coconut rice with tofu tossed in peanut sauce

woaaah two blog posts in one day? who is she?! i made something else that was so good, and so easy, that i HAVE to share. the only real requirements are jasmine rice and coconut milk (the canned kind) for the coconut rice, and firm (or extra firm) tofu, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup (or other sweetener), & ginger for the tofu tossed in peanut sauce. toppings can vary – today i used a watermelon radish, scallions, roasted peanuts, and cilantro, but i feel like lime juice would be a really good addition too. and the NYT cooking recipe recommends finely slicked pickled chiles.

here are the NYT cooking recipes for coconut rice & tofu with peanut-ginger sauce! i just made a couple of tweaks to them based on the fact that i like things a bit more salty and sweet and i like to use maple syrup instead of cane sugar whenever possible!

so first up, let’s get the coconut rice going (because the tofu comes together quickly and the rice takes a touch longer to cook!) all in all, this recipe can be done in about 30 minutes! for char and me – it served 2 with a little left over lol.

coconut rice

ingredients:

• 1 cup jasmine rice, or other long-grain white rice
• 1 cup coconut milk – canned, unsweetened
• 2 tsp – 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup water

directions:

1. rinse rice until water runs mostly clear. add to a pot with the coconut milk, water, salt, and maple syrup and bring to a boil. once boiling, stir everything together to ensure it doesn’t stick, and then cover the pot and turn heat to low to simmer.
2. cook for 15 minutes at a simmer, then turn off burner and let rice sit, covered, for 10 more minutes.
3. now you have your coconut rice! you can fluff it with a fork and then recover until it’s time to assemble.

now time for the tofu!

tofu tossed in peanut sauce

ingredients:

• 1 package tofu
• olive oil and salt (for sautéing tofu)
• 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• fresh ginger (about 1 inch), peeled and grated or finely chopped
• dash of cayenne pepper, to taste
• warm water, for thinning sauce

directions:

1. cut tofu into squares or shape of your choosing and heat in a sauté pan (preferably nonstick) with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. cook for a few minutes, until starting to brown but just warmed through. note: you can skip this step and serve it straight from the package if you’d like
2. combine peanut sauce ingredients – from peanut butter through warm water. add as much warm water as you need to get it to your desired consistency.
3. once tofu is warmed through, toss with as much peanut sauce as you like in a mixing bowl. reserve leftover peanut sauce as a topping for the bowls.

time to put it all together!

assembly:

1. add coconut rice to serving dish.
2. add tofu tossed in peanut sauce to the rice.
3. add whatever toppings you like, and more peanut sauce!
4. i used: scallions, cilantro, roasted peanuts, and a watermelon radish! but you can completely omit those or add different toppings.
5. enjoy!!!