Brown Rice and Veggie Bowl

I went to visit Melody Smurf for her high school graduation.  It was actually a very nice, grown-up garden party.  Writer Smurf's parties are kind of epic.

While the food at the party was what you would find at a tea, everything else I ate that week was yummy crap.  Wawa makes macaroni and cheese bowls with even worse stuff on top like bacon or fried chicken strips, and then you can put BBQ sauce on it.  Ok, they make healthy options too, but really?

My last night there, we went for sushi.  I decided to get the healthiest version on the menu, which turned out to be the Paleo/Keto option.  I could have ordered a side of rice, but we were having leftover trifle for dessert and I was still vaguely attempting to honor my new lower-portion diet.  Feeling rice-deprived, I made this the day after I came home.

This wasn't intentionally vegan and gluten free.  I just wanted a Japanese-style salad over a mound of brown rice.  By the nature of Japanese cooking (and because I had accidentally bought GF soy sauce), that's what I got.

1 C dry brown rice
1-1/2 C water or unsalted vegetable stock
1 C frozen peas
1 batch Ginger-Sesame dressing
*1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1/2 cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 stalks green onion, cut on a bias
1 package firm tofu
pickled ginger for serving (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 325º.  Start boiling water or broth.  Place rice and frozen peas in a casserole with a lid.  Pour boiling liquid over, stir, cover, and bake for 50 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.

2.  While the rice is cooking, make the salad dressing.  If you make it ahead, keep it in the fridge.  For one hour, it can stay on the counter.

3.  And you still have half an hour to slice all the veggies.  Cube the tofu.  Get your mise en place ready.

4.  Once the rice is done, stir again to re-distribute the peas.  You can make four individual bowls or one large communal dish.  Start with the rice.  Arrange remaining components evenly.  Pour dressing over all, then garnish with a side of pickled ginger.  Serve while the rice is still hot and veggies cold.

Difficulty rating  :)