Earlier this year when I made a whole bunch of changes to my diet, we instituted Tofu Tuesday at my house. I was working on healthier eating, getting more vegetarian protein sources, and eating more grains. In my experience when you’re trying to reinvent how you eat, you need a few standbys to turn to on the nights when you just want something easy, something you can just make without thinking too much about it. Since my husband and I both love tofu, inventing Tofu Tuesday seemed a good place to start.
Tofu Tuesday has a few incarnations, but what you see above is the most common one and we eat it at least once a month. It’s just brown rice with steamed greens, marinated tofu and peanut sauce, but the sum is so much greater than its parts. It’s hearty, savoury and filling, and as long as you don’t drown it with too much sauce, it feels pretty virtuous. It’s also a tip of the hat to my favourite dish at Fresh, where I used to eat often way back when it was still called Juice for Life, in its original location in the Annex. That place introduced me to the concept of rice bowls, and for this I am forever grateful.
This peanut sauce is very easy to make, and versatile too. I use it as a dip for fresh spring rolls or as a dressing for cold noodle salads in the summer. It’s also a great go-to for weekday lunches, since it’s usually pretty easy to pack some cooked grains and some vegetables to steam in the microwave at work. Drizzle some of this sauce on it, and suddenly it’s a substantial lunch that won’t have you ransacking your desk for a granola bar an hour later.
Peanut Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
1/3 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky, doesn’t matter)
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. grated ginger root
1 tbsp. tamari soy sauce
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
hot sauce to taste (I use sriracha)
1/4 cup boiling hot water
In a tall liquid measuring cup, combine all ingredients using an immersion blender. Add the hot water last and blend until the sauce has a nice smooth consistency, adding more water if necessary.
Keeps well for three to five days in the fridge.
Last muffin standing 