Pamela Anderson's Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

A harmonious balance of grains and protein. I use almond butter for the sauce, but any creamy nut butter will do. If you don’t want to use the tofu into slabs, you can make it into cubes. —Pam Anderson

Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the rice

• 1 cup brown rice
• Roasted vegetables
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 1 pound broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Black Vinegar–Almond Sauce

• 1 cup creamy almond butter
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup tamari
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons sriracha

Anderson's cookbook, "I Love You," began as a box of recipe cards for her sons.

Veracious/Little, Brown and Company

Cooking with Pamela

Anderson shared three recipes from I Love You with AARP members:

Buddha Bowls with Crispy Sesame Tofu

This hearty, flavorful bowl is packed with plant-based protein.

Crispy Saffron-Spinach Rice Cake

Crunchy texture and vibrant flavors make this a worthy main course or side dish.

Stone Fruit Clafoutis

This dessert looks like a work of art and takes less than 10 minutes to put together (plus baking time).

For the tofu

• 1 (14-ounce) block of extra-firm tofu
• Cornstarch, for dusting
• 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ tablespoon tamari
• ¼ cup black sesame seeds
• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the assembly

• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• Cilantro

Directions

Cook the rice: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until the grains are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, then return the rice to the pan and keep warm.

Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread the sweet potato cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and the broccoli florets on a second baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss until evenly coated. Roast until tender and nicely browned, about 20 minutes for the broccoli and 30 minutes for the sweet potatoes.

While the vegetables roast, make the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Prepare the tofu: Lift the tofu from its water and place it on a clean kitchen towel, wrapping the towel around the block. Set a plate on top and weigh it down (a can of beans or coconut milk will do). Let the tofu rest for about 15 minutes, to press out excess liquid. Slice the pressed tofu lengthwise into ½-inch slabs, then cut lengthwise down the middle to create rectangles. Dust with cornstarch on all sides. In a small bowl, stir together the maple syrup and tamari, then brush on each tofu rectangle. Combine the black and white sesame seeds together on a small plate. Press each piece of tofu into the sesame seeds, flipping and gently pressing until the tofu is fully coated in seeds. Place the sesame tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil. When the vegetables are done roasting, lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake the sesame tofu for 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Assemble the Buddha bowls: Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Top with the roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli. Nestle a few rectangles of tofu on one side of the bowl and some shredded cabbage and a few avocado slices on the other side. Garnish with cilantro and serve with the sauce for drizzling over the top.

Excerpted from I LOVE YOU by Pamela Anderson with Maria Zizka. Copyright © 2024 by Anderson Media Company, LLC. Photographs by Ditte Isager. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.