Martha's Tofu Stir-fry

There are several websites I visit compulsively (Slate, NYT, DListed) and now it's www.marthastewart.com. I love Martha because she's a haughty you-know-what, and I can just imagine her staff is absolutely terrified of her. And she's absolutely off her rocker if she thinks the American public is going to attempt 2% of her crafts. I don't craft. But I cook.

When I was in the tofu section at Wegman's yesterday Matt bit his lip but didn't say a word (good boy). I've tried cooking tofu before with disastrous results (soggy slop, mainly). Yet when I announced that I was going to make a tofu stir-fry this evening, his immediate response was, "Is there a back-up?" No, dearest, you are going to eat this sweet, sweet tofu, I replied.

And you know? The recipe worked. The tofu was crisp and the stir-fry simple. Martha calls for snow peas, and I could care less about those darn things, so I opted for sugar snap peas. All in all, a very proud evening for yours truly. And yes, Matt did eat it. (And I dare say, with GLEE.)


Tofu Stir-Fry
from www.marthastewart.com

• 1 pound firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 small onions, cut into wedges
• 9 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 1/4 pounds bok choy, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, stem and green pieces separated
• 1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed
• 5 paper-thin slices fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons cold water
• Lime wedges, for serving

1. Halve tofu block lengthwise; slice each half into 8 rectangles. Arrange on a paper towel-lined baking sheet; top with more paper towels and another baking sheet. Weight with canned goods or a skillet. Refrigerate overnight or at least 20 minutes.
2. Transfer tofu to a shallow dish. In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil with 1 tablespoon water; pour over tofu. Marinate 5 minutes (reserve marinade).
3. Heat canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook tofu until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Set tofu aside.
4. Stirring constantly, cook onions in skillet over high heat until browned, 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook 2 minutes. Add red pepper and bok choy stems; cook 3 minutes. Add peas and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add marinade, cornstarch mixture, bok choy greens, and tofu. Cook until heated through. Season with soy sauce as desired. Serve with limes.

Man I love me some freshly fried bean curd!

It's not so scary when it's hidden amongst the vegetables.