Baby Bok Choy with brown rice- A family favorite!

From: Vegan cooking for Carnivores cook book

Baby Bok Choy with crispy tofu and brown rice


Rice:
2 cups sprouted brown rice and 4 cups water for cooking (I used organic brown rice from Trader Joe's that is already cooked.  I have to cut some corners to make things easier and this was an easier way to go)


Crispy Tofu:
1/2 block firm organic tofu (8 ounces)
1 tbsp high heat oil (grapeseed or safflower)
*I have a family of 5 so I used a full block.  I cut it in half and then in strips.  I put a paper towel on top and underneath it and placed it on a dishcloth.  I then gently pressed the tofu to drain the water from it.  This was a tip shared in the book.  It is important to drain the water...there is a lot of water in tofu.  
I then cut it into cubes so it was ready to cook.


Baby Bok Choy:
2 tbsp high heat oil
15 heads baby bok choy (I only needed 10 because mine were bigger heads.  The heads should be small.  3 should fit on a salad plate.  At Fry's the heads were bigger so I adjusted down.)
1 red pepper, cored and julienned
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
10 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped...optional (I opted to not do this step.  I have had so many mushrooms lately.  I didn't miss them at all)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup broth made from Better than Bouillon no chicken Base or Better than Bouillon Vegetable base (I used the vegetable base..I found it at Sprouts).  
1 tsp sesame oil

Make the rice ahead of time unless you are doing the premade rice like I did.  I just microwaved my rice after I was done making the meal.

Prepare the tofu: Heat a large saute pan with the oil.  Carefully add the tofu and toss to coat.  Fry the tofu until brown and crisp on all sides.  Transfer to paper towel to absorb extra oil.  Set aside

Prepare the bok choy:  Heat a large saute pan with oil over high heat.  Using metal tongs, place half the bok choy and all of the red peppers into the pan and toss.  Cook the bok choy flat side down over high heat until it begins to wilt and brown slightly, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the first batch of cooked bok choy and peppers to a bowl.  Add a little more oil and the rest of the bok choy.  Cook for 8 minutes (same as above..flat side down).  When it is done, add the garlic, ginger, scallions and mushrooms, if using, and cook for 2 min.  Return the first batch of cooked bok choy and red peppers to the pan and stir to combine.  Add the soy sauce, broth, and sesame oil and cook for several minutes.  Remove from heat.

Put rice on plate and spoon bok choy mixture on top.  Add crispy tofu on top.

**My family loved this dish but my husband wanted it spicy.  So, next time I will add some chili paste to kick it up a bit.  Also, next time I will double the sauce mixture (soy sauce & broth mixture) because my family likes a lot of sauce.  This meal was filling and so delicious!  The whole family ate it and loved it!