Tag Archives: lunch
Simple Stir-Fry
When I find something I like, I stick to it – to the extreme. If I like a certain song, I play it on loop all day, every day until something new comes around to replace it. On Friday nights, my parents and I go to the same restaurant, at the same time and order the same things. Maybe it’s an inherited thing.
The same is true for my eating habits – I might make a few tweaks to my favorite tried-and-true dishes, but for the most part, they revolve around the same basic components. Introducing variety with different spices and add-ins, I can eat this stir-fry, breakfast, lunch and dinner, for weeks at a time.
An added bonus to stir-fries is that it’s just as easy to cook for a crowd as it is to cook for one. There’s not a whole lot of extra effort involved – just chop a little more veggies, and you’re ready to serve up a family-sized meal – and trust me, when they smell it cooking, they’ll be bringing their own bowls.
This stir-fry is a great combination of textures and flavors – crunchy carrots and broccoli, chewy marinated tofu and sweet pineapple come together in a blanket of sweet-salty sauce. You could eat this over brown rice, but it’s substantial enough to stand alone.
The only real “rule” regarding stir-fries is to make sure that you chop everything to roughly the same size. This ensures that everything cooks at the same rate.
My mom has Celiac Disease, so I use gluten-free tamari soy sauce in this recipe. However, if gluten isn’t an issue for you, use whatever you have on hand – soy sauce, teryaki, even your favorite marinade! The world is your oyster.
Simple Stir-Fry
Serves 2
Tofu Marinade:
1/4 cup gluten-free soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine
3 tbsp pineapple juice
Juice of 1 lime
1-inch ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Stir-Fry:
2 large or 3 small heads of broccoli, chopped
1 medium onion, cut into half-moons
2-3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed
7 oz. drained and pressed tofu, cut into bite-size pieces*
Gluten-free soy sauce
Salt & Pepper
*If you have time, consider freezing and thawing the tofu before pressing. The result is a dense, chewy bite of tofu that soaks up more flavors from the marinade.
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow dish. Add tofu, cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with non-stick spray. Cook the onion and garlic over medium until just soft. .
3. Add broccoli and carrots. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green, then add the tofu pieces and pineapple chunks. Pour some of the marinade in and stir to warm the add-ins and sauce through.
4. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy hot!
Nutrition per Serving: 211 calories, 4g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 13g protein.
