Tofu Poke Bowl
I'm not sure if there is a poké craze in your city, but there certainly is one here in Cambridge. Poké, if you are not familiar, is a raw fish salad served in Hawaii. The fish of choice is usually tuna, though salmon is popular as well. It is marinated in a soy, sesame sauce, which complements the fish very well.
Anyhow, I realized this dish worked exceptionally well with tofu as well. Because fresh raw fish doesn't have a ton of flavor, tofu and its soft - almost raw fish-like texture was the perfect fill-in.
Tips: So I find that the best tofu poké shops marinate their tofu well, meaning the tofu has completely soaked in the soy and sesame marinade. To do that, you need to first press out the liquid in the tofu by placing it between sheets of paper towel for a few hours. It will then be more able to absorb whatever marinade you give it.
Tofu Poke Bowl (Vegan)
(Makes 2-3 servings)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 package firm tofu, cubed
- 2-3 scallions
- 10 wonton skins
- 1-2 carrots
- 1 cucumber
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup edamame, cooked
- 1 avocado
- dried seaweed or fresh seaweed salad (optional)
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons oil
Rice:
- 1 cups uncooked short-grain brown rice, cooked
- 2-3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoons salt
Directions
- For the tofu: Press the cubed tofu between 2 sheets of paper towel using a weight. Let sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Once some of the liquid has released from the tofu, mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and one stalk of chopped scallion in a bowl. Add in the cubed tofu and toss. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- For the rice: Mix the rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add about 2 tablespoons to the cooked rice and toss. Save the rest of the vinegar mix for the vegetables.
- For the wonton strips: Cut strips of wonton skins into shreds. Toss with about 2 tablespoons of oil. Bake on a sheetpan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes or until wonton strips are golden brown and crispy. Salt and set aside.
- For the vegetables: Shred the vegetables of your choice. With the exception of the scallions, place the rest into the leftover vinegar liquid. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Place scallions into a bowl of cold water.
- To assemble: Place rice on the bottom. Then layer with vegetables and tofu. Top with sesame, dried seaweed and scallions.