This is how I make black beans and rice with tofu. This is a very simple and easy dish to make, and it is quite tasty. It takes about 30 minutes, a bit more if you use a rice cooker. The ingredients:

Black Beans
Rice
Tofu
Onion
Olive Oil
Seasoning

You’ll need 16 oz. cooked beans or two 8 oz. canned. I prefer to get dried black beans and cook them myself, but canned is OK. Just remember that if you use canned to rinse them before using to get some of the preservatives and stuff off. You won’t by any means get it all out but you will decrease the amount of it. For the rice, 4-5 cups of rice, brown or white. If you use dried beans, cook them before starting this recipe. I like to cook them the day before and store in the fridge. You’ll need a package of firm or extra firm tofu. Depending on the brand one package contains 12-16 oz. One medium sized yellow onion. For seasoning of this dish I use a pre-mixed seasoning called Adobo (blue cap, no pepper) but you can also use salt, garlic powder, and parsley to taste. Go very easy on the spices no matter what you chose. You also just need a little olive oil, about a tablespoon’s worth. Olive oil has a very strong taste and you will not be draining any oil in this recipe, so go easy. For cooking utensils/pots and stuff you will need:

1 large frying pan
1 medium or small frying pan
1 small sharp knife
1 cutting board or flat plate
1 medium to large sized pot or rice cooker
1-2 large spoons
1 spatula

Ok! Let’s get started. Start your rice in a pot or in a rice cooker. Then peel the onion:

Then cut it up, dice it and throw it in the large frying pan. Lightly saute in half a tablespoon of olive oil then turn heat on lowest setting:

Next, after draining your tofu of water, cut it into little strips about a finger’s width. Then add a half tablespoon of olive oil to the smaller frying pan. Heat oil on high, add tofu strips then set heat to medium. At this point I lightly shake the Adobo over the tofu, about half a teaspoon’s worth. If you make your own seasoning mix you can add it now too:

When tofu is browned on one side, turn it over. Cook all the tofu and set aside. Now, add your beans to the big pan that has the onion in it. Keep it on low heat. Mix the onion and beans, stirring briskly. Then add about a teaspoon’s worth of seasoning. Not a heaping teaspoon, mind you, go easy. Now add 1/4 cup of water, stir, and turn the heat up to medium for 10 minutes. Stir every now and then so the beans don’t stick to the pan. Next, turn the heat to the lowest setting, then add your rice. Blend it in with the tofu and onion:

Now get the tofu strips you set aside, and throw it in the pan with the rice, onion, and beans. Mix it all up. You are done!

This meal goes great with dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, and some kind of warm toasty bread on the side like wheat rolls. It’s a great meal to have for dinner and if you have leftovers, use them for your lunch the next day. You can find this recipe and more in my book Veggie Mama: How to Tastefully Raise Vegetarian Kids

This blog entry written by Trula Breckenridge. Thanks for visiting Family Footprint!

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