When Freeman still had a dining hall, I always looked forward to Tuesday night stir fry. My friends and I would stand in a long line. White rice, tofu, broccoli, and mushrooms were piled high on our plates eager to add soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to our concoction once we reached one of the four hot plates. These DIY nights always led to a satisfying meal that I was able to prepare myself. While at college, I miss cooking meals in my kitchen back at home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with what you have in the dining halls and in your dorm room.
This is why easy, no-cook meals are your friend. Back in July 2020, Jenné Claiborne @sweetpotatosoul posted a video to her Youtube channel with three no-cook vegan meals. One of the three is a sriracha tofu hand rolls. Her recipe is my inspiration for this easy tofu rice bowl.
- Marinate the tofu
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First things first: acquire tofu and soy sauce packets. The dining halls have individual containers of tofu which you can pick up at lunchtime along with one to two packets of soy sauce. Pour the packets into the container and stir. Then store the tofu in your mini-fridge for a few hours until dinnertime. This will allow the sauce to marinate the tofu for better flavor.
- Gather rice and vegetables
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Whether you pick up these materials during lunch or at dinner, I recommend getting a serving of rice and any vegetables you may desire. My go-to vegetables to mix in are broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, and carrots. Depending on what the dining halls have available, you can gather already cooked vegetables or packaged raw vegetables. You can eat these vegetables raw or “steam” them in your microwave.
- Assemble your bowl
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After you have let your tofu marinate and have steamed your vegetables, it’s time to assemble all of the ingredients together! Start with the rice and then add your tofu and vegetables. You can also add crushed peanuts on top and more soy sauce or sriracha if desired.
This recipe may not have been prepared at a DIY night, but the sentiment of “cooking” is still there and that is enough amidst a pandemic.