Last week I started a new phase in my journey to be a Registered Dietitian as a full time intern at a hospital.  I will still be blogging of course, but right now I am trying to settle into a new routine.  And that means new recipes for all of us!

I keep getting menus in the mail for the Chinese restaurant down the street.  It’s torture to come home from work hungry and look at a menu filled with crab Rangoon, egg rolls, and pork fried rice.  But who needs those little white boxes when you can make Chinese food at home pretty quickly?

This stir fry inspired by this recipe from Eating Well uses mostly standard pantry items plus tofu from the refrigerator and broccoli and peas from the freezer.  The secret is coating the tofu cubes with cornstarch before frying them in the pan.  That gives the tofu a ‘deep fried’ look without actually being deep fried.  When you mix the crispy tofu with broccoli, peas, and a homemade sauce and serve it over brown rice, you’ll forget all about your favorite Chinese takeout place!

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

1/2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
4 T corn starch, divided
1 T sugar
1/8 t red pepper
2 T canola oil, divided
1 16 oz. block tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
2 T garlic ginger paste
1 (16 oz.) bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 c. frozen peas

Mix together broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, 1 T cornstarch, sugar, and red pepper.  Set aside.

Spread remaining 3 T cornstarch on a large plate.  Roll tofu cubes in cornstarch, lightly coating on all sides.

Heat 1 T oil in a large pan.  Fry tofu cubes in a single layer until all sides are golden brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 T oil.  Add garlic ginger paste, and fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add broccoli and peas, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked.  Add reserved sauce and simmer uncovered for 7-8 minutes, until heated through.  Add tofu pieces, stir, and serve.

-Adapted from Eating Well

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