Guidebooks to France unanimously agree that it’s difficult to be a vegetarian in the country, and after 9 days, I will definitely vouch for that. Their idea of “vegetarian” consists of stuffing you full of fish, scallops, and other seafood. So being vegan is absolutely impossible (unless you only eat baguettes).
But before I rant and rave about the food in France, I have something to confess… I had a cheat day before I left. (Well okay, two.) I ate pasta with a meat sauce and drank hot chocolate. Although they tasted just fine, my tummy was not prepared for carnivorous food after spending over a month as a complete herbivore, and I spent the entire next day running to the bathroom every hour to lean over the toilet. Not fun.
The last thing I wanted to do was to put anything in my stomach, so I cooked the plainest dinner I possibly could—white rice and non-marinated tofu. With just a sprinkling of salt and brown sugar to distract from the boring blandness, I had a dish that both my tummy and taste buds could appreciate.
Tofu for Tummy Aches
serves 1
This dish could easily be served to anyone without a tummy ache; just add your favorite spices.
¼ c. white rice
½ c. water
(1) ½” thick slab of tofu
salt
brown sugar
- Place tofu between two sheets of paper towels, and put something heavy on top to drain the excess moisture. Leave for 10 minutes.
- Rinse the rice once, then add rice and water to a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer, leave covered, and cook according to the package’s directions.
- Preheat a small pan over medium-low heat, and add tofu to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan, and once it’s cool enough to touch, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the rice in a bowl or on a plate, and add the tofu pieces on top. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of brown sugar, and serve hot.
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