Teriyaki Tofu And Mushroom Stir-Fry Recipe

There's a lot of love surrounding stir-fries, and there's more than one reason why. For starters, stir-frying is a fast-cooking method. The high heat and frequent stirring allow you to cook food quickly, making it an excellent choice for a busy weeknight. The quick cooking time helps to retain the vibrant colors, flavors, and nutritional value of the ingredients. Vegetables remain crisp and hang on to more of their vitamins and minerals compared to other cooking methods.

Stir-frying is also incredibly versatile. You can toss in any veggies you might have in your refrigerator crisper drawer along with a multitude of protein choices making it easily adaptable to all dietary preferences.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for teriyaki tofu and mushroom stir-fry and says, "The homemade teriyaki sauce in this recipe is a classic sweet and savory Japanese sauce that coats the tofu and vegetables to deliver delicious flavor in every bite. This dish will quickly convert any tofu haters into tofu lovers."

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up some super firm tofu, mushrooms, broccoli, red pepper, and scallions. "I'm using super firm tofu here so that I can skip the pressing step. This type of tofu is always my first choice for any type of stir-fry," Hahn explains.

Then, check your condiment and spice cabinet for avocado oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and garlic granules. If you want to serve the stir-fry with rice, grab some of that too.

Cut the tofu into cubes.

Combine the tofu cubes with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in a large Ziploc bag, seal, and shake.

Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and shake the bag again to coat the tofu.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan and bring the heat to medium high.

Add the tofu and cook for about 5 minutes undisturbed. Then using a fork, flip over the tofu and cook 5 more minutes or until browned.

While that is cooking, combine the remaining soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.

Combine the remaining cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and add to the teriyaki sauce.

When the tofu has cooked on both sides, lower the heat to low and pour in the teriyaki sauce.

Add the remaining oil to another frying pan and bring the heat to medium high.

Add in the mushrooms, broccoli, and red pepper. Cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently.

Combine the teriyaki tofu and the vegetables in one pan, top with scallions, and serve warm. Serve with rice if desired.

For the tofu, if you can't find the super firm variety, you can use extra firm. To prepare it for the stir-fry, press the tofu using a tofu press or by placing it in a shallow bowl and placing a plate on top, then placing something heavy on top of the plate. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then discard the water that has collected in the bowl.

There are some modifications if you are on a low salt or low sugar-restricted diet. If you are limiting salt, make sure to buy low-sodium soy sauce or use low-sodium coconut aminos. You can also substitute the soy sauce in the teriyaki sauce with white miso paste but you will need to heat the mixture over low heat so the miso will blend in. For a low-sugar diet, you can reduce or omit the sugar using a little balsamic vinegar in place of the brown sugar. For a less processed sugar, you can use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.

You can also change up the vegetables used in the stir-fry. Try snap peas, carrots, baby corn, and bok choy if you have those on hand.

A classic pairing with stir-fry is rice. Choose from a long-grain variety in brown or white like jasmine or basmati, or short-grain rice. Soba noodles made from buckwheat make a nice pairing and only take 4 minutes to cook. For a lighter option use cauliflower rice which you can easily make in your food processor with the grating blade, or you can buy it pre-made. Then just warm it up and top with the finished stir-fry.

Any type of Asian salad is a nice pairing with a stir-fry. A simple cucumber salad is nice or a slaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and snap peas with a sesame ginger dressing. A refreshing slaw with shredded cabbage, mango slices, and a lime dressing works well too.

Serve vegetable dumplings or potstickers as a side dish or some fresh spring rolls with rice paper, vermicelli noodles, and a variety of vegetables. They are nice and light and will complement the meal.