This peanut sauce is adapted very slightly from Jenny Rosenstrach’s Dinner a Love Story and is one of the best things you can have in your fridge. It keeps for a long time and makes every rice bowl and boring lunch salad feel like a satisfying meal. It’s also a great dip for raw veggies or spring rolls, and you can swap the peanut butter for tahini to make it fit those nut free lunch boxes. Here I pair the sauce with rice, easy oven roasted tofu and veggies, and some crunchy toppings, but I just as often use it to dress noodles for a cold peanut noodle situation, or use chicken or flank steak instead of the tofu. It all works.

Serves 4-5

Rice:

Cook any rice according to the package directions. You can also crisp up leftover rice in a skillet with some oil.

Peanut Sauce:

½ cup peanut butter (any kind works)
⅔ cup warm water
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
1 small garlic clove, grated
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated (I’ve been using TJ’s frozen ginger cubes, so easy!)

Combine the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar or syrup, garlic, and ginger in a blender or mini-food processor and process until smooth. Sometimes the sauce thickens as it sits in the fridge stir in a spoonful or two of water as necessary to loosen it up.

Tofu and any Roastable Vegetable:

1 large block extra firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ½-inch planks
Any roastable vegetable, ex. Broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
4ish tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425. Line two sheet trays with parchment . On one tray, place the tofu planks in a single layer with a little space in between. On the other tray, spread your vegetables out in a single layer. Drizzle oil over the tofu and the vegetables and season well with salt. Roast until the tofu is golden and crisp and the veggies are cooked through and charred in spots, about 20 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

Suggested toppings: raw or pickled carrots*, sliced cucumbers, shelled edamame, slivered snap peas, chopped cilantro, roasted peanuts, chile crisp, fried shallots

To serve:

Divide rice among four bowls. Top with tofu and roasted vegetables. Drizzle with peanut sauce and any desired toppings.

*Note: my favorite way to pickle carrots for something like this is to slice four or five carrots into thin coins and add them to a bowl or jar. Fill a measuring cup with ½ a cup of boiling or very, very hot tap water. Stir in half a cup of granulated sugar and one teaspoon of kosher salt until it is dissolved. Then add ¾ cup white distilled vinegar. Pour the pickling liquid over the carrots and let sit for as long as you have. They’re great whether you have 20 minutes while you wait for your veggies to roast or they can hang out for 4-5 days in the fridge. You can even reuse the pickling liquid once you’ve eaten all the carrots, just add new veggies.

This is another Heidi Swanson special. Again the combo is a little bit unexpected. Don’t be afraid if the mixture smells strong as you’re coating your vegetables, it really mellows out in the oven. Also, when you dress your kale, go slow with the dressing, you can always add more as you go.

Serves 4-5

2 medium to large delicata, butternut (peeled), or acorn squash (not peeled), seeded and cut into chunks or slices
¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup white miso (if you have a different kind of miso, that’s fine, you might just have to adjust the amount. White is pretty mellow)
1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
1lb yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces or baby potatoes, halved
1 block firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
⅓ cup pepitas, toasted
⅔ cup cilantro, chopped
Rice or naan or pita for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line two sheet trays with aluminum foil. Cut delicata squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings. Slice into ½ inch thick moons. If using butternut, peel, seed and cube. If using acorn, stem, seed and cut into ½ inch slices. Add the squash to a large bowl, and then add the tofu and the potatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, miso, and curry paste. Add most of the sauce to the bowl with the vegetables, leaving behind about two tablespoons. Using a large spoon or your hands, mix well so that the squash, tofu, and potatoes are evenly coated. Transfer to your sheet trays. Do not wash the bowl.

Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until everything is tender and browned, tossing once or twice along the way.

While the veggies are roasting, chop your kale into thin ribbons. Add the kale to the now empty bowl. Add the lemon juice to the remaining oil, miso, and curry sauce and mix well to combine. Season your kale lightly with salt and add the dressing, a bit at a time until it’s lightly coated

When your vegetables and tofu are done, let them cool slightly and then add them to the bowl with the kale and toss gently. Transfer to a pretty platter, or simply serve family style, topped with cilantro and pepitas.