Tofu Vegetable Stir-fry with Garlic, Miso and Ginger Sauce

Last week a friend and I attended a plant-based workshop held by Amy Hamilton down at BNA. Amy’s husband is a chef at the new Skinny Dukes Glorious Emporium in downtown Kelowna, and the two of them have just published a cookbook.

I just love to support anyone who is starting a small business and especially those who are trying to spread the same values I have about plant-based eating.

Included in the price of the workshop was a great swag bag. It was made up of hand made shampoo and conditioner blocks, some locally made crackers, plant-based cheese and tempeh, as well as their recipe book, “Can I Eat at Rivers?” Honestly, I think the value of the goodies was higher than the cost of the workshop itself. Amy rocked the creation of the hair products. They are packaging free and my hair has never felt better. Check out their website (link above) for more information on their cookbook, workshops and products available.

Amy talked to us about the importance of focusing on whole foods in our diets and gave tips on getting kids to eat the rainbow in order to get the best start in life. We flipped through her book and she discussed some of the helpful health information it contains.

As we were looking through the recipe book, one of the main course recipes caught my eye. I am always on the lookout for colorful, easy recipes that my family will enjoy, that I can share with you!

In this recipe, Amy uses rice, but I switched it up to use an Organic Brown Rice and Millet Ramen available at Nature’s Fare and Choices and even in a large size at Costco. In my university days I used to love Ichiban soup, so this healthy version of ramen, without the MSG in the little packet, satisfies that comfort food craving! Who knew I’d be able to eat ramen again that is actually healthy! The ingredients of the ramen are: organic brown rice flour, organic millet, water and organic white rice flour. It also comes in other interesting flavours like Forbidden Rice ramen (black noodles) and Wakame and Brown Rice ramen (green), among others. I also used broccoli instead of green cabbage and added in chopped swiss chard to get some extra greens in.

My whole family loved this recipe. In fact everyone went up for seconds. That is a win in my house. I think it is a great dish for teenagers, and easy to serve to a large group. You could simply substitute vegetables that the members of your family enjoy if that works for you.

I hope you enjoy this information. Please leave a comment below if you make this recipe and share this blog post with others. Spread the plant strong message!

Tofu Vegetable Stir-fry with Garlic, Miso and Ginger Sauce

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Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 40-45 minutes 40-45 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 350 grams medium firm or firm tofu (one package) (always buy organic tofu as many soy products contain GMO)
• 1 cup long grain brown rice, or whole grain ramen (one block of noodles per person)
• 1 cup onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrot, sliced
• 1/2 cup bell peppers, any colour, sliced finely
• 1 cup edamame beans, shelled
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 cup of green cabbage or broccoli, sliced 
• 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten free), or soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
• 2 tablespoons of avocado oil for frying (or use water or vegetable stock for an oil free option)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tofu Marinade
• 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten free), or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon miso (gluten free)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon orange juice, freshly squeezed from orange

Instructions

1. Prepare the rice or ramen noodles according to instructions on packaging, then set aside to cool.
2. Prepare the tofu marinade, combining all ingredients and mixing together. Pour marinade into a shallow pan. 
3. Remove tofu from package and press out excess water.  Cut tofu horizontally into four pieces and again press out any extra water into a clean tea towel or paper towel.  Place tofu into the marinade and allow to sit covered for between 15 minutes and 2 hours, depending on how much time you have.  Partway through the marinating process, remove the tofu and cut into smaller pieces, then return to the marinade.
4. Roast sesame seeds in the oven at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, watching carefully not to burn. 
5. Wash and slice all vegetables.  
6. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil or water. 
7. Remove 1/4 cup of marinade from the tofu to save for later.  Fry the tofu for 6 or 7 minutes until brown.  
8. Remove tofu from pan and set aside.
9. Add 1 tablespoon of water or oil to the frying pan, then add all of the vegetables except for the garlic.  Saute for 4 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for another 3 minutes. Then add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the rest of the marinade, the noodles or rice to the frying pan and stir.  Cook for a couple of minutes until heated through. 
10. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds. 

www.thevibrantveggie.com

Notes

- This recipe can be made gluten free by using tamari instead of soy sauce. - If you don't enjoy tofu, you could substitute tempeh or more mushrooms.