Thursday, August 5, 2010

Pan Seared Ginger Tofu

So I decided to try a variant of the standby stir-fry tonight. I wanted to use relatively few ingredients, and make tofu the star of the show, rather than burying it in a mixture of vegetables.

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup brown rice, steamed
1 block extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1 medium yellow onion, julienned
4 oz. shitake mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 tbsp chili paste
1 tbsp sesame oil, divided
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil

Mix rice vinegar, tamari, chili paste and 1/2 tbsp sesame oil in a bowl. Refrigerate.

Drain the tofu. Place it on a cutting board and put a heavy pan on top to press out excess liquid.

Steam brown rice according to package directions.

Sautee the garlic in ginger in olive oil for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Add tofu, stir fry for 3-5 minutes.

Add onion, red and yellow bell pepper, stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add shitake mushrooms, stir fry for 3 minutes.

Turn heat to low, add rice vinegar mixture. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Cover brown rice with the tofu mixture. Sprinkle remaining sesame oil on top. Cover with sprouts and add chili paste if desired.


Results:


This dish seemed to go over well with the family. It was spicy, but not overwhelming, with a distinct sesame aroma. I had a couple of minor gripes, though:

  • Next time, I'll hold out for radish sprouts instead of alfalfa sprouts. They just have a little more bite, and I think they would work better with this dish.
  • I skipped marinating the tofu in the rice vinegar mixture. I think an overnight stay in the fridge soaked in the sauce would have done wonders for the tofu. Next time, I'll try that to see if it imparts a stronger flavor.
All in all, a pretty good dish. Not in my top 5, but I wouldn't hesitate to make it again.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Moving to Wordpress

The Veggie Guy is alive and well! The past year has thrown things my way that have derailed me from this lovely little blog, but I am ready to resurrect the site and post tons of new recipes, insights and tips, along with the usual nonsense you've come to expect from me.

Just a quick note - I will soon be moving this blog over to Wordpress. Don't worry, all of the old posts will still be available, so you'll be able to peruse my culinary shenanigans from the past three years.

I hope to have the new site up and running next week. Until then, have a look back through the archives and enjoy the trials and mishaps of my life as a borderline vegan.
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