Tofu with Green Veggies
I’m always looking for ways to ramp up my stir fry game because we have it for dinner so many nights a week in my house. The inspiration for this recipe came from a recent family vacation to Southeast Asia, where using peppercorns in sauce is a basic part of the cuisine. This is my American take on a very simple Chinese recipe.
Ingredients
Stir Fry
- 14 ounces tofu, (firm, cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- Salt, (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns, (freshly cracked)
- 1 shallot, (sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic, (roughly chopped)
- 2 baby bok choy, (quartered lengthwise)
- 2 cups broccoli florets, (blanched)
Black Pepper Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, or agave
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, (freshly cracked)
Instructions
- Cut tofu into cubes and blot dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, stir all sauce ingredients (soy sauce, mirin, water, brown sugar, peppercorns) until most of the sugar dissolves.
- Lightly coat tofu with cornstarch.
- In a wok or large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add salt and crushed peppercorns, swirling around until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Add tofu to seasoned oil, then sear on all sides until golden and crispy, turning the heat down if need be.
- Set crispy tofu aside on a paper towel-lined plate, and wipe the pan out.
- Heat another teaspoon of oil over medium heat, then add shallots, garlic, broccoli, and bok choy.
- Stir continuously until bok choy begins to wilt and shallots become golden (about 3-4 minutes).
- Add wok sauce to the pan and simmer until bok choy is just tender (about 2 minutes), tossing tofu back into the pan at the very end.
- Adjust salt and heat to preference, then serve immediately over steamed rice.