asparagus, corn, kale, sun-dried tomatoes and pumpkin seeds to create a completely nutritious and delicious meal.
Steps
1
Preparing the Grains
Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa*
1 cup cooked red rice*
1 cup cooked kamut*
*Note: Any grain or combination of grains can be used for this dish.
Cook the grains by following the instructions in the lesson How to Cook Grains.
If you have previously cooked the grains, reheat them with steam prior to assembling the dish. Refer to the lesson for instructions.
2
Preparing Your Mise en Place
Ingredients
2 cups kale
1 bunch asparagus
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced or diced (unsalted, dry, not packed in oil)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups extra-firm tofu (or tempeh)
To prepare your mise en place, wash and spin dry the kale. Remove the stem and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces.
Wash and trim the asparagus. Cut into 1" -inch pieces. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and measure out the corn. Gather the pumpkin seeds and set aside. Drain, pat dry and cut the tofu into cubes.
3
Cooking & Assembling the Dish
Ingredients
1 cup diced onion
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
sea salt to taste, optional
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté a few minutes until the edges of the onions start to become translucent. Add the tofu and sauté, adding a bit of vegetable stock or water now and then to prevent sticking.
Once done, remove onion and tofu from the pan and set aside.
Next, add the corn to the same pan and let cook for a few minutes to warm through. Next, add the asparagus, kale and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss until the kale just begins to wilt. Add the heated grains and toss again to combine. Add the onions and tofu and toss gently to combine. Season to taste. Serve and enjoy.
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Where can you buy red fife grains? I couldn't find them at Whole Foods so I ended up substituting them with groats. Online vendors seem to just offer red fife flour.
This may be something that is only available at certain times of the year. I know that I bought some at Whole Foods but that was back in the fall. That being said, I have seen them recently here in Vancouver. Perhaps someone else may be able to make a suggestion. Other than that you can do as you did and just substitute with any other grain. Cheers!
This seems like an ideal nutritious delicious all in one lunch option for work. The problem I find is that, working with the ambulance service, I work shifts which limits food prep time and to be honest, a lot of times i just don't feel like it.
Whilst I know it would not be at its best, how do you think this would turn out if I froze in portions to grab and go? Is there a preferred stage at which I could freeze everything together and finish of at work to minimize negative effects on it?
You are correct that it is not ideal to freeze the whole dish; however, if you must, then I would suggest that you simply try it. You will likely notice that the vegetables might be a bit watery and less vibrant. The tofu will also not likely be that great as tofu does not seem to freeze very well. If you dont mind the result once it has been frozen and reheat, then absolutely go ahead and make it to freeze for later. It's certainly miles ahead of going through a fast food line up instead! One other note, you may also need to adjust the seasoning once reheated. You may also want to leave the nuts out until the end as well. Hope this helps. Cheers!
Ah, shucks! Always happy to help Kevin.
By the way, I was thinking more about making things ahead. I often make my grains ahead. In fact, just this morning I made steel-cut oats for 5 days. Often, when making things ahead (and freezing them), it's a good idea to keep the different components separate until it comes to serving the dish. This is because most things freeze and thaw at different rates, some ingredients are watery once thawed etc.
With all of that said, it often just comes down to trying things out, more than one way, to see which end result you are most happy with. I often feel like McGyver in the kitchen as I am never doing things the same way twice. Because like you, I like to prepare things ahead, especially when I am having a dinner part or something, so I am always trying to figure out which ingredients, dishes or just components of a dish work well when made ahead. That way, when the guests arrive I can look all casual with a glass of wine in my hand :-)
Hope that helps in some way. Cheers!
This was a good and healthy dish but I made the mistake of your grain measurements as dry rather than cooked so my ratios were WAY off. What I ended up doing was using it as a base for a korean style bibimbop style bowl with siracha and a fried egg on top!
Great work Elizabeth! I am glad that you were able to salvage the grains. Grain ratios are always given starting with dry ingredients- for future reference. Cheers!
Dawn T •This may be something that is only available at certain times of the year. I know that I bought some at Whole Foods but that was back in the fall. That being said, I have seen them recently here in Vancouver. Perhaps someone else may be able to make a suggestion. Other than that you can do as you did and just substitute with any other grain. Cheers!
Kevin O •This seems like an ideal nutritious delicious all in one lunch option for work. The problem I find is that, working with the ambulance service, I work shifts which limits food prep time and to be honest, a lot of times i just don't feel like it. Whilst I know it would not be at its best, how do you think this would turn out if I froze in portions to grab and go? Is there a preferred stage at which I could freeze everything together and finish of at work to minimize negative effects on it?
Elizabeth S •This was a good and healthy dish but I made the mistake of your grain measurements as dry rather than cooked so my ratios were WAY off. What I ended up doing was using it as a base for a korean style bibimbop style bowl with siracha and a fried egg on top!
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •Great work Elizabeth! I am glad that you were able to salvage the grains. Grain ratios are always given starting with dry ingredients- for future reference. Cheers!