Lemongrass and Chile Crusted Tofu

A big thank you to my friend, Carole, who directed me to another Vietnamese chef with great recipes! She also directed me to this recipe. This is the first of Luke Nguyen's recipes that I have attempted and I've made it several times now, tweaking it here and there. I'm really excited about trying more of his recipes as I go along.

I love the texture and how the tofu takes on the flavor of the marinade/stuffing. It's also a great main protein to pair with stir-fry veggies in my stir-fry sauce! This is a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Lemongrass and Chile Crusted Tofu
Adapted from Luke Nguyen

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Firm or Extra Firm Tofu
• 1 lemongrass stem, white part, diced (if not sold at your local grocer, Whole Foods usually carries it in fresh produce. I've started growing it in a pot since it repels mosquitoes and I can cook with it...two great functions!)
• 1 T garlic, mashed
• 1 Thai or 1/2 serrano chile, finely chopped, adjust to desired heat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Vegetable oil (enough to fill a 12 in. skillet to about 1/4 in. deep)
• Cooked white rice (follow directions on package)

Directions:

1. Open package of tofu and drain the liquid. Gently squeeze and pat dry as much as possible. Slice into 3/4 inch rectangles.
2. In a small bowl, mix lemongrass, garlic, chile, salt, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
3. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a shallow "x" shape (about half-way deep) into each tofu piece.
4. Using your fingertips and a spoon, gently stuff the cuts with the lemongrass mixture. Spread any excess along the surface of the tofu.
   
   
   
5. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium-hi heat. Once heated, carefully place the tofu in the oil, cut/stuffed side down (I gently place a slice on a metal spatula and ease it into the oil). Repeat with as many slices as will fit without crowding each other. Allow to fry, undisturbed, until the first side is nicely browned and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye! Flip and brown the other side as well. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. 
   
6. Repeat with remaining tofu until all is fried. 
7. Serve over rice and with stir-fried veggies or roasted veggies. Enjoy!

Quick Stir Fry

This is my "grab all leftover veggies and make a one-bowl meal" stir fry. So this week my leftover veggies happened to ALL be green, so it's not a rainbow of color but still tasted really good. I'll add some suggestions of other vegetables that would work well if you're looking for more variety. :) 

One of the ingredients used in the stir fry sauce may not be one you already have in your pantry. But it is so worth having for this sauce alone since it makes for such a quick, easy meal. It is called mirin and it is a Japanese rice cooking wine. It adds some sweetness to the salty soy sauce and the nutty sesame oil. It's a really good balance. And did I mention easy? 

This will become a theme on this blog I'm sure, but one thing I love about this recipe is that I can chop all the veggies and protein and mix up the sauce earlier in the day and just stir fry it up right at dinner time. Enjoy!

Quick Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. hard tofu, cut into long strips or cubes OR chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 c. broccoli stem, peeled and sliced into thin 2-3 in. long pieces
• 1 c. string beans, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• (other great stir fry veggies: red bell pepper, corn kernels, edamame, bamboo, water chestnuts, carrots, etc.)
  
• 2 c. white rice, cooked with package instructions
• Stir fry sauce (recipe below)
• Salt/Pepper

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
Mix together in a bowl. Set aside.

• 2 T. sesame oil
• 4 T. mirin
• 4 T. soy sauce
• 1-2 pinches of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Make rice according the package directions.
2. Heat oil in 12 in non-stick skillet or a wok, if you have one, over med-hi heat.
3. Prep your protein. I used tofu this week, but chicken is great too. Cut tofu to desired size, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
4. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, place tofu in the pan. Do not stir until one side is browned. Once browned, flip all pieces to the other side. Continue until all sides are browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Set aside. (Brown chicken the same way until cooked through)
   
   
   
   
5. Add more oil, if needed, to cover the bottom of the pan. When oil is heated to med-hi again, add firmer veggies to the pan such as broccoli and carrots. Cook until brightly colored and slightly less firm. 
6. Push those veggies to the edges of the pan, making a circle in the middle. Add softer veggies, such as bamboo, bell pepper, corn, etc. Fry in the middle for a 1-2 min., then stir all veggies together until they have reached the desired firmness/softness. We like ours to still have a tiny crunch, definitely not mushy and overcooked.
7. Add your protein back to the pan and mix in until all is heated through. 
8. Pour sauce into the pan and mix until incorporated. 
9. Remove from heat. 
10. Place a scoop of rice into each bowl. Spoon stir fry and sauce over rice. Serve hot.