One New Vegetarian Dish a Month - Tofu Stir Fry

I went out on a big limb for our second vegetarian meal - the dreaded tofu. I knew there was a very high chance Mike would not enjoy this meal, but I went for it anyway. Tofu originated in China and is made from soy milk, giving it a soft texture, but with little to no taste. It's high in protein while being low in fat and calories. Because it's pretty bland, it's essential to flavor it well, which is why it's usually prepared with plenty of strong Asian condiments like soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sriracha, etc.

I got out my wok, but any large frying pan will do, and I got to work. What I love about stir fry is that they are so quick - literally just a few minutes to make! You can eat your stir fry on it's own, or on top of noodles or rice. I chose wholegrain basmati rice and I prepared that first since it takes about 25 minutes. 

Tofu Stir Fry

Sauce Ingredients:

1/3 c. Soy Sauce
1/4 c. Sherry
1 Tbsp Honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 orange or lemon

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside. If you want a spicier version add some red pepper flakes.

Stir Fry Ingredients - you can use any veggies you like, but this is what I used:

1 block of firm tofu (not soft or silken)
1-2 Tbsp Vegetable oil (or corn, canola, or peanut oil)
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced on a diagonal
1 zucchini/corgette, halved lengthwise then sliced on a diagonal
2 cups broccoli florets
2 small baby bok/pak choi
1.5 cups snow/mangetout peas
2 chopped scallions/salad onions
1 cup cilantro/coriander, chopped
1 tsp. sesame oil

You can also throw in cabbage, baby corn, peanuts, cabbage, etc.

Instructions:

Place the tofu on paper towels and lightly squeeze all sides so you can take most of the liquid out of the tofu. This will keep the tofu firm and allow it to brown nicely. Cut the tofu in cubes. Add a tablespoon of oil to your wok or frying pan and heat on medium high. Make sure your fan is on and your window open, it may get a little smoky while you fry the tofu! Add enough tofu so that they are not over crowded in the pan. Let fry for a couple minutes on two sides. Set fried tofu aside in another bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Throw in vegetables that are firmer and take a little longer to cook - onions, carrots, broccoli, and let cook for 1-2 minutes before stirring so they brown a little. Stir and let cook a minute more. Add rest of veggies and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for a minute then add sauce and tofu. Cook for one more minute, add sesame oil, stir, then turn off heat. Serve on top of rice and topped with Sriracha.

So, how did this meatless meal stack up to the last one? Not as well for Mike, but he ate it all and didn't need to eat something else afterwards. Compared to the quiche this is much healthier and gave us plenty of vegetable servings. Using brown wholegrain rice was a better alternative to white, and if you're concerned with salt content you can use low sodium soy and even cut it in half if you don't mind less sauce to top your rice.

What I realized the next day is that this meal is WAY better leftover. The next day the tofu had been sitting in the sauce and had deepened in color, absorbing a lot of the flavors of the soy, garlic, and sesame. I added a little bit of oil to a hot pan and fried the brown rice for about 5 minutes to get some of the edges crunchy, then I added the tofu stir fry along with some of the sauce. I stirred that and let that cook for a couple mins then I pushed the rice mixture to the sides of the pan, making a little well in the middle. I sprayed the middle with some non-stick spray and cracked an egg in it. I let it cook for a minute before mixing it and essentially make scrambled egg. I then mixed the entire stir fry together letting the egg mix in with the rest of the rice and veggies. Topped again with sriracha and it was done! Extra protein from the egg and tofu, lots of veggies, and a half cup of brown rice. Overall a pretty healthy and very satisfying lunch, even Mike said it looked good.