On Splurging

Angie says:

I agree with Molly on the meat issue. My husband feels that he NEEDS meat but fortunately he will eat tofu and veggies if they're sufficiently altered to form more than something that looks like just a side dish. If you're splurging on meat, you might be able to have less of it in a week. Still, you want protein in your diet. The following is a recipe that I altered from 101 Cookbooks and it is VERY filling as a breakfast. It's got a ton of good things in it and the portions are easily altered.

Brown Rice Bowl
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion finely chopped
2 pinches of salt
1 pinch of chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
3/4 cup extra-firm tofu (1/4 inch dice)
1/2 cup-1 cup chopped fresh cilantro ( I love cilantro so I add a full cup).
2-3 cups pre-cooked whole grain rice (I make a lot of this and freeze it in small bags)
4 eggs

Fill a wide mouthed sauce pan with 3-4 inches of water and bring to a simmer

Separately, warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the onion, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Let the onions soften up a bit. GENTLY stir in the tofu- let it heat up and brown a bit. Now stir in the garlic. Cook a few minutes. Stir in pre-cooked rice and saute until hot. Remove from heat. Add cilantro. Taste for seasoning as well, you might want salt or more cumin.

Now gently crack each egg into a well oiled ramekin. Lower ramekin into simmering water. Lightly salt and pepper egg. You could use this time to add a tiny bit of garlic powder or chili powder if the rice mixture wasn’t seasoned enough. Cover pan with a translucent lid. Cook until the whites have become almost opaque. Cook longer if you like your egg a bit more done. Remove ramekin from water with tongs. Immediately remove with a small silicone spatula. Divide rice mixture into 4 bowls, place egg on top of each. Add more cilantro if desired. Let each person break the egg over their own rice.


What I do, because I don’t have time to make this before work, is to make everything the night before. Place rice mixture into small containers. Cook the eggs less than you would normally and place one egg on top of the rice. Refrigerate overnight. When I get to work the next morning I microwave it for about 30 seconds or less and it’s ready to eat.