The Caribbean sits in history as the crossroads of the world. As a result, many different cultures influence Caribbean cuisine. Rice, ginger, and citrus fruits come together from all over the world to meld perfectly in this dish.
Gather your ingredients!
Peanuts and black sesame seeds will balance this citrus-y dish with fat and protein.
The tofu will be much improved if you freeze it overnight, but in a pinch, you can skip this step and only press it.
First, lay the tofu block on a tea towel and place a flat weight on top, such as a heavy cutting board, for 20 minutes. Next, freeze the pressed tofu overnight. The next day, Microwave the tofu on an absorbent surface, which will bleed further moisture from the tofu. Finally, repeat the pressing to get a very dry, meaty tofu.
Take the juice from the 20 oz can of pineapple slices and use it as a marinade for the thawed tofu. The freezing process makes the tofu more absorbent, so it will readily soak up the pineapple flavor. Marinade for at least 20 minutes.
Peel the two oranges and discard the peels.
Thoroughly blend the oranges in a food processor and keep the pulp.
This method is superior to using pre-packaged orange juice. Believe it or not, the flavor of pre-packaged orange juice is somewhat artificial! The orange juice loses its flavor during the preservation stage of its processing, when the oxygen is removed from the mixture. The flavor is re-introduced as a concentrated product derived from orange essence and oil.
This way feels more straightforward to me!
You will want 3 cups of liquid in total. Measure the blended, pulpy orange and add it to the pot. Meet the rest of the liquid requirement with either water or broth.
Add 1 1/2 of dry rice to the pot.
Raise the pot to a boil, then simmer until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.
Chop the peppers into small pieces that can be easily handled with chopsticks. I used 6 mini bells (or 1 1/2 regular sized bell peppers) and one jalapeño.
Chop the scallions in to pieces 1 cm or smaller.
Mince about 1 1/2 inches of ginger root.
Add a small amount of oil to a pan and heat on high. The oil is hot enough when a bit of vegetable would sizzle in it. Add the minced ginger and chopped pepper to the pan and stir, lowering the heat to medium.
Add the pineapple slices and the tofu with its marinade to the pan. Add 2 tablespoons each of tamari and maple syrup. Add 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar. Stir this mixture and cook on medium heat until the peppers become somewhat limp.
Ladle out your desired amount of orange rice and top generously with the tofu and pepper mixture. Garnish with scallions, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Serve warm and enjoy!
