Fried rice is always a winner in my house, so when I saw this quinoa "fried rice" recipe I got really excited to try it out. I found the recipe on one of those meal delivery websites, the ones that deliver a recipe and all the ingredients perfectly portioned out for you, so that you can cook the meal on your own and are also pretty much garunteed to have it turn out. This one didn't turn out so great. I've tried Chef x quite a few times and have been very happy with the recipes and quality of ingredients, so when I came across a similar kind of business I figured it would be safe to glean a recipe or two and skip the delivery. Not so much. Oh well, you can't win 'em all. Generally I found this recipe lacking something and was also just far too much effort for the end result. What I did really enjoy about the recipe however, was the fried tofu. I'm going to fry my tofu more often and maybe even marinate it next time.
Quinoa & Tofu “Fried Rice”
2 14-Ounce Packages Extra Firm Tofu
2 Cups White Quinoa
12 Ounces Chinese Broccoli
7 Ounces Shiitake Mushrooms
4 Cloves Garlic
4 Scallions
2 Carrots
1 Large Bunch Cilantro
½ Cup Hoisin Sauce
4 Tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
1 2-Inch Piece Ginger
2 Teaspoons Black & White Sesame Seeds
1 Cook the quinoa:
Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add thequinoa and cook 20 to 22 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
2 Prepare the ingredients:
While the quinoa cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Drain and pat the tofu dry with paper towels; cut into large cubes. Remove and discard the mushroom stems; thinly slice the caps. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Remove the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Peel and cut the carrots into thin matchsticks. Roughly chop the Chinese broccoli leaves and stems. Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems; keep the leaves whole and roughly chop the stems.
3 Cook the tofu:
In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the cubed tofu in a single, even layer and season with pepper. Cook, flipping occasionally, 12 to 14 minutes, or until evenly browned and crispy on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
4 Cook the mushrooms:
In the same pan used to cook the tofu, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms and season with pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until softened and browned. Transfer to the plate of cooked tofu and set aside.
5 Cook the vegetables:
In the same pan used to cook the mushrooms, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, white parts of the scallions andcilantro stems. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until softened and fragrant. Add the carrots and Chinese broccoli leaves and stems; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the carrots have softened and the Chinese broccoli leaves have wilted.
6 Finish & serve your dish:
To the pan of vegetables, add the hoisin sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice vinegar, half the green tops of the scallions and ½ cup of water; stir until combined. Add the cooked tofu and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until well combined and heated through. Remove from heat. Add the mixture to the bowl of cooked quinoa with the sesame oil; toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the "fried rice" to a serving dish. Garnish with the cilantro leaves, sesame seeds and remaining green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!