Brown Rice and Tofu Salad

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Ingredients

3-1/4 fl oz soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon rice syrup
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 pound firm tofu
4 cups water
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

This is a wonderful way to add a whole grain into your child’s diet. Serve it as a side dish in a boxed lunch or add grilled chicken or shrimp to make an entrée.

Submitted by:
Chef Ann Cooper Chef Ann Cooper is a renegade lunch lady. She works to transform cafeterias across the nation into culinary classrooms for students, centered on regional, organic, seasonal and sustainable meals. For more, pick up her book Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children.

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Make It:

1. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ginger, canola oil, crushed red pepper flakes, rice syrup and sesame oil to make the marinade.

2. Marinate the tofu overnight and then press it in a colander under about one pound of weight for at least 4 hours.

3. In four cups of boiling water cook the rice to al dente. Remove from the water and spread on a cookie sheet to cool.

4. Remove the tofu from the press, reserving the marinade.

5. Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces (approximately 1/2-inch square) and toss with rice in the marinade.

6. Add scallions and crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Clean It:

Marinate and store leftovers in glass, stainless steel, porcelain, or lead-free ceramic containers, as opposed to plastic. Plastics can leach chemicals into your food.

Green It:

Make sure that while cooking the rice, your pan is completely covering the burner (electric stove) or the flame (gas stove). This will little by little save a lot of energy and money, because you’re no longer paying to heat the air around your pan.

Make It Fun:

Kids love playing with food. Let them get down and dirty by having them toss all the ingredients together with their hands.

Image Courtesy Of House Of Sims