Rice Bowl with Green Beans and Baked Tofu

I love summer! I love all the fruits and veggies that are in season in the summer. Green beans are one of my all time favorites. When I was a kid growing up in Michigan, a friend of mine had a garden growing in her backyard. Her mom asked us to pick green beans for her. I remember my friend eating them as we picked them. I also remember thinking how weird that was, until I tried one. They were so fresh and delicious. I wanted my green beans to always taste that fresh.

Dinner last night: rice, green beans from @alumafarm, and baked tofu topped with sesame seeds.

I like to keep the flavors simple when the ingredients are so fresh. I blanched the green beans and then added a little salt and pepper. They were so crisp and delicious! I think I’ve finally perfected my baked tofu too! The ingredient list and the process is simple. You will need:

1 block of tofu (extra firm)

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 cup of basamati rice

2 cups water

Green beans, rinsed, ends trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

Sesame seeds

Salt and pepper

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking liner .

• Remove tofu from package and press to remove water. I wrap it in a towel and set a cast iron pan on top. Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes but preferably for 30 minutes.

• Cut tofu into squares and place in a bowl. Add soy sauce and olive oil and mix gently until covered. Add the arrow root powder and nutritional yeast and mix until all sides are coated.

• Place tofu on lined baking sheet and put in the oven for 22-25 minutes. The outside of the tofu should be golden brown and crispy.

• Put rice into a sauce pan with 1 tsp salt and 2 cups of filtered water. Bring rice and water to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

• Place green beans in a cast iron pan. Cover the green beans with water and add 1 tsp salt. Bring the water to a boil and allow to boil for 30 seconds. Remove green beans from heat and drain water. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Add rice to bowl and top with green beans and tofu. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.

Let me know if you make this or your favorite way to eat green beans in the comments below.