Sesame Marinated Mushroom and Tofu Casserole

Who says you can’t make an Asian casserole? The umami flavor combination of tahini, garlic and tamari in the marinade is delicious. Then, add the other layers of seasoned sauteed vegetables and top it with this easy, low-fat peanut sauce over a lovely bed of brown rice and you’ll become a believer.

Reminder: I rarely cook with oil, so when the recipe says ‘saute’, I always use small amounts of water, tamari (soy sauce), vinegar OR wine. It’s a beautiful way to maintain the natural goodness of your vegetables and cut out hundreds of unnecessary calories without masking your food in oil. Try it!

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus marinade time

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 3 large portobello mushroom caps, cut into slices
  • ½ block firm tofu, cut into ½” pieces
  • 1/3 cup shredded carrots
  • 2 celery stalks, cut in half lengthwise, then chopped into small pieces
  • ½ cup sliced or chopped red onions
  • ½ red or orange pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
  • ¼ cup edamame
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • 2 Tbls. sesame seeds, toasted is best
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice or rice noodles

Marinade

  • 1/2 cup tamari or low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke
  • 2 cloves minced or grated garlic
  • 1 tsp. chili flakes or chili paste
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar

Peanutty Sauce

  • ½ cup powdered peanuts (PB 2 is a good brand) OR 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 tsp. grated or powdered ginger
  • ½ cup rice vinegar
  • water as needed for consistency

Instructions

  1. Carefully place all sliced portobellos in a large plastic bag that can be sealed.
  2. Put tofu pieces in a small bowl.
  3. Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then pour ½ cup in bowl with tofu. Stir to coat and set aside.
  4. Pour the rest of the marinade into the plastic bag to coat the sliced mushrooms. Lay bag flat in fridge for about an hour, (longer is better) and turn bag over each 15-20 minutes to coat all mushroom pieces.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a large pan, and when water sizzles on it, add your peppers and red onions. Saute for 6-8 minutes until they begin to soften, adding small amounts of water or tamari to keep vegetables from sticking.
  6. Add the celery next and cook for another 4 minutes. Next, add the shredded carrots and edamame, cooking for another 4 minutes.
  7. Last in the pan is the shredded cabbage. Reduce the heat to medium low, and cover the pan, continuing to cook for 3 more minutes. Turn heat off and keep pan covered.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  9. Add your cooked brown rice to a shallow casserole dish, laying it all out evenly. Spread all the cooked vegetables from the pan on top of the rice bed.
  10. Heat the same pan again.
  11. Take your mushrooms carefully from the marinade and place in heated pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the marinated tofu pieces. Use small amounts of the marinade to keep it all moist.
  12. When heated through, add tofu and mushrooms to the top of the vegetables in the casserole dish.
  13. Pour the remaining marinade and the peanut sauce over the entire dish and pop in oven. Heat through for 10-15 minutes.

Before serving, top with sliced green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Option: reserve a small amount of the marinade and the peanut sauce. Mix together, and serve with casserole as additional sauce.