Tofu, Egg and Kimchi Rice Bowl

Jeff and I are pretty selective in the television programming we watch. As a rule, we don’t watch reality TV. However, we do make one small exception: Top Chef. I can do without the reality TV part, but love the food aspect. That being said, my interest in the chefs typically doesn't extend past the particular season they happen to be on. That was until this most recent season. While we were visiting Jeff’s family in January we picked up a complimentary copy of Certified Piedmontese which featured recipes from different chefs, including one from this season’s Top Chef Finalist, Gregory Gourdet.

When we got home Jeff gave Gregory’s recipe a try. It was great! Then, Runner’s World Magazine did an online feature on Gregory in February which included more recipes, plus they had featured some of his recipes on their blog in the past. So, of course, we had to give those a try as well. Everything that we have made we LOVED!This guy is a genius with flavor. Plus, he uses natural, unrefined sweeteners in his recipes. Gregory is from Portland, so we were happy to see a Pacific Northwesterner make it to the final round of the show. We’re hoping our next trip to Portland will include a meal at Departure, where he is currently the Executive Chef. And, I am hoping he’s working on a cookbook.

This is one of the recipes from the recent Runner’s World article that I have revises and tweaked to my own preferences. I've changed the protein to tofu. The original recipe calls for frying the egg, but we decided to try poaching it this time, which turned out great.

The original recipe can be found here: http://www.runnersworld.com/recipes/the-perfect-runners-lunch 
 

Tofu, Egg, and Kimchi Rice Bowl
1 block tofu
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 ounces sweet potato, sliced into thin quarters
2 ounces swiss chard (substitute kale, spinach or other similar green), julienned
1 large clove garlic, minced
Pinch chili flakes
Salt for seasoning
½ tablespoon ginger, julienned
1 small red jalapeño, sliced
2 ounces kimchi (all natural if store bought)
2 eggs
cooked brown rice
2 teaspoons toasted seeds and green onion for garnish

Instructions
1) Remove the Tofu from its package and wrap in paper towels. Press under a heavy pot or in a tofu press for about 30 minutes. Cut into cubes and set aside.
2) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat and sauté sweet potatoes until golden and cooked, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Now give the greens a quick sauté in hot oil, they should turn bright green, about 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt and add them to the potatoes.
3) Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil and add tofu to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and chili flakes and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip and add garlic, ginger and jalapeño. Once Tofu is just crispy, add kimchi, toss, and heat through.
4) Place cooked rice in a bowl. Put potato-greens mixture on one side and tofu-kimchi on the other. Cover bowls to keep warm.
5) Fill a shallow sauce pan or skillet with water and bring it to a boil. Break each egg into a custard cup being sure not to break the yoke. Once the water is boiling turn the temp down to a medium simmer and add a splash of vinegar, then add one egg at a time using a spoon to pull each egg in on itself (you’ll need to be quick). Cook the eggs for about 2-3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and dab with a paper towel before placing one egg on top of each bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.