Tuesday, September 24; Vegan Mofo Day 24

Unfried Rice with Tofu & Veggies and Basil Rolls

Rating: 4

I’ve been on a little bit of a basil roll kick lately and made some for lunch the other day. It was the first time I’d ever made any – I usually just get them at restaurants – and they were ok, but I didn’t put nearly enough stuff in them. This time, I made them fatter and they came out really good. I meant to set aside some of the tofu I made for the rice and cut it into strips, but I forgot, so I cut a few cubes in half instead and tucked those into the rolls. It was a little messy because the cubes kept falling out, but still good. Once I soaked the wrappers, I filled them with julienned carrots, rice noodles, romaine lettuce, tofu and basil leaves. We had some peanut dipping sauces still in the fridge from the satay from about a week ago. They weren’t as good as they were when they were freshly made, but they were still good. I pretty much planned this dinner so that I could use them up, which we did. For the rice, I used the Unfried Rice recipe in Appetite for Reduction. It’s really easy to make and is completely customizable to whatever veggies you like to add to it. We have it as a main dish, but it would also be a good side. Normally we add broccoli, carrots and peas to it. I was out of frozen peas, but I did have some snow peas in the fridge so I used those instead. I was also out of green onions, which was a shame because the recipe is so much better with them. I forgot to cook my rice the night before so I had to stick it in the fridge to cool for a little while before I used it in the recipe. It’s really, really important that the rice be cool before you try to “fry” it. I usually cook it the day before and pop it in the fridge. I also usually like to use brown basmati, but I was out of that so I went with white basmati instead. The recipe uses just a teaspoon of sesame oil, so you get that fried rice flavor without all of the fat and grease. It also makes a lot, so you’ll have plenty left over for lunches, too. Simple, healthy & yummy.  Plus lunch!