I have don't know that I'd ever even tasted tofu before I was married. My family's main courses, and my own thereafter, usually included a healthy portion of meat (usually beef or chicken). I have recently been exploring the idea of eating for your blood type, and I thought we were doing pretty good, since I knew I and at least 2 of the girls were Type O, which are good with eating a lot of meat. A few months ago, however, we discovered that Jeremy is Type A. And (of course!) Type A's don't digest meat very well, and do well with a low meat or even vegetarian diet. Lovely.
So, I have been endeavoring to expand my horizons and create a few meatless dishes, and as I result, I have been exploring the world of tofu. And to my surprise, it is actually not that bad. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a satisfactory recipe that is both gluten-free and dairy-free but is NOT a stir-fry. So... I've been doing a lot of stir-fry. :-)
I have tried a few stir-fry recipes, but I usually have to modify them to some degree to suit my tastes (usually by adding more veggies and often more sauce). Stir-fry is kind of free-form by nature, but I like to have an actual recipe on hand to help me plan and keep me from getting too confused... and that doesn't work so well when you're modifying everything. So since I seem to be so picky, I decided to try my hand at making up my own recipe last night. And I have to say, I liked it better than any of the other recipes I've tried so far. So here you are... (Please note I did not keep exact track of frying time, but I think you are all good enough cooks to figure this out.)
Jessica's Tofu Stir Fry
Ingredients:
* 1 lb. pack firm tofu, chopped into bite-size pieces*
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 head fresh broccoli (about 1.5 c.), chopped into bite-size pieces
* 2 medium carrots, sliced
* 1 large onion, sliced
* 1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
* 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
* 1/4 c. wine (I used white, but will probably use red next time for more flavor)
* 2 tbs. soy sauce
* 1/2 tsp. ginger
* 2-3 tbs. olive and/or sesame oil (I used about half and half)
* 1/2 c. water
* 1 cube chicken bouillon or 1 tsp. granules
* 2 tbs. cornstarch
* 2 tbs. water
Directions:
1. Heat 1-2 tbs. oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, till tender. Add broccoli and carrots. Fry for 4-5 minutes, until beginning to get slightly tender. Add onions and fry for about 3 more minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini and fry a few more minutes.
2. Mix together wine, soy sauce, and ginger. Add to veggies and simmer until veggies are all fairly tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat another 1/2 to 1 tbs. oil in a medium saucepan. Fry tofu for a few minutes, until lightly browned. Dissolve chicken bouillon or granules in 1/2 c. water. Add to tofu and simmer for about 3 minutes.
4. Add tofu mixture to veggie mixture. Combine 2 tsp. cornstarch with equal part water, and whisk with a fork till smooth. Add to tofu and veggies, stir well. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until sauce begins to thicken slightly. Serve over brown rice.
Makes about 6 servings.
*Tofu works a little better if it is set out to dry on a stack of paper towels for a while. I did this while I was chopping my veggies, and it worked fine.
Note: I thought it could use maybe just a tad more soy sauce, but it depends on your preference. You can always splash it on at the end, anyway.
If any of you try this, let me know how you liked it and if you come up with any improvements!
