New Recipe: Spicy Eggplant, Ham and Tofu Stir Fry

I have been on a mission to find great tofu recipes in order to have a meatless dinner once a week.  I have come to the determination that I like extra firm tofu best, to lightly coat it in cornstarch, fry it till golden and I think marinating it gives it more flavor.  I need to confirm the marinating theory with my next stir fry.  This week I also had leftover Easter ham and was looking for different ways to use it up so not to be wasteful.  Last nights dinner came from the web a Sunset magazine posting on MyRecipes.  As always I didn't follow it completely because I wanted use what I had, make it healthier if possible without loosing taste and sometimes I just forget things (like the garlic here) so this is what I did.  The next time I will saute the garlic and ginger together before adding the sauce to the pan (this time sauteed the ginger with the eggplant and as I said forgot the garlic) and although the addition of the 1C of ham was good, next time it will be strictly vegetarian.  The items in red are the things I'll change next round in order to perfect it.  I also no longer use soy sauce, the amino acid is better for you and tastes just the same, give it  a try.

When I make this again I'll take a pix and remove the red if the changes worked out better.


SPICY TOFU STIR FRY
1 T. cornstarch
12-14 oz. pkg. extra firm silken tofu, drained, diced, sprinkled with cornstarch
Drizzle Peanut oil
Drizzle Sesame oil
1 eggplant, diced
4 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced and each slice cut in half
1 T. ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
Spicy Marinade:
¼ C. Bragg Amino Acid (soy sauce)
1 T. sugar
1 T. rice vinegar
1 ½ t. chili garlic sauce
2 t. cornstarch
¼ C. water or chicken broth

Toss protein in marinate. Let sit in fridge for 1 hour. If you don’t have the time don’t marinade or do it for as long as you prep the veggies.

Prep veggies: slice eggplant in ½ inch slices and cube slices; slice zucchini and cut each slice in half and slice mushrooms. Remove protein from marinade, reserving marinade. Pat dry and sprinkle with cornstarch to lightly coat. Heat large nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat. Drizzle skillet with oil. Add protein; cook for 5-7 minutes, till tofu is golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

I find it easier to cook each vegetable separately. If you would rather do it all at once see note below. Cook each vegetable separately (eggplant, zucchini, mushroom) in a drizzle of oil. When each one is cooked remove from pan, set aside. Add another drizzle of oil, the garlic, ginger and saute for 30 seconds before you add the sauce/marinate to the pan. Stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Add back the vegetables and protein are heat through, about 3-8 minutes, depending on how long your vegetables sat.  Serve over brown rice.

Note: If you used a large enough pan and are confident about timing, cook the vegetables, starting with the one’s that take the longest to cook first. Cook till tender crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the sauce/marinade to the pan and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Add back the vegetables and protein are heat through, about 3 minutes.