KosherEye.com
Adapted from New Kosher Cuisine by Helen Nash
"This is a Japanese-style salad that can be a meal in itself. I like to serve it with arugula or watercress, drizzled with some of the Miso Dressing."
Ingredients
1 cup raw brown rice*
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
One 14-ounce package extra firm tofu
2 scallions
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
8 shitake mushrooms, stems removed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Arugula or watercress, for serving
Miso Dressing
2 tablespoons barley miso**
2 tablespoons sake
Generous 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring the rice, water, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the rice is soft. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large bowl and cool.
Drain the tofu; pat it dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Cut the scallions, including the green part, into thin slices. Cut the bell pepper in half; then core and seed it, and cut into thin slices. Wipe the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and cut into thin slices.
Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat for less than a minute. Add the tofu and scallions and stir-fry about 1 minute. Combine with the rice.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the wok and heat. Stir-fry the pepper and mushrooms quickly, about 1 minute. Add to the rice.
To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the rice with about three-quarters of the dressing. Season to taste. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the greens.
Notes:
Yield: 6 appetizer servings, 4 generous luncheon servings
* While you can use regular brown rice to make this dish, I prefer premium Japanese medium-grain brown rice, as it is much creamier than other varieties. It is available in most specialty food stores.
**Barley miso is available in most health-food stores.