sesame and miso roasted vegetable bowl
This is the umami-rich meal of my (spring) dreams. A versatile dish, inspired by what arrived in my CSA and other produce in my fridge, you can use this marinade on pretty much whatever you want. Here, I use it with sweet potatoes and carrots, but I’ve also tried it with other root vegetables like turnips and it would be great with broccoli, brussels sprouts, and anything else you might have hanging around. The one non-negotiable with this dish is the mushrooms. They provide so much rich umami and a delicious, crispy texture that really brings everything together. I also use tofu here but you could substitute tempeh, chicken, or any other protein you prefer.
roasted mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and carrots
marinating tofu
sesame and miso roasted vegetable bowl
ingredients
marinade
2-3 cloves of garlic grated
1 inch ginger grated
4 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp miso
2-3 tsp honey or maple syrup
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you prefer no spice)
roasted veg bowl
14-16 oz. tofu cut in half horizontally and then cut diagonally into four triangles (see photo above)
1.5 lbs wild mushrooms torn or chopped into bite sized pieces
3 medium-sized sweet potatoes (4-5 small) chopped into bite sized pieces
2-3 medium-sized carrots chopped into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3-4 handfuls of spring greens (lettuce, arugula, spinach, etc.)
1/4 cup pickled red cabbage (or to taste; feel free to substitute with pickled red onion, kimchi, or any other pickled veg that you like)
instructions
Make the marinade (this can be done a day or two in advance to save time). In a bowl, combine garlic, ginger, tamari, sesame oil, miso, rice vinegar, water, honey or maple syrup, and red pepper flakes. Combine until everything is well mixed. Taste and adjust to your liking.
Begin marinading the tofu. In a Pyrex or glass food storage container (anything that has enough of a lip to keep the marinade in), put the tofu in. Pour 4-5 tablespoons over the tofu, ensuring each piece is completely covered. I usually tilt the dish from side to side to ensure that each piece is sitting evenly in the marinade.
Heat oven to 385 F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper. On one, combine the sweet potatoes, carrots, and 2-3 tablespoons of the marinade. Mix until the veg are evenly coated. On the other cookie sheet, mix the mushrooms, one tablespoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Spread evenly to give them plenty of space to avoid them getting too soggy. Once the oven is up to temperature, put in the oven.
After about 10 to 15 minutes (or until most of the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms), remove the mushrooms and add 2 tablespoons of marinade. Mix until the mushrooms are evenly coated and return to the oven. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the mushrooms are crispy (but not too crispy!) and the sweet potatoes and carrots are tender and browned.
On a plate, evenly spread the sesame seeds. Prepare another cookie sheet. Then, take the marinated tofu one piece at a time, and dip in the sesame seeds, ensuring it is completely covered on one side. Then place the tofu on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of tofu. Then, sprinkle the other side of the tofu (the side that’s face up) with sesame seeds until its nearly completely covered. Cook in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the tofu starts to brown.
Prepare to serve. In bowls, evenly distribute the greens. Then add the roasted sweet potato and carrots, the mushrooms, and the tofu. Top with pickled cabbage (or whatever pickled veg you like). Drizzle remaining marinade over each bowl to taste.
Enjoy :)
