Stir-fry dishes, for me, fit in the category of “foods-I-wish-ate-more-of-but-don’t.” A veggie based stir-fry made using fresh produce is a tasty way to get more vegetables into your diet, especially those vegetables that many won’t touch with a ten-food pole otherwise (like zucchini, or maybe that’s just my husband). I actually grew up eating quite a bit of stir-fry. My mom’s version was pretty much just throw whatever veggies were in the fridge into a big wok, add a bit of meat, and seasoning, and serve with rice.
I unfortunately, don’t have a wok, and so maybe it is for that reason I don’t find myself cooking much in the way of stir-fry. I discovered recently, however, that a cast iron skillet does the trick beautifully and imparts a great flavor because it stays hot and holds the heat well. The key to successfully stir-frying without oil (using water or vegetable broth instead) is to heat the pot on medium high (you want it hot!) and not adding too much water, else you steam the poor veggies. Not that steaming is a bad thing, it’s just not exactly what we want to do with a stir-fry dish. Rather than try to walk you step by step through the process of stir-frying without oil, I’ll let Chef Del of the Wellness Forum explain.
You can certainly omit the tofu in this dish, but it won’t be as much fun. Tofu imparts great flavor (contrary to popular belief) and texture, if cooked properly, thus adding to the overall enjoyment of the meal, and upping your intake of high-quality, no-cholesterol, high-fiber protein (certainly putting to shame all animal foods that contain zero, zilch, zippo fiber). Further, organic tofu (from non-GMO soybeans) is a whole food and can be a part of a well structured plant-based diet.
Don’t underestimate the importance of how you cut your vegetables! Try cutting on the diagonal, a Chinese cooking technique that makes the veggies have a bit more eye appeal, thus more fun to eat.
My inspiration for this recipe was a faint recollection of the taste of orange chicken from Panda Express. It’s been a long while since I’ve had orange chicken, and these days, I’m not adding bird to my food, but I do remember the flavor was fantastic. And most people would agree, people don’t eat chicken because it necessarily has a great flavor in and of itself. Most people enjoy chicken because of the texture and the subsequent flavor ADDED. The same is with tofu. Don’t shy away from this oft misunderstood food because you tasted it once and thought it was bland. It probably was (a lot of restaurants don’t bother to do a thing with it, or they deep fry it and add no flavor, shame on them!). Tofu, however, is much like chicken, in the sense you must dress it up. Let it marinate, give it lots of flavor, and by golly, don’t be shy and go a little overboard with the seasoning. Tofu can take it.
Ingredients:
- 2 zucchinis (see above for how to cut the zucchinis and carrots)
- 4 carrots
- 2 c. broccoli florets
- 1 sweet onion, chopped in big chunks
- 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 block extra firm organic tofu (about 1 1/2 cups) cut however you like (blocks, cubes, triangles…)
- handful of whole raw cashews for garnish
For the sauce:
- 2 c. fresh orange juice or orange juice preferably not from concentrate (I like Simply Orange brand)
- 1/2 TBS. grated orange peel/zest (optional)
- 2 TBS. Cornstarch
- 1 1/2 TBS. freshly grated/finely chopped ginger
- 1/4 c. Bragg’s liquid amino’s (similar to soy sauce but less processed)
- 3 TBS. agave nectar or other sweetener
- 2 TBS. raw apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar will also do)
To Make:
A few hours before, you CAN marinate the tofu in the sauce for greater flavor. I didn’t, because I came up with this recipe right before I made it, proof that it still works even if you don’t marinate.
Start with a HOT cast-iron skillet or wok. Throw in the onions and chopped garlic, sans water, and stir for a few minutes. Add the remaining veggies and stir-fry for a several minutes adding VERY SMALL amounts of water IF needed. Mix sauce ingredients until smooth and cornstarch is well blended. Once veggies are cooked but still a little firm (not overly cooked or mushy, which will happen if you add too much water), add tofu and sauce to stir-fry, lower heat to medium and continue to gently stir until sauce thickens and tofu is thoroughly warmed.
Serve with brown rice or rice noodles and garnish with raw cashews.
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