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Sweet & spicy, quick and easy, delicious and healthy. Celebrate the Chinese New Year with flavor and color!
Can we get something out of the way before I move on to this super delicious bowl of Asian goodness? Yeah? Great, here goes.
One bite of this sweet & spicy Asian brown rice and pineapple bowl and my self-control left me. It said, “ciao Bella,” you’re on your own. And guess what happened when it left the building? I ate the entire bowl of this delectable dish of veggies, pineapple, and coconut soy sauce.
Lies.
I ate two.
And before you start giving me judgy eyes, take a bite of this, because that’s all it’s going to take before you find yourself sitting on your couch watching HGTV as you lick the last remaining drops of sauce from the bottom of your bowl.
Judgy eyes be gone! Besides, I’m training for a marathon.
That’s going to be my excuse for the next eight months.
Now on to this sweet & spicy Asian brown rice and pineapple bowl.
Bowls are the B.O.M.B. right now. And why not? What could be better than piling a healthy carb and a ton of vegetables, plus a yummy sauce, in a big bowl that you get to mix up and eat? It doesn’t get much better than that.
This bowl was inspired by the fact that the Chinese New Year is coming up on Monday, February 8. It’s the Year of the Monkey. Alex is a monkey. She thought she was a rat for some reason and has been harboring bad will toward her brother because he’s a dog. She loves dogs and wanted to be a dog too. Then she discovered that she was wrong, and now she’s thrilled because she’s a monkey. I’m a rabbit. But I digress.
You can’t celebrate the Chinese New Year without eating something Chinese. That would be wrong. Thankfully I’ve created this crazy good brown rice and pineapple bowl that you can make in less than thirty minutes and be as happy as a monkey.
Because I wanted to use some pineapple juice to marinate the tofu, and to use in the coconut milk sauce that you’re going to pour all over the top of this dish, I decided to use Dole Pineapple chunks. Pineapple is a great source of vitamin C and manganese and aids in digestion.
You’ll want to start this recipe by pressing the extra moisture out of the tofu and then marinate it in a pineapple orange juice mix for twenty five minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal.
To Press tofu: Put your tofu on a plate lined with paper towels and then put another layer of paper towel on top and set a heavy pan on the top. Let sit for twenty to thirty minutes. Change the towels after ten minutes.
Marinate your tofu while you prepare the rest of the dish. Cut it in half lengthwise. This helps it soak up the juice and cook faster.
While the tofu is marinating make four servings of Minute Rice Brown Rice. I like brown rice because it has more nutrients than white rice and Minute cooks in just ten minutes. Perfect for a busy weeknight. I also love the nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Minute Brown Rice
While the rice is cooking, heat a wok or a large skillet and when it’s hot add 1 tablespoon of Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce to the pan. Teriyaki sauce adds so much flavor and is a great way to saute vegetables without using oil. Add the pineapple and toss it around until it starts to turn a light golden brown. Remove it from the pan and put it in a bowl for later.
You’re going to continue the process with the broccoli, bell pepper, and bok choy. Add some teriyaki sauce and the broccoli. Add some teriyaki sauce and the pepper, and so on.
While the vegetables are cooking you can heat a small sauce pan and add 1 teaspoon of teriyaki sauce and the garlic. Cook the garlic for a minute and then add a can of light coconut milk, some soy sauce, a few tablespoons of the pineapple orange juice that you marinated the tofu in, sriracha, and Chinese 5 spice. Bring it to a boil and simmer while you finish cooking the vegetables and the tofu.
The tofu is the last ingredient that you’ll want to cook. The wok or skillet that you used to cook the Dole pineapple and vegetables will be nice and hot and will give a nice sear to the tofu. Add a tablespoon of teriyaki sauce and the tofu and cook until both sides are nice and golden brown.
Now it’s time to build your sweet & spicy Asian brown rice and pineapple bowl. And let me say that this is NOT a stir-fry. Ain't nothing fried in oil in this dish! Now that we have that straight....
Fill half of the bowl with rice, then add some pineapple, some teriyaki glazed broccoli, yellow bell pepper, and bok choy. Now pour on a liberal amount of the amazingly flavorful spicy coconut soy sauce—I could drink this sauce— which has 37% less sodium than regular soy sauce. Sprinkle some fresh chopped green onion on top and dinner is served.
Alex and I love hearing from you. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think of our recipes. And let’s connect! Hop on over to Facebook page and give it a like, or follow us on Instagram or Twitter, and follow us and share this and other Veganosity recipes on Pinterest. We'd be so grateful if you did.
Gin says
I could eat this at least once a week. Chinese New Year or not. Love the flavors, and your pics are delicious!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Gin! You're so sweet. 🙂 And yes, I could definitely eat this once a week, or everyday-haha!
haukehawk says
I think pineapple is exactly what this bowl needs! I see many buddha bowl and the first thing I think is "ugh, this must dry and so uncomfortable to eat" - Love the fresh vibe of this one!!
Linda Meyer says
The pineapple adds the acid that this dish needs for balance. I agree, a lot of bowls look dry and bland. Thanks, Howie!
Diana Rambles says
Yum yum yum!!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks so much, Diana! 🙂
Mel @ avirtualvegan.com says
This looks so very delicious! I love all the flavours you have going on there and I adore pineapple in savoury dishes. I will be trying this for sure!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Mel! Let me know what you think if you do. 🙂
Uma Srinivas says
I like to try this. I am always like to use coconut or coconut milk to my dish.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Uma! Please let me know what you think. 🙂
foodhuntersguide says
The flavors in this bowl sound wonderful
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! They really are wonderful.
Jenn says
We have been eating a lot of pineapple lately - this same exact pineapple to be exact. Super yummy! And I use Minute Rice all the time - I'm not ashamed....such a HUGE time saver. Love it! Great recipe, Linda!
Linda Meyer says
When fresh pineapple isn't actually fresh, meaning super green and not ready to eat, canned the next best option. And no shame in using Minute rice ever, I use it too. Thanks, Jenn!
athleticavocado says
This bowl has everything I could ever want in a bowl, literally!
Linda Meyer says
It's packed full of super foods, what's not to like? Thanks so much! 🙂
The Vegan 8 says
This looks amazing, so full of flavor and spice! So many beautiful colors!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Brandi! It's been so gray and dreary in the Chicago area, the colors in this bowl really perked me up.
veggiesdontbite says
I love power bowls and I love sweet and spicy!!! This looks delicious Linda!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Sophia! I haven't had a sweet & spicy dish in such a long time, which is probably why I ate two bowls of it-haha!
tworaspberries says
this looks delicious! I love pineapple in like everything! it adds such a nice sweet flavor! 😉
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! Pineapple makes everything better. 🙂
Evi says
I love these kind of bowls! So delicious, Linda! Pinned 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Evi! I'm so happy you like the recipe. 🙂
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
Oh yum this sounds seriously amazing! Loving the sauce to drizzle over the top - that really makes this special. I'm going to go look at what animal I am in Chinese astrology. Should be fun. I'm probably a rat lol!
Linda Meyer says
Lol! There's nothing wrong with being a rat, Sam. 🙂 Thank you so much. I hope you try this recipe.
Christine (Run Plant Based) says
This looks perfect, agreed on the amazing photos and great color and flavor blends. I love blending fruit with savory dishes!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Christine! That's so nice of you. I totally agree, the acid and sweetness in the pineapple is a great contrast to the spiciness of the rest of the dish.
Gingi Edmonds Freeman says
Looks amazing, but I am hissing and recoiling away from the BPA lined canned pineapple like some kind of creepy BPA fearing vampire... 😉
Linda Meyer says
You can stop recoiling, my friend. Dole's cans are not lined with BPA. http://newsletter.dole.com/2015/say-nay-bpa/ 🙂
Gingi Edmonds Freeman says
Seriously?!?! How did I not know this?!?!
Linda Meyer says
They don't advertise it like some companies do. How would you know? 🙂
MomHomeGuide says
Your rice bowl looks delicious! Your photos are beautiful, too!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Cristi Comes says
what a gorgeous and delicious-looking tofu bowl. That sauce sounds just heavenly! Thank you for sharing. #client
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Cristi! It was a fun recipe to develop, and eat. 😉
Strength and Sunshine says
Maybe that's why I've been on an Asian kick all month...Chinese New Year! Hahaha! Looks fab my friend 😉
Linda Meyer says
That very well could be. Thanks so much!
Natalie says
My self control is already slim when I'm faced with delicious asian food, and then you add FRUIT! 😮 Oh man two bowls for me too please! Sweet and tangy and spicy and saucy, my goodness this is a perfect meal <3
Linda Meyer says
I thought you'd like this! Thanks, Natalie. 🙂
SuzLyfe says
I tell you what, this would be great post run--get some sodium, sugar, carbs, and protein back in you!
Linda Meyer says
Well, then I'm going to plan on making this after my long runs. What a hardship, haha! Thanks, Susie. 🙂