Week 5: Veggie Stir Fry & Easy Fried Rice

So, this is a week late, & there is no picture, but life got in the way! I’ve been spending some quality time at the office lately… I’m an accountant and it’s February. Yes I’m busy, and no I don’t do taxes! Hubby is back in full time study mode. He retired from accounting last fall, & is now in nursing school. I promise I actually made this last week, but am just now getting to writing about it today. 

I make a lot of stir-fries (that is, in fact, the plural of stir-fry). I really like making these because they use up produce that’s nearing its expiration. They come together in 20 minutes. And most importantly, my wok is non-stick and easy to clean. Since this blog is about meals I’ve never made, what makes this stir-fry new to me? It’s made with tofu! The Super Bowl recipe had kale, and now I’m cooking with tofu… I have not been hacked. 

Stir-fries are incredibly versatile, so just use my recipe as a guide. You can swap the veggies in the ingredient list below with whatever you have in your fridge or whatever is in season. To get the biggest variety of nutrients, try to include at least 3 out of the 5 color groups (red, orange/yellow, green, blue/purple & white). Add in sesame seeds, red chile paste, more/less garlic, more/less ginger... you get the idea. 

VEGGIE STIR-FRY

8 oz firm tofu, rinsed, cut into 1 inch cubes & marinated

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce 

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 inch of ginger, finely julienned or grated 

1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped

1 cup baby carrots 

1 red bell pepper, sliced 

3-5 green onions, cut into thirds, then lengthwise

1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped

1/4 cup water

Sriracha to taste

Garlic salt to taste

For marinade:

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

Marinate tofu with soy sauce and chopped garlic for 10 minutes. Heat sesame oil & half of vegetable oil in a wok on high heat. Cook tofu for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, then gently flip to cook other side. Remove tofu with a slotted spoon & set aside. 

Add garlic & ginger, cooking for 1 minute. Add hard vegetables (broccoli & carrots), stirring to coat with liquid. Pour in 1/4 cup of water, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add soft vegetables, stirring to coat. Cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables have reached your desired level of doneness. I prefer more crunch than mush.

Toss in your tofu, stir & season to taste with garlic salt, soy sauce & Sriracha. Serve with steamed rice or fried rice recipe below.

EASY FRIED RICE

2 cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 egg

Garlic salt to taste

Scramble 1 egg in non-stick wok & set aside. Heat remaining vegetable oil on high heat, then toss in cooked rice & 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir to coat, then cook for 1 minute. Stir again, and cook for 1 minute. Keep cooking/stirring until the rice is lightly browned or toasted. Add back the scrambled egg & season to taste with additional soy sauce and garlic salt.

Last thoughts: My hubby is a meat eater. He happily chows down on veggies or whatever I put in front of him, but when it’s sans-animal, he gets easily confused. “Is it a side? An appetizer? But, where’s the meat?” We haven’t ever done Meatless Monday, but after making this, I could give it a shot. I think you could too. Dish up!