- INGREDIENTS:
- Quinoa (or rice)
- Frozen stir fry vegetable blend
- Protein – I used extra firm tofu, so that is what the directions are for, but I have also used rotisserie chicken as well!
- Teriyaki sauce (I like to get the spicy kind)
- Optional additions: avocado, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, baby corn (they come in cans), water chestnuts, sesame seeds
- DIRECTIONS:
- Make the quinoa in a microwave safe bowl (typically it is a 1:2 ratio of quinoa:water). Follow the instructions on the quinoa package, just incase there aren’t any, I typically cook in microwave for 6-7 minutes covered, stir, and then cook for an additional 2 minutes uncovered. Take out once the quinoa has absorbed the water and let sit
- Warm up your frozen stir fry vegetables according to the package.
- Prep your tofu. I cut the tofu into strips/bite sized pieces and put them in a microwavable bowl. You can season with garlic powder, red pepper flakes or whatever spices you have and lightly coat with your teriyaki sauce. To prevent sticking you can spray with non-stick spray if you have it! If not, try to space out your pieces of tofu in the bowl. Cook the tofu for 1 minute, flip the pieces, and then cook for 1 minute more. The pieces in the middle of the bowl cook slower than the pieces on the outside so when you flip make sure to move the pieces around in the bowl to ensure even cooking!
- Construct your bowl! Put quinoa on the bottom, then add tofu (or whatever protein you are using) and then add your veggies. I have more vegetables than protein in my bowl, and drizzle the teriyaki sauce on top. You can warm up your sauce if you’d like before adding! Top with any additional ingredients (avocado, onion, etc)
- TIPS: Don’t be discouraged if your quinoa takes a bit longer to cook than what the directions above say- I swear it feels like every time I cook quinoa in the microwave the cook time varies! Just make sure to keep checking it and stirring until the water absorbs. I have also had to pour some water out in the past because the quinoa wasn’t absorbing it! Since quinoa is a bit finicky for me, one time-hack I have is to prep a lot of quinoa at the beginning of the week, and so whenever I want to use it for a meal, I just have to quick warm it up! If you like a crunchier tofu, cook it for longer, but over-cooking will make it tough.
- Pros: This bowl has an awesome meat-alternative protein source, and is packed with healthy grains and vegetables. You can make this dish as elaborate as you like if you want to add a bunch of toppings, or keep it simple! Overall, this is an easy, cheap meal that is easy to prep!
- Cons: Teriyaki sauce on average has a high sugar and sodium content, you can reduce your sodium and sugar intake by putting less sauce on it. Tofu is not the best when warmed up again, so this may be a tough one to bring in for leftovers (you can always put chicken or other protein on for meal prep as well!)
Teriyaki Quinoa Bowl
Cooking in Clerkship 