fbpx

Tofu Stir Fry

September 10, 2009

Something I strongly encourage my clients to do is eat a variety of food. Having too much of anything isn’t good for anyone. So I myself try to change up my meals, and avoid eating the same type of food or source of protein every day of the week. Lately I’ve been trying to incorporate more vegetarian food into my repertoire, which has actually been easier since having the CSA delivery. There has never been a shortage of fruits and vegetables in my house, but it’s so much easier to have them delivered to you! Plus, you’re more likely to try new things!

One of my favorite vegetarian dishes is stir-fried tofu. Since tofu has a very neutral taste, it’s really versatile to work with and enjoy because it absorbs the flavors with which it’s cooked. Tofu comes in multiple varieties — silken, soft, firm, and extra-firm. I like firm and extra-firm the best for my cooking purposes. Since tofu is packed in water, it’s important to drain it before cooking so that it isn’t too moist to cook and browns nicely. In restaurants, tofu is often dredged with flour to absorb the moisture — this means extra calories for you. Here is my recipe for Tofu Stir Fry using some of this week’s CSA vegetables.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package firm or extra-firm tofu
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 head of broccoli florets
  • 1/2 pound string beans
  • 1/2  red pepper, cut into strips
  • 1/2 green pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 bulb of leeks, cut into rounds
  • Stir fry sauce, as needed (I like Soy Vay sauces)

Directions:

  1. Drain tofu and slice into 5-6 equal rectangular portions. Drain on paper towels to get rid of most of the moisture. You will need to change paper towels periodically.

    IMG_0696
    Draining tofu
  2. In a wok or medium sauté pan, sauté vegetables over medium heat. Add some sauce and cook until vegetables are cooked. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
  3. Add sliced tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Return veggies to wok or pan over tofu and add some more sauce. Cover and let heat for 2-3 minutes. Serve.
Before
Before
After
After

Share Your Thoughts

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. My favorite tofu is silken. It is not just for vegans any more.

    It is super silky (it is well named) in smoothies and mousse.

    Think mocha tofu smoothie, or PB and brown sugar smoothies. Or fruit smoothies. As much protein as an egg but no need to face the frying pan.

    And super convenient in shelf stable packaging. Great to have in the pantry.

  2. I didn’t know that some restaurants dredge tofu in flour before cooking. I’ve never done that (or even thought about doing that!) when I cook tofu at home. Is this traditional in any particular ethnic cuisines, do you know? What kind of flour do they use?

    1. I would never have thought about doing it myself either, but I know some restaurants do it. I don’t think it’s traditional to a specific cuisine, but I always ask (and tell my clients to ask) when they get a tofu stir fry.

      I think they use white flour.