Oval Dish #1

 My naming conventions need some work, probably, but hey.

I find it easier at some times to stick to the use-it-up plans than others, and I guess this was one of those times! What we have here is some brown rice, gochujang mushrooms, leftover TVP Sloppy Joe filling, an improvisational broccoli and tofu salad, and a bit of my own recipe for cucumber-carrot salad in a "honey" sesame dressing.

I came up with this because I had a little bit of the TVP Sloppy Joe mix, and I thought it would be good with Asian-inspired flavors, plus I had a half block of tofu that needed using. I made a marinade for the tofu and gently tossed it along with some blanched broccoli and let that sit while everything else was being prepped. It was a pretty good effort--not perfect, but good--and helped add a little more protein and some veggies to the meal.

Otherwise, I knew I'd like everything anyway! I am getting more used to brown rice, and I'm so glad I splurged on the good stuff. It's never going to be as delicious as white rice is, and I'm never going to exclusively use brown (okay, at least, I don't think I am--I also said I'd never go vegan, so...), but it's nice to have that extra boost of nutrients. As I am apparently going back into a "need to find the protein in layers" phase, because I haven't been doing so great, it's nice to know, too, that brown rice has more protein than its white counterpart. It's not enough to make a difference under most circumstances, but sometimes I need all the help I can get.

This is tagged gluten free, but make sure your soy sauce is gluten free if you make this. Many soy sauces contain gluten.