Stir-Fried Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

After four months, my son is really getting annoyed that we seem to eat chicken breasts every night. What's for dinner, he'll ask, and then respond with a massive groan when I reply with the old favorite. So I decided to add in a tofu stir-fry each week to try and mix things up a bit. I love the texture of this tofu -- crisp on the outside and gently soft on the inside. It's very much comfort food, despite the fact that my mother definitely never made it!

Stir-fried Tofu with Chinese Broccoli

Because I am measuring my protein and vegetables, I make this in two pans (one for tofu and one for veggies) and then combine when I plate it up. You can very easily cook the tofu first, put to the side, cook the veggies, and then combine all at the end and add in the sauce. Whatever works best for you.

You can make this with any vegetables you want. This week I used Chinese broccoli, green cabbage and scallions. Celery (if you like cooked celery, which I do not) would also work well, and jicama would add a little crunch a la water chestnuts. 

The teriyaki sauce is so easy to throw together and it's really delicious. It's the vanilla extract that really makes the difference. You could also use this sauce with chicken, beef or fish!

Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies

Serves 3-4 . Recipe is easily halved.

2 14-oz. packages of extra-firm tofu

Olive oil

1 tbsp chopped garlic

2 tsp minced ginger

6-8 cups of chopped veggies: broccoli, green cabbage, scallions--whatever you like

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp minced ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp stevia powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl and put to the side.

1. Dice the tofu into small cubes.

2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high. Spray with olive oil, then add in 1/3 of the garlic and ginger. Heat, then add in half of the tofu. You want each piece of the tofu to touch the skillet, so you do not want to cook both packs of tofu at the same time. Cook until brown on one side, then stir and continue cooking until browned all over. This will take 5-7 minutes total. 

3. Repeat with the second batch of tofu. Put all of the tofu on a plate to the side.

4. If you are making in separate pans: while the tofu is cooking, heat another non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Spray with olive oil, then add in 1/3 of the garlic and ginger. Heat, then add in the vegetables. Cover for about 2 minutes to help get the process going and then finish uncovered. 

5. Add all of the tofu back to the original pan over medium heat. Reheat and add in half of the sauce. Stir well and allow to heat through.

6. Add the remainder of the sauce to the veggies, stir to heat through.

7. Plate up some tofu with some veggies. If you like, add hot peppers, hot sauce, or chopped cilantro (or both).

Note: if you aren't focused on measuring tofu and veggie portions, you can make this all in one pot. Proceed with steps 1-3, then for step 4, use the same pan you were using before. Once the veggies are cooked, add the tofu back into the pan and add all of the sauce in and stir well. Give everything a few minutes in the pan to meld together and then serve.