As a mum, there are few things as satisfying as knowing exactly what’s for lunch, which is why we love meal prep in our house! And this Vegan Poke Bowl with sesame crusted tofu is one of the best meal preps we’ve made (we’ve been eating it every week for the last month). This one takes only 45 minutes to prep for 4 days worth of food. And the best part about this is that it’s suitable from 12 months and you can mix and match it depending on what everyone likes. We served ours with easy sides like avocado slices, baby cucumber slices (make sure to cut the slices in half or quarters depending on your kids age), edamame (serve in halves for <18 months), and nori sheets cut into squares.
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I’ve added all 5 recipe elements below in the order we made them, as everything seems to cook around the time it takes to make the brown rice, and then the time left while the rice steams is when you cook the tofu.
Perfect Brown Rice
Ingredients
- 400 g brown rice (uncooked, rinsed)
- 2.25 litres water (boiling)
To Season (optional)
- 1 tsp olive oil (or sesame)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.
- Rinse the rice well, then add it to the boiling water and boil for 30 minutes uncovered (tip: if it looks like it is overflowing reduce the heat slightly but keep the boil - this gives perfect rice!)
- After 30 minutes, drain the rice, then quickly add it back to the pot and cover for 10-15 minutes to steam.
- Season, fluff, and serve.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Poke Sauce
Ingredients
- 60 ml soy sauce (low salt)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sriracha (optional)
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 lime (juice)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Stir together all of the ingredients in a glass container.
Storage
Cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.- If you aren’t marinating the tofu, move making the tofu to the last step; otherwise, marinate here following the instructions for crumbing later:
Sesame Crusted Tofu
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 400 g firm tofu
- 1 batch Poke sauce (see recipes; optional if you want to marinate it)
- 1 tsp olive oil (to cook)
For the Batter:
- 45 g wholemeal flour
- 80 ml soy milk
For the Crumb:
- 100 g breadcrumbs (any you like; we used two sourdough crusts toasted and blended to a crumb)
- 75 g sesame seeds (we used 1/4 cup each of white and black)
- 15 g nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Prep the tofu by cutting the block in half in to two squares. Then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles (there will now be 4 large triangle blocks). Turn each triangle onto its side and cut into 4 slices, so each triangle is around 0.5-1cm in thickness. Optional: marinate for 15-30 minutes (the longer, the better) with extra poke sauce.
- Stir together the batter ingredients in a bowl and the crumb ingredients on a plate.
- To crumb, dip the tofu into the batter, then place in the crumb, rolling to and pressing to cover all sides.
- To cook the tofu: heat a large pan or griddle over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil. Add the tofu slices in batches (this took 2 rounds for us, 8 triangles per round) and cook for 3-4 minutes. Spray the uncooked side with olive oil, then flip gently and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until golden.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Oil-Free Tofu Mayo
Ingredients
- 300 g silken tofu
- 1 lemon (juice - reduce to 1/2 a lemon if you don’t want it too tangy)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (omit for under 12 months)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large jar, and use an immersion blender for around 30 seconds to blend together.
Storage
Cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Quick Pickled Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots
For the Brine:
- 160 ml white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 160 ml water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp sugar (we used raw, but white also works)
Instructions
- Place all the brine ingredients into a pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Peel the carrots into thin strips and add to a glass jar, cover with the brine and allow to cool before placing the lid on fully.
Storage
Cover and store in the fridge for up to 1 week (these will taste even better after sitting and pickling overnight).Did you make this recipe?
Leave a comment below or tag us on Instagram to let me know what your little one thought!