Greek Tofu Bowls

Preheat the oven to 400F and prep the ingredients.
First, measure out the rice and add it to a big bowl. Cover with water and let it soak for about 10 minutes while you prep the veggies. After 10 minutes, strain out the water.
While the rice is soaking, prep the veggies. Finely dice the shallot, mince the garlic, and chop up the parsley that will be used in the lemon rice pilaf. Then, dice the red peppers into small chunks and cut the zucchinis into half moons. Set the vegetables aside.
Lastly, make the spice mix that will be used on the tofu and vegetables. Add the salt, dried oregano, dried parsley, garlic powder, and ground pepper to a small bowl and mix together to combine.

Add the chopped red pepper, chopped zucchini, ½ of the seasoning mix, and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a sheet pan. Then, use your hands or a spoon to mix everything together until the veggies are coated.
Add the tray of vegetables to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring half way through.
Once the vegetabes are cooked, remove the tray from the oven and set aside.

While the vegetables are roasting, make the rice pilaf. Strain the soaked rice and set it aside.
Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, add in the diced shallot and minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Next, stir in the soaked & strained rice and "toast" it with the cooked shallot and garlic for about 2 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth. Then, add the lid to the saucepan and bring the rice to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the rice covered for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Once the rice is done, remove it from the heat. Mix the lemon juice and freshly chopped parsley into the rice. Set aside.

Once the rice and vegetables are done cooking (or during if you're able to!), make the crispy tofu.
Remove the extra-firm tofu from it's packaging and slice it in half vertically. Lightly press each half between paper towels to remove excess moisture. For this recipe it's okay if the tofu is moist, but you don't want it to be soaking wet.
Then, add the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and the remaining half of the seasoning mix to a large bowl.
Cut the tofu into cubes and pour them into the bowl of dry batter. Mix until coated.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan. Once it has warmed for about 1 minute, add in the dry coated tofu slices.
Pan-fry the tofu slices for about 3-5 minutes on each side until crispy and browned (about 12-15 minutes total).
Once crispy, remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

Scoop the lemon rice pilaf into a bowl, then top with the roasted vegetables and crispy Greek tofu.
If desired, you can top with extra chopped parsley or a charred lemon slice. Then, serve & enjoy!

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