4
Servings
If tofu is prepared right, it's delicious. If not,
it can taste like
rubber. Tofu is curdled soy milk that's been pressed in a process
similar to making cheese. You'll find tofu in natural food stores and
many supermarkets these days. Several brands are available with varying
texture from extra firm to soft (tofu's firmness depends on the amount
of liquid that's been pressed out of it. In large cities with oriental
markets you can often find tofu sold in bulk, usually stored in open
barrels. Tofu sold this way has been found to occasionally be infected
with E. coli bacteria, so be cautious. You might also try the delicious
varieties of baked, pressed tofu you'll find in refrigerator cases at
natural food stores.These are already flavored and ready to eat without
additional cooking. The idea behind stir-frying is to produce a mixture
in which all the items are crunchy-tender and retain their colors and
individual character.
Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu
8 cups sliced vegetables (we suggest yellow onions, carrots, peppers,
mushrooms, celery, broccoli, asparagus, mung-bean sprouts, bamboo
shoots)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups cooked rice
Sauce:
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup natural soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon corn starch
Instructions:
1. Slice the tofu in 1/2 inch slices. Press
between layered paper
towels or clean kitchen towels to dry well. Cut slices into 1 inch
cubes. Arrange on a plate with prepared vegetables, separated by
variety.
2. Combine sauce ingredients except for cornstarch
in a small bowl and
stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix cornstarch with just enough cold
water to dissolve in a custard cup or teacup (you'll use less than 2
tsp water.) Add to sauce, stir well and set aside.
3. Preheat a wok or large skillet. Add the canola
oil and vegetables
(add the sturdier vegetables first, adding the more tender ones like
bean sprouts later) and cook over medium high heat until just crisp
tender, stirring constantly.
4. Add the tofu and stir very carefully until the
tofu is heated. Stir
sauce and pour around edge of wok. Stir vegetables around in sauce as
it thickens. Remove from heat as soon as sauce is thickened and serve
over rice.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
351 calories
11 g total fat (1 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
49 g carbohydrate
15 g protein
6 g fiber
750 mg sodium
