Golden Bowl: Vegan recipe

Hello my friends, with Spring arriving, (and hopefully SOON) I am adding TONS of amazing new recipes to start your Spring in the right direction. Sadly my neck of the woods is still covered in a sheet of white snow, so I felt this would be a good time to show you some great recipes to help you feel great, and maybe even shed a pound or two before it's time for tank tops and shorts again. I will have more photos to come, but I snagged this one of the internet, just for show. My bowl looks better, lol...

This is a very simple meal, healthy, full of veggies, protein, and savory brown rice, to keep you full, and NOT hungry. I stole the idea from a restaurant called The Grit in Athens Georgia (you can actually look up their recipe, but mine is easier to follow, in my humble opinion, and I prefer a different gravy recipe...

Everything you will need: Serves 2-4 people, depending on how hungry you are.
Small Pot
2 Non-stick frying pans
Rice cooker, or pot for the rice (I recommend the rival rice cooker and steamer)
Spatula
One Package of Nasoya Extra Firm Tofu
Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or other non dairy butter substitute, make sure to read those ingredients if you plan to keep this meal vegan, you'd be surprised, I used to think Smart Balance was free of animal fat).


One Zucchini or Yellow Squash (sliced into 1/2 inch thick circles)
One 8oz package of Baby Bella Mushrooms (chopped)
One-Two broccholi heads chopped up (no stems)
(other optional veggies you can use, eggplant, red bell pepper, carrots, really the choice is yours, depending on veggie preference, but I like the mushroom, zucchini broc combo the best, etc...)
Nutritional Yeast
Worcestershire Sauce
Brown Rice (enough for 2-4 people) follow directions on box, or with your rice cooker.

For the Golden Bowl Gravy: This gravy is terrific, but I can't take the credit, I got this recipe from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I highly recommend picking up a copy, it's a great book FILLED with wonderful recipes and ideas if you would like to incorporate more animal fat free meals into your diet.

1/4 cup refined coconut oil
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups vegetable broth
4 Tbsp Low sodium soy sauce

Melt the coconut oil in a small/medium size pot. When the oil is melted, use a whisk to stir in 1 cup of the veggie broth, and then once that is steaming a little, whisk in the flour rapidly to avoid lumps. As it thickens continue to add the rest of the broth a little at a time. Add the soy sauce, remove from heat, and pour into a gravy boat or bowl, and set aside, this can be reheated easily via microwave oven, or back on the stove. 

First Step: Get your rice cooking in a rice steamer, or use a pot and follow directions on the box.

Second Step, cube up your Tofu into Large squares.
Then Use some paper towels to press into the squares and soak up most of the moisture out of the squares, try to get as much moisture out as possible.
Saute the cubes in Earth Balance Buttery Spread on a medium/high heat, just low enough to prevent the tofu from burning, but hot enough to get it frying, adding the butter substitute as needed to prevent sticking.
After all the cubes are lightly golden on each side, add 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce and Saute well.
Turn off the heat, but don't take it off the burner.
Then sprinkle in your Nutritional Yeast, adding and stirring it in till it's coating the outside of the tofu, may look buttery and flaky.

Set Tofu Aside and get the Veggies going. You can cook the veggies on low with a little Earth Balance Buttery spread, or coconut oil, in a frying pan.
Adding some Worcestershire sauce, a splash of lemon juice, and sprinkle of cumin and salt.
Once Veggies are tender but crisp remove them from heat.

Place some of the cooked brown rice on your plate, place some gravy on top, cover with veggies and top it off with your golden fried Tofu. Top it off with a sprinkle or two more the Nutritional Yeast, and lastly ENJOY!