Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry

I've never really considered myself an Asian stir-fry kind of person. I don't know why; they just usually don't get me all that excited. But this one I like so much that I've made it twice now (and recipes don't often get repeated in my house). It's got a great combination of veggies, chewy browned tofu cubes, and a really easy yet super aromatic sauce. And it's the perfect weeknight meal because it takes less than a half-hour to prepare.

Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry
From Cooking Light

• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 10 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 6 oz asparagus, steamed and cut into 1-inch pieces (you can skip the steaming if you have super-thin asparagus)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add tofu and saute for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove tofu from pan with a slotted spoon; wipe pan dry with a paper towl. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add corn and next 4 ingredients (through bell pepper) and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add reserved tofu, asparagus, and next 4 ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Stir-fry 1 minute or until asparagus and tofu are heated. Divide the rice evenly among 4 plates. Spoon about 1 cup stir-fry mixture over rice, and top evenly with scallions.

Confetti Fried Rice with Baked Tofu

There's a Chinese restaurant across the street from our apartment called Tasteful Delight (does that sound dirty to you, or is it just me?). Their food is nothing spectacular, but for some reason on especially cold nights the whole street just smells so intensely of whatever it is they're cooking in there. Like, fried goodness and hoisin sauce and brothy noodles and pork.

Needless to say, the temptation to stop in on my way home is often great. But, unsurprisingly, their food is really unhealthy. So when the craving for a little Tasteful Delight strikes, I try to make some healthy Chinese food at home. This dish, adapted from (you guessed it) Appetite for Reduction, is so quick and easy, especially if you use leftover rice. (I made something with rice last night, so I just made a few extra cups and stuck them in the fridge for this very purpose.) And it's so pretty with the shredded veggies -- that's why I called it confetti rice. You might even say that this dish is a tasteful delight.

Confetti Fried Rice with Baked Tofu

• One block of firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed for 30 minutes to an hour
• Soy sauce
• 1 cup dry rice or about 3 cups leftover cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup minced shallot
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• Zucchini, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• Carrot (or 2 smallish carrots), grated on the large holes of a box grater
• Scallions, chopped, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 375 F. If your rice isn't cooked yet, cook it according to package instructions and let cool spread out on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes. Slice the pressed block of tofu into 8 equal rectangles. Spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray and lay the tofu rectangles on it. Brush soy sauce onto both sides of the tofu. Bake for 20 minutes; spray the tofu with a little more cooking spray, flip, and bake 10 more minutes. For extra chewiness, put the tofu under the broiler for 3 minutes at the end.

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Cook the shallot, garlic, and ginger about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and carrot and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and drizzle with about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Mix thoroughly and cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Serve with the baked tofu and garnished with the scallions.

Miso Udon Stir-Fry with Greens and Beans

Over here at the ol' blog this week I'll be cooking my way through one of my new cookbooks, Appetite for Reduction (also the source of the chickpea piccata recipe in my last post). Like I mentioned, this book is full of healthy vegan recipes that are just right for the new year. If your resolution, like everyone else's, is to lose weight, these could be some great dishes to try.

Tonight I made this yummy stir-fry with udon noodles, veggies (broccoli and chard), azuki beans, and savory miso broth. I thought it was great just as it was, but you if you wanted to, you could definitely turn up the heat with some Sriracha hot sauce.

Miso Udon Stir-Fry with Greens and Beans

From Appetite for Reduction

• 1 pound broccoli, stems sliced thinly, tops cut into florets
• 8-ounce package udon noodles
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, coarse stems removed, chopped roughly
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• One 16-oz can azuki beans, drained and rinsed (can substitute black beans)
• 1/3 cup miso
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Prepare a pot of salted water for cooking the noodles. Meanwhile, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. First, saute the broccoli with a bit of nonstick cooking spray and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and flip once or twice. The broccoli should be browned in some spots. Add a splash of water at the end, then cover for another minute. The pan should be steaming. Remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside.

At this point, the water should be boiling. Use a mug to remove 1/2 cup of water; you can use that to mix into your miso in a few steps. Then cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain when ready.

Now we'll put everything together. Preheat the large pan again, over medium heat. Saute the garlic in the oil for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the chard, green onion, and salt, and saute for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Add the beans and let heat through.

In the meantime, in a mug or a measuring cup, mix together the miso and warm pasta water until relatively smooth.

Add the drained noodles to the pan, along with the miso mixture and broccoli. Saute for about 2 minutes, making sure everything is nice and coated. Taste for salt. To serve, top with sesame seeds and scallions (and Sriracha, optional).