When I started my anti-inflammation diet, I became even more aware of how food affects my body. By eliminating processed food and reducing the amount of red meat and dairy I consumed, I naturally lost weight and felt great!
I discovered why my daughter’s pediatrician was supportive of her adoption of a vegetarian diet 5 years ago. Though I refuse to be a short-order cook for my family, making individual meals to suit their specific tastes, I do try to incorporate an occasional vegetarian dish into our dinner menu to appease my daughter’s eating habits and to broaden the rest of the family’s perspective on food choices.
After a couple of failed attempts at tofu dishes, I had given up for awhile, but decided it was time to give it a chance again. Surprisingly, the tofu teriyaki bowl recipe I whipped up one evening for dinner was a big hit!
This dinner was ridiculously easy to make. So now that I know everyone in my family loves it, it will definitely be one of our staple meals. It’s easy to keep all of the ingredients on hand for those busy weeknights when you forgot to get meat out to thaw.
Tofu Teriyaki Bowl
The trick to making tofu is to get out as much of the water as possible otherwise, it can be a little rubbery. To extract the water, after I drained the water from the packaging, I removed the tofu and placed it between paper towels (2 paper towels beneath and 2 more on top) and then set a stoneware cookie sheet on top to press it and push the water out. I left the cookie sheet in place while I made the rice.
After the rice was done, I sliced the tofu into bite-sized chunks and sauteed the pieces in a preheated frying pan with some sesame oil. Once the tofu was lightly browned, I added the vegetables. When the vegetables were heated through, I added the teriyaki sauce and stirred until the tofu and vegetables were well coated. Then I filled the bowls with rice and topped with the teriyaki mixture. Easy peasy!
📋 Recipe
Tofu Teriyaki Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 Tbs sesame oil
- 1 14 oz pkg extra firm tofu
- 1 16 oz pkg frozen stir fry vegetables
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce
Instructions
- Drain liquid from tofu container then remove tofu. Place tofu between paper towels and place a heavy object like a cast iron skillet or stoneware cookie sheet on top of the paper towel to press tofu. Press for at least 30 minutes.
- Slice tofu into bite-sized chunks.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and coat bottom of pan. Then, add tofu pieces. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until tofu pieces are lightly browned.
- Add vegetables and continue cooking until heated through. Then, add teriyaki sauce. Stir well to coat tofu and vegetables in sauce.
- Spoon 3/4 cup rice into a bowl and top with teriyaki mixture.
Nutrition
Benefits of Soy
Even if you’re not a vegetarian, tofu and other soy-based products should be incorporated into your diet. Soy is a naturally complete plant protein that packs a nutritional punch. The infographic below highlights a lot of the nutritional benefits of soy.
Soybeans are a great source of copper, manganese, phosphorus, protein, iron, omega-3’s, fiber, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin K, and potassium.
More Ways to Enjoy the Benefits of Soy
If you don’t think tofu is going to make a regular appearance in your meal planning, there are still plenty of other ways to incorporate soy (and reap its benefits) into your diet.
First, if you don’t like the appearance of traditional tofu, look into all the different varieties of tofu. You can buy tofu shaped like your favorite pasta (like spaghetti and macaroni). You can also buy meatless ground which looks just like ground beef but contains soy, not meat. The meatless ground is great in tacos!
Another easy way to add soy to your diet is to work it into your snacks. My youngest daughter LOVES steamed edamame with a little bit of sea salt or parmesan sprinkled on it.
When I started eating to reduce inflammation, I limited the amount of dairy I was consuming. Since Greek yogurt was a staple in my diet, I had to find a replacement. Soy yogurt is just as tasty so I keep a supply on hand, along with fresh berries, for an easy breakfast or snack. Because it’s not as dense as Greek yogurt, it also makes a light, creamy texture to smoothies.
For even more ideas and soy recipes, visit Soyfoods.org. April is Soyfoods Month so it’s the perfect time to integrate this nutritional powerhouse into your diet!
I love both Teriyaki and Tofu. I love the thought that you made a recipe that uses both of them!
The flavor combination of teriyaki and tofu go really well together. Thanks for commenting.
My family loves to eat edamame as a snack, just like popcorn. I’ll be trying your teriyaki bowl recipe soon.