Quinoa Fried Rice with Red Beet Tofu Spam
We got a game changer hands-down, better-than-the-restaurant perfectly seasoned recipe that's going to become a regular in your home! Veggie-loaded, flavorful Quinoa Fried Rice with Red Beet Tofu Spam cooked from Suncore Foods® Rainbow Quinoa Seeds with a dash of Suncore Foods® Red Beet Powder, an indulgent intermission of vegetarian dish that will fill you amazingly & guilt-free. The versatile tofu gets the pinkish red color from Suncore Foods® Red Beet Powder and makes it look more like spam visually in an overnight marinated smoked hickory sauce. Give this delicious dish a try to enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Quinoa Fried Rice:
1 tbsp sesame oil or neutral oil, for cooking
3 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion diced
1 cup corn, peas, and carrots mix
3 shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms diced
1 tsp salt or more to taste, if needed
4 cups cooked and cooled rice combined with Suncore Foods® Rainbow Quinoa Seeds
3/4 tsp Suncore Foods® Red Beet Powder for color
1 batch vegan tofu spam cubes colored using Suncore Foods® Red Beet Powder
Pinch white pepper or ground black pepper
Velvet Red Beet Tofu Spam:
400g extra firm tofu
Neutral oil for cooking
3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for a gluten free option
2 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
Pinch ground pepper
2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tbsp water
2 tsp sugar or to sweeten
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Suncore Foods® Red Beet Powder
To Serve:
Chopped scallions optional
Directions
1. Prepare the veggies, tofu “spam”, and leftover rice/grain of choice.
2. Marinate Tofu Spam – Press the tofu for 10 to 15 minutes to remove excess water. I like to wrap mine in a towel and place a weighted surface or a few plates on top of the tofu. Slice the tofu into cubes. Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a plate or container with beet color. Mix it well until the sugar has dissolved. Add in the tofu cubes and coat in the marinade. Leave the tofu to marinate overnight for the best flavors. You can opt to marinate it longer for 2-3 days. Refrigerate until ready to cook. When ready to cook, don’t discard the excess marinade!
3. Cooking the Tofu Spam – Heat a large non-stick pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add in some oil to the pan. Add in the tofu pieces. Cook over high heat until lightly brown on each side, around 10 minutes total. Scoop the excess marinade to cook the tofu in. The sauce will be absorbed by the tofu as it cooks. Repeat this for the rest of the tofu. Turn off the heat.
4. Heat a large non-stick pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add in some oil to the pan. Add in the garlic and onion. Sautee for 1 minute.
5. Add in the veggies and mushrooms.
6. Season with some salt and pepper.
7. Add in rice. Carefully break apart the rice with your spatula.
8. Add in the Suncore Foods® Red Beet Powder and mix the rice well to coat evenly.
9. Add in the tofu “spam” and mix well. Leave to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes. Taste the rice and feel free to season with more salt as needed. You can also add some soy sauce but this will change the color of the rice.
10. Turn off the heat and top with some chopped scallions. Enjoy while it’s hot!