Not Your Mother’s Tofu
As much as I am all about eating healthy and saving animals…blah blah blah, it can all get pretty boring very quickly. This Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts recipe by Cooking Light kicks the flavor into full gear and makes for a more interesting veggie dinner. I added jalepenos for extra spice and used brown long grain rice instead of regular bleached white. If you’re pressed for time, or too lazy to broil the tofu, you can definitely skip this step (it will just end up with a different consistency/texture).
Ingredients
- 2 (3 1/2-ounce) bags boil-in-bag jasmine rice
- 1 (14-ounce) package water-packed firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
- 1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons black bean garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
- 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
Preparation
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
3. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray; broil 14 minutes or until golden.
4. While tofu cooks, combine broth and next 4 ingredients (through black bean sauce), stirring with a whisk; set aside.
5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salt and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to release liquid, stirring occasionally. Stir in carrots and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add broth mixture; cook 30 seconds or until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in tofu and onions. Serve over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.
