Sunday, March 23, 2008

Stir-Frying Vegetables

Making a stir-fry is the perfect answer to a busy weekday. It's an easy, healthy and quick one-pan dinner. And, it's a great way to use up what's in the fridge at the end of a week.

There are three main components to making a satisfying vegetarian stir-fry: the vegetables (and tofu), the flavour, and the side (such as rice or pasta).

Vegetable Ideas

asparagus
broccoli

carrots
green beans
mushrooms

Napa cabbage
onion
peppers (red, yellow, orange and green)
tomatoes
snow peas
zucchini

Sauce
2.5 T soy sauce
.5 T hoisin sauce
.5 light brown or palm sugar
Stir together and set aside

Tofu
Using a medium tofu, cut into half inch cubes. Drizzle with salt, pepper and toasted sesame oil. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 20 minutes, until golden and slightly crispy.

Nuts
Try adding roasted unsalted almonds or cashews

Instruction
Prepare all your vegetables. In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over a high heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and saute for a minute and then add remaining vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and stir for 2 minutes.

Then, cover for 2 minutes to let all the vegetables cook in their own juices. Uncover and stir in the sauce and baked tofu cubes. Fry until everything is crisp tender and the sauce has caramelized slightly.

Serve with pasta or rice and enjoy.

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