I'm not shy about trying new foods. In fact, I would say I'm fairly adventurous. One of my favorite places to experiment is a buffet. I have a friend who is vegan, and she is always telling me about all the different ways they use tofu. I've never really tried it before, so a few months back I was at a Chinese buffet with my sister, and decided that I was going to try the Tofu Stir Fry.
I know what you're thinking, "TOFU MANDEE?!? REALLY!?!" But trust me, this recipe is absolutely delicious and I'm sure it's going to change your mind. I can't wait to share it with you, so....
LET'S GET STARTED!
*Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 20 min. *Difficulty: EASY *Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Extra Firm Tofu
- 1 head of Cauliflower Florets
- 1 lb. Broccoli Florets
- 2 Carrots, sliced
- 4 Green Onions, sliced
- 4 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. Ginger, minced
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/4 c. Cooking Sherry or Marsala Wine
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp of Brown Sugar or 1 Packet of Stevia
- 1 tsp. of Sriracha
- 1 c. Water
I know you may be a little freaked out about trying tofu for the first time, we've all heard the horror stories, but tofu is one of those things that really does take on the flavor of whatever sauce you cook it in. So if you have a good stir fry sauce, it's going to be good. As far as texture goes, I'd say this reminds me of the scrambled egg texture that you get in most stir fry.
Since tofu is not something that a lot of people work with, I'm going to take you through how to prep it for the stir fry, step by step.
First you're going to remove the Extra Firm Tofu from the packaging and place it on a clean kitchen towel because you are going to want to press out any of the extra moisture.
Cover the tofu with the towel and place a heavy pot on it.
Let it sit while you prep the rest of your vegetables.
Once you have pressed all the excess liquid out of it, you will cut it into four even parts.
Now cut each one of those parts into three even slices.
Cut each slice into three bite-sized pieces.
Now you should have several bite sized tofu squares.
Time to get started cooking!
Place a wok or deep skillet over HIGH heat and add a little oil.
Once the pan is hot, place the tofu in a single layer, flat side down.
You may have to do this in batches.
Let is cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until it is golden brown.
Once it is brown and crispy remove it from the pan and sit to the side.
Now, to the hot pan, add the carrots and onions.
Let cook until the onions become soft & translucent.
Now add the cauliflower and...
Broccoli.
Cover the pan with a lid and let steam for 10 min, tossing occasionally.
After 10 minutes, return the tofu to the pan.
Now it's time to make the sauce.
Pour in the soy sauce,
Stevia or brown sugar.
Ginger,
Garlic,
Sriracha,
Cooking sherry or Marsala,
And cornstarch.
Mix it all together.
Now
TURN THE HEAT OFFand pour the sauce into the pan.
Toss everything in the sauce.
If you see that the sauce is too thick, just add a little water from the reserved cup to loosed it up.
Add a pinch of salt and ..
Pepper.
Give it another quick toss and you are all ready to go!
I like to serve this with some steamed brown rice and it is delicious!
The tofu is tender and crispy, the veggies are perfectly al dente, and that sauce will knock your sox off! In fact, I dare say that if you didn't tell your kids, they would have no idea that it wasn't chicken! I asked my King of the Carnivores husband what he thought. He said that though you can really compare it to a "real" stir fry, he would give it a 7/10. I'll take that! lol I know you are going to love this meatless Monday dish of Tofu Stir Fry, so get in the kitchen and make it TONIGHT!
And as always....
Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~
Tofu Stir Fry:
*Prep Time: 15 min. Cook Time: 20 min. *Difficulty: EASY *Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Extra Firm Tofu
- 1 head of Cauliflower Florets
- 1 lb. Broccoli Florets
- 2 Carrots, sliced
- 4 Green Onions, sliced
- 4 cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. Ginger, minced
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 c. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/4 c. Cooking Sherry or Marsala Wine
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp of Brown Sugar or 1 Packet of Stevia
- 1 tsp. of Sriracha
- 1 c. Water
Directions:
- To begin you will place the tofu in a clean kitchen towel, cover it, and place a heavy pan on top to press out all the excess liquid. Let that sit while you prep the rest of your vegetables.
- Cut the tofu into evenly bite-sized pieces. (See post for pictures)
- Place a wok or deep skillet over HIGH heat and add a little oil.
- Once the pan is hot, add the tofu in a single layer, flat side down. You may have to do this in batches.
- Let cook for 3-4 minutes, until brown and crispy. Then remove from pan and sit to the side.
- Add the carrots and onion to the pan. Let cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 2-3 minutes.
- Next add the cauliflower and broccoli. Toss, cover the pan, and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Return the tofu to the pan.
- In a mixing bowl combine the soy sauce, wine, sugar, garlic, ginger, sriracha, and cornstarch. Mix together.
- TURN OFF THE HEAT to the pan and pour in the sauce, tossing the vegetables and tofu in it. If you see that they sauce is too thick, just drizzle in a little of the water to get the desired consistency.
- Serve with steamed brown rice.
- ENJOY!
