Pineapple Not-So-Fried Rice

From

Makes 4 – 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 pineapple, or 1 ½ cups diced pineapple

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

Sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

¾ cup cashews

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup raisins

3 cups cooked rice, preferably jasmine

¼ cup vegetable broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a small baking sheet.
Press the tofu:Tofu retains a lot of water, so pressing out the water allows the tofu to take on more flavor from your dish. Take a block of extra-firm tofu and wrap it tightly in dry paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Set the tofu on a flat surface and place a small baking pan on top. Then stack with something heavy, like canned food or books, on top. Let the tofu sit for 20 minutes while it releases its water. Now your tofu is ready to soak up all the delicious flavors from your dish!After pressing, cut the tofu into ½ inch cubes. In a bowl, toss tofu with soy sauce until each cube is coated. Place in one layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, turning tofu a couple of times with a spatula. Remove from oven and set aside.
To prepare pineapple, cut in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Remove the flesh and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside 1 ½ cups for this recipe, and save the rest for another use. Reserve the shell for serving.
In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions until soft and lightly browned. Season with salt. Add garlic, curry, coriander, and chili-garlic sauce, and let cook a few more minutes. Add cashews, carrots, peas, raisins, rice, broth, pineapple, and tofu. Cook until heated through and adjust salt to taste. Serve the rice like they do in Thailand – in the pineapple shell.

If you have must have meat eaters in your life, replace tofu with boneless skinless chicken breast in lemon juice and sea salt for 2 hours and then grill.