Vegan Sesame Ginger Fried Rice Food

EASY VEGAN FRIED RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly grease with non-stick spray).
• In the meantime wrap tofu in a clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy on top (such as a cast iron skillet) to press out the liquid.
• Once the oven is preheated, dice tofu into 1/4-inch cubes and arrange on baking sheet. Bake for 26-30 minutes. You're looking for golden brown edges and a texture that's firm to the touch. The longer it bakes, the firmer and crispier it will become, so if you're looking for softer tofu remove from the oven around the 26-28 minute mark. I prefer crispy tofu, so I bake mine the full 30 minutes. Set aside.
• While the tofu bakes prepare your rice by bringing 12 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add rinsed rice and stir. Boil on high uncovered for 30 minutes, then strain for 10 seconds and return to pot removed from the heat. Cover with a lid and let steam for 10 minutes*.
• While rice and tofu are cooking, prepare sauce by adding all ingredients to a medium-size mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tamari or soy sauce for saltiness, peanut butter for creaminess, brown sugar for sweetness, or chili garlic sauce for heat.
• Once the tofu is done baking, add directly to the sauce and marinate for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, use a slotted spoon to scoop the tofu into the pan leaving most of the sauce behind. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides (see photo). Lower heat if browning too quickly. Remove from pan and set aside.
• To the still hot pan add garlic, green onion, peas and carrots. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, and season with 1 Tbsp (15 ml) tamari or soy sauce (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
• Add cooked rice, tofu, and remaining sauce and stir. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Serve immediately with extra chili garlic sauce or sriracha for heat (optional). Crushed salted, roasted peanuts or cashews make a lovely additional garnish. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.

SHEET-PAN FRIED RICE WITH VEGAN 'XO' SAUCE

Steps:

• Place a sheet pan on the middle oven rack and heat to 450 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the rice with salt, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil and half of the diced onion. Toss to combine well. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and spread the rice out evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons neutral oil and the remaining diced onion. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the onions start to soften, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes more until translucent. Add the remaining 6 to 7 tablespoons neutral oil, along with the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, dark soy sauce and red-pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mushrooms are completely soft. If the oil bubbles too much, reduce the heat to low.
• After 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven, add the frozen mixed vegetables and toss with the rice to evenly distribute. Make 4 to 6 divots in the rice (depending on how many eggs you are using), drizzle a tiny bit of neutral oil into each divot to prevent sticking, and break an egg into each. Return to the oven for 6 to 10 minutes until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
• To serve, spoon some of the sauce over the rice and top with scallions. If the rice needs more seasoning, add more sauce or season with salt.