Tofu-Veggie Stir Fry

Stir frying is a Chinese cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a very little amount of hot oil, being stirred in a wok. A tofu-veggie stir fry with flavor of ginger-garlic served over a bed of steamed jasmine rice or brown rice is perfect weeknight meal for healthy & veggie lovers. It's healthy, it’s quick and it’s full of flavor as hot cooking seals in the flavors of the foods, as well as preserving their color and texture.

Cuisine: Chinese | Recipe Category: Lunch & Dinner
Prep Time: 20 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Serving:  6

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1.	Garlic, minced	2 Tbsp.
2.	Ginger, grated	2 Tbsp.
3.	Honey/agave/maple syrup	2 Tbsp.
4.	Brown sugar	2 Tbsp.
5.	Soy sauce	½ cup
6.	Corn starch	2-3 Tbsp.
7.	Rice vinegar	¼ cup
8.	Sesame oil	2 Tbsp.
9.	Water	¼ cup

For the stir fry:

1.	Red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced	1 pc
2.	Green  bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced	1 pc
3.	Yellow squash, half-moon sliced	1 cup
4.	Broccoli florets,	1 cup
5.	Snow peas	½ cup
6.	Carrot, peeled and julienned	¾ cup
7.	Red onion, thinly sliced	½ cup
8.	Green bean,  halved	½ cup
9.	Firm Tofu, drained, patted dry, pan fried	8 ounce
10.	Fresh Moong beans sprouts	¾ -1 cup
11.	Garlic, minced	2 cloves
12.	Ginger, finely chopped or grated	2 Tbsp. Divided
13.	Sesame oil/Canola oil/Peanut oil	2 Tbsp.
14.	Black pepper powder	¼ Tsp.
15.	Salt	To taste
16.	Roasted Sesame seeds	2 Tbsp.

Step by Step Instructions: 

For the Sauce:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients listed under the heading “For Sauce”. 
2. Mix well until cornstarch and brown sugar are smoothly dissolved with rest of the ingredients; set aside. 

For the Tofu:

1. Pan fried Tofu: Slice rinsed and drained tofu into 1 inch thin cubes and pat very dry. Heat 1 Tsp f oil in a large nonstick skillet or pan over medium heat. Fry tofu in 1 layer, gently turning occasionally, until golden, from both sides to 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper towels and set aside.

OR

1. Oven baked Tofu: Preheat oven to 400% F, assemble tofu on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through to ensure even cooking.

For the stir fry: 

1. Start with chopping, cutting all the list vegetable, sauce and measuring remaining ingredients so that they are ready to go. Once you start stir-frying, it goes very quickly. 
2. Add oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking and swirl to coat oil all around.
3. Add sliced red onion, while stirring constantly for few seconds. 
4. Add  the bell peppers,crushed garlic, ginger and cook for 1 minutes.
5. While continuing to stir, add successively carrot, squash, broccoli and green beans; cook, until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remember to stir to prevent burning.
6. Add tofu, beans sprout and  stir to coat.
7. When the vegetables have some color and have softened a bit, add the sauce and stir. It should bubble and thicken.
8. Stir in snow peas, sesame, black pepper and salt; remove from heat. 
9. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve hot immediately.  
10. Serve with rice or noodles for a more filling meal.

Quick Tips:

1. For vegetable Stir Fry sky's the limit to choose the vegetable of your choice. Few choices are mushroom, baby corn, bok-choy, scallions etc.
2. Stir fry taste good when served immediately direct from wok but can be refrigerated for couple of days.
3. Can be served with Jasmine rice, Brown rice, Basmati rice Or Noodles.