Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Though I am quite obviously a meat eater, I'm also a fan of tofu when it's done right. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for it, plus it's pretty easy to cook. And it lasts in the fridge for months, which is a huge plus for me because I enjoy buying things and then forgetting about them for a bit. But when it comes to tofu, you usually have to make a dish with a lot of flavor, as it tends to be rather bland on its own.

I decided to make Martha Stewart's tofu and broccoli stir fry since it looked simple, healthy, and delicious. It was exactly what I was in the mood for.

Since tofu is pretty much a thick block, you'll want to start by cutting it. Cut it crosswise into 5 or 6 slabs. And then cut each slab horizontally into 4 triangles. Place triangles on a paper towel and leave for a while so that it can dry a bit.

Now you can cook the broccoli. But really, only cook it for about 2 minutes, until it turns bright green. For me, there's nothing worse than overcooked veggies. After it's done, you can drain it and just put it aside.

Now you're ready to fry up the tofu. Put some vegetable oil in your pan and put the tofu in. Cook it, turning pieces over for about 15 minutes, until it's nice and golden brown. Be careful; the tofu is kind of delicate and it might fall apart if you're not gentle with it. When it's nice and brown, take it out of the pan and put it on a paper towel.

While it's still cooking, you can make up your sauce. The sauce consists of soy sauce (3 T), rice vinegar (2 T), red-pepper flakes (1/4 t), garlic (4 minced cloves), cornstarch (1 T), and water (3/4 C). Whisk it all together. Don't be concerned it if looks watery; the corn starch will thicken it right up when you cook it.

Now, add the broccoli into the pan and cook on high heat for a couple minutes. Pour the sauce on top and then put the tofu back in and cook for another minute to coat. The sauce will thicken up nicely. Next time I make this, I'll probably double the sauce recipe as I would have liked a little more.

And now you're ready to serve! I put it over brown rice, with some toasted cashews on top. I also added some carrots since I love when my food is colorful.

While cooking, I listened to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals' Cold Roses because it's one of my all-time favorite albums and was the perfect easy-going, relaxing music for a Wednesday night dinner.

And of course, there are plenty of leftovers, which always makes me happy.

[Sues]