Tofu Rice Bowl with Ginger and Lemongrass

Maybe it's the economy for maybe it's because baby girl loves them so, but I have been on a serious rice and pasta kick lately. What used to be either noodles and sauce or chicken and rice is now Pork Sausage and Red Wine Meatsauce over Peppardelle or Greek Pastitso (recipe coming soon!). Over the weekend, as I was making La Fuji Mama's From Scratch Tofu, I happily brooded over what I might make with it.

Rice popped immediately in my head and along with it, Bibimbap, one of my all time favorite Korean foods. But then I remembered that I had a bunch of ginger and lemongrass left in the fridge (both local believe it or not!) from a failed pork dish earlier in the week. So I decided to do to the tofu what should've been done to the pork and I made a lovely stir fry, full of flavor, colorful veggies and, you guessed it, tofu. Enjoy!

Tofu Rice Bowl with Ginger and Lemongrass
(I'm not one for spice, but this dish would be even more awesome with some Kochujang or Korean hot sauce.)

What You'll Need:

For the Rice -
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water or chicken broth

For the Stir Fry -
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2-3 tbsp Lemongrass thinly sliced with the tough outer skin removed
2-3 tbsp Ginger finely diced
3 large or 6 small garlic cloves minced
2 large carrots shredded on the largest setting of your box grater
6-8 large shitake mushrooms sliced (remove the woody stems)
2-3 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 large handful Thai basil or regular basil leaves
1-2 handfuls of roasted salted peanuts smashed
1 double batch of La Fuji Mama's from scratch tofu or 1 tin of store bought tofu cubed

About 45 minutes before you plan to eat, combine the water and rice in a small pot, bring to a boil, cover and turn down the heat to low. Gently simmer until the rice is tender.


About 15 minutes before you plan to eat, set a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Once it shimmers, add the ginger, lemongrass and garlic. Stir until softened and add the shredded carrots. Stir for a minute and then add the shitake mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have given up their water, add the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce and tofu. Stir for a minute and then add the basil.

To serve, spoon a helping of rice into a bowl, top with the stir fry and a small handful of peanuts.

Approximate Dinner Cost
• Groceries - $7.50
• Leftovers – Expect 4 servings. All told, it's around $1.88 per serving.