Tofu You Go

This week for Meatless Monday I decided to venture into the Land of Tofu. This recipe was easy and tasty and, most important, can be varied in a million different ways depending on which veggies you like. My family turns out to not be terribly fond of mushrooms, so next time maybe I will sub in carrots or snow peas or red peppers. I just have to figure out how long each veggie needs to cook so I can time the whole thing properly. As with most stir-fries, it all happens fast.

Julie said this tasted "exactly like Chinese food" (by which she means takeout lo mein). I agree, and when I ate the leftovers cold for lunch the next day, the sesame flavor was even more pronounced, and it really did taste authentic. Oh, and no one seemed to mind the tofu, so there you go.

Veggie Lo Mein

8 ounces each: broccoli florets and sliced mushrooms
8 ounces spaghetti
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 recipe Lo Mein Sauce (see below)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-large onion, halved from pole to pole, each half cut into sixths (I think this just means wedges still attached at the root end.)
1 tablespoon each: fresh garlic and ginger

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add the spaghetti and cook until just tender; drain and set aside.

Toss the tofu with the soy sauce. Mix the Lo Mein Sauce.

Meanwhile, turn on your vent fan and heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (I used a nonstick wok) over high heat until very hot. Add the onion and stir-fry until crisp and spotty brown, about 1 minute. (Mine took more like 2 minutes to start browning.) Add the mushrooms and stir-fry until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 1 minute longer. Add the broccoli and stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a plate and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the empty skillet; heat until shimmering. Add the spaghetti and stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes. Return the tofu-veggie mixture to the pan, along with the Lo Mein sauce; stir-fry to combine. Serve immediately.

Lo Mein Sauce

Mix ¼ cup each low-sodium vegetable broth (dang, I used chicken broth!) and low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons each rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon each hot red pepper flakes and sugar.

 

Comments

[Elena]

This sounds so good that I may break my cardinal rule and give tofu a try.