Simplicity Made Slightly More Complicated

Right. Dinner.

Seared tofu, glazed with teriyaki sauce, paired with purple potatoes and other stir-fried veggies over short-grain brown rice.

Surprisingly work-intensive, but isn't it gorgeous?


Totally worth the effort. Just have your timing down, and trust that your ingredients will serve you well. Press and sear your tofu (This was pressed for a REALLY long time by our standards [6 hours], then seared for 5 minutes a side). While doing the searing, cook potatoes til tender, then brown if desired. Blanch carrots for 5-6 minutes, fresh green beans for 2 and 1/2 minutes, frozen peas for 30 seconds. Then dump them all in a pan of heated, well-seasoned olive oil. Toss and season. With a light hand, pour some teriyaki sauce over your resting tofu (it'll be done searing by this point), toss to coat, and add to the pan at the last moment.

This dish was completely improvised, and the bare flavors of the ingredients really make the whole thing. You could taste the sweetness of the vegetables. They were actually sweet. The way you hear they should be. The carrots had a slight tooth to them; the peas were carmelized.

Holy cow.