Dragon Rice Bowl

After enjoying a lazy Saturday, I didn't want to have to go to too much trouble for dinner. I decided to try making the Dragon Rice Bowl from the cookbook "Refresh". I only purchased this cookbook recently so am trying to work my way through some of its recipes.

Rice: Prepare some brown basmati rice (this is where I'm always thankful we have a rice cooker - it does a great job with no assistance from me).

Marinated Tofu: Cut a block of firm tofu into thick slices and marinate in 2 ounces of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, 3 ounces of tamari, 1 ounce of water, and 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil. Marinate for at least one hour or it can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You don't have to cook the tofu - it can be served as-is or cut up in cubes to add to a salad or wrap.

Thickly slice a zucchini and 2 large tomatoes (try to remove the seeds as best as you can). Grill the veggies and the marinated tofu on the BBQ, brushing the veggies with a little olive oil and sprinkling with some Kosher salt. Grill on both sides ensuring you get those lovely char marks that scream "barbeque".

Miso Gravy: In a saucepan mix together 4-1/2 tablespoons of spelt flour, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 3/4 cup nutritional yeast. Whisk in 1-1/2 cups of vegetable stock to make a paste. Put the saucepan over a low heat and let it come to a boil; then simmer for 30 seconds. Take it off the heat and add 1/3 cup sunflower oil, 1-1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of miso paste, and 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt and whisk until smooth.

To assemble: put the rice in the middle of a bowl, top with a 4-ounce ladle of miso gravy. Arrange the grilled veggies and tofu around the inner edge of the bowl and put some chopped green onions and chopped cilantro in the centre of bowl. Garnish with some toasted sesame seeds.

I'm glad I made the miso gravy to give it a try, but will likely swap it out for another sauce in future. I'm not a big fan of nutritional yeast at the best of times although I know it's a great source of B Vitamins -- the taste takes a bit of getting used to. I thought with all the other ingredients in the gravy, it would have done a better job of masking the taste of the nutritional yeast. Still, the meal was enjoyable and I will make it again (with a substitute for the miso gravy).