Thai Tofu Rice Bowl

Thai Tofu Rice Bowl

dressing adapted from Everyday Maven

Dressing:

1/2 cup water

1/8 cup fish sauce

1/8 cup rice vinegar

Juice from 1/2 a lime

3 tablespoons sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes

Quick Pickled Carrots:

Shredded carrots

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Enough rice wine vinegar and water to cover in equal amounts

Rice Bowl:

Brown rice

Baked tofu

Cilantro, torn

Basil, torn

Shredded cabbage

Persian cucumber, peeled and sliced in rounds

avocado, sliced

Bell pepper, cut in strips

Cover shredded carrots with vinegar and water - stir in sugar and sat and let come to a boil. Boil carrots for 1 minute, stirring, then pour into another bowl and let cool. Let pickle in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let them drip dry a bit before using.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well. May be made a couple days ahead (in fact, this lets the flavors mellow and marry).

Lay down a bed of brown rice in a bowl - layer in all the vegetables and tofu. Pour dressing over the tofu and enjoy. This is an excellent lunch, but pack your rice separately so you can heat it up before serving with the vegetables.