Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry with Cauliflower 'Rice'

We got a lot of baby bok choy in our CSA share this week, so of course I had to make some sort of Asian delight. Stir-fry seemed the obvious choice and I wanted to try something new (at least for me), so I went for a tofu and veggie dish. I have been experimenting with cooking tofu over the past several months, and the biggest challenge has always been getting a texture that I like. With that in mind, I started reading recipes for stir-fry tofu, and pretty much rejected anything that didn't involve pressing and somehow cooking the tofu before adding it to the stir fry.

I found a few recipes that called for baking the tofu first, but I was loathe to create more dishes, so when I read this recipe from Little Spice Jar, I decided to use it as my cooking guide. While I didn't follow her recipe for the sauce, I did use the method, and I was quite pleased with the results! My sweetie thought the tofu was a little  'over-fried', so I will keep that in mind next time as I continue experimenting.

I found this dinner to be completely satisfying and delicious. Also, I used cauliflower rice instead of regular white rice, and I was still completely satisfied after eating one bowl. As is the case with pretty much everything I make, the cast of veggie characters varies depending on what I have on hand. Tonight it was onion, baby bok choy, mushrooms, green beans, romanesco, and water chestnuts.

Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

For the tofu:

1 block of extra-firm tofu

1-2 TBSP corn starch

Neutral Oil for Cooking

For the sauce: 

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp Water

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Dry Sherry

1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Corn Starch

1/2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1-2 Cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tsp Fresh grated ginger

Veggies:

1/2 an onion cut into wedges

1 small head of romanesco, cut into florets

8 (or so) raw green beans, cut into one inch lengths

1 can slice water chestnuts (or whole if you bought the wrong ones like me, sliced by your awesome sweetie)

2/3 cup sliced mushrooms

1 bunch baby bok choy

I've seen tofu blocks in a variety of shapes. Slice yours into roughly 1/2 inch pieces, I got three of these from the block I had today. Fold these into a folded-over tea towel between two cutting boards or plates, weight them, and let sit for at least 20 minutes, up to however long you have. 60-90 minutes is great, no need to go longer as far as I can tell. 

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Slice all of the veg into whatever size and shape you like in stir-fry.

Remove the tofu from the toweling and cut into squares or rectangles. Toss with cornstarch and cook in hot oil until golden brown and delicious. I didn't time this but I estimate it took close to 10 minutes. I thought the tofu was perfect, but my sweetie thought it went a little long at this stage, so use your judgement. Remove the tofu with a slotted spoon.

Add the onion to the wok and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the romanesco and green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and stir for a minute os so, Stir the sauce again and add it to the wok.When it has settled down,stir in the water chestnuts and the bok choy. Cook and stir until the bok choy is completely wilted. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice.