Thursday
Kung pao tofu (recipe in the comments)
Rice
Cucumber salad
Hot tea
______________________________________________________________
This is the latest in our tofu quest. Sadly, right before we made it I looked at the online version of the recipe and noted that ALL the reader reviews were negative. They all felt like the finished product was tasteless! Uh oh. I was a bit skeptical of the reviews because several of them complained about it not being spicy enough and can easily fix that when taste testing as we cook. That said, I was on the lookout for flavorless and we made some adjustments as we went. We doubled the five spice powder and really increased the ginger and garlic. Last, we added a small amount of soy sauce. In the end, it ended up very tasty and we both really enjoyed it. That said, it wasn't that different from many stir frys we make and seemed like the prep was more intense than some others. I'm not sure where I come down on making it again.
Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Tofu, bell peppers, ginger, garlic
Time: 35 minutes
Make ahead: I would do this last minute.
Reaction
J: "Definitely not flavorless."
M: "I'm not sure this is that different from some of our other recipes."
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
It's been said that the average American family is stuck in a ten dinner rut, meaning they repeat the same ten meals over and over, week after week. I can't believe that's true, so here's a forum to write about "what's for dinner?". I want to cook a wide variety of meals that are tasty, easy to prepare, inexpensive, healthy, and sustainable. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.
The very special posts
About Me
- J
- Buffalo, New York, United States
- My family - J (wife, mother, and blog author), M (husband and father), and T (prodigious toddler) - loves to eat! Cooking and eating are our favorite creative enterprises, and a good meal is a work of art. Watch us as we try to keep our dinners diverse, make decisions about what we eat, and learn more about the food (and the blogging) universe!
Blog Archive
Foodie BlogRoll!
1 comment:
Kung Pao Tofu – J & M (inspired by Eating Well)
Serves 3-4
1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed
1 t five-spice powder, divided
1 T canola oil
½ cup water
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 t cornstarch
1 lb frozen broccoli, defrosted
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into ½” dice
1 small red bell pepper, cut into ½” dice
2” fresh ginger, peeled and minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup roasted peanuts
1-2 t soy sauce
Drain and rinse tofu, pat dry. Slice into eight ½” slabs (cut crosswise). Crumble each slab into uneven crumbles. Toss with ½ t of the five-spice powder.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place tofu in hot oil in a single layer. Cook, without stirring, until browned on the bottom (about 5 minutes). Turn and brown opposite side, then gently toss until all sides are browned (5-7 additional minutes). Transfer to a plate.
Meanwhile, whisk water, oyster sauce, cornstarch and the remaining ½ five-spice powder in a small bowl.
Add a smidge more oil if your pan is very dry. Add broccoli, yellow and red bell pepper to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low, add the oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Return the tofu to the pan along with peanuts and stir to coat with sauce; stir in soy sauce.
Post a Comment