Chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Tofu & East-West Veggies

One of the most exciting parts of this meal was the grocery shopping because I bought tofu for the first time! I've always enjoyed tofu in miso soup, so I thought I'd stop shying away from this stir-fry recipe. If you're seeking a reduction of meat in your diet, I think this recipe would be a great stepping stone since it contains both tofu and chicken, but almost double the amount of tofu compared to the chicken.

The biggest lesson I learned from the tofu experience? Buy flavored tofu next time. Even with it cut up into 3/4" cubes, that's still a lot of bland tofu in one bite, especially for a tofu novice such as myself. The savory chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil do their part to pep it up though! Needless to say, this recipe came from my BH&G 30 minute meals book.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Tofu
(Makes about 6 servings. By myself, I was eating leftovers for daaaaays!)


Ingredients
1  12-16 oz. tub firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp bottled oyster sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground dried ginger
1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
3 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Hot cooked jasmine or regular rice

Instructions
1. Place tofu in a medium bowl. In a small bowl stir together broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the soy mixture over tofu; toss gently to coat.

2. For sauce, stir cornstarch into the remaining soy mixture. Set aside.

3. Pour peanut oil into a wok or large nonstick skillet. Heat wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry ginger and garlic in hot oil for 30 seconds. Add chicken. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from wok or skillet.

4. Add broccoli, sweet pepper, and green onions to hot wok. Stir-fry about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Return chicken to wok or skillet. Stir sauce; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

5. Drain tofu; add to chicken mixture. Cook and stir gently about 1 minute or until heated through. Serve over rice.

This is the wok my mom used when I was growing up; I'm so glad I have it!

The stir-fry was tasty, but it was truly outshone by the East-West Veggies I made with it!

East-West Veggies

(Also makes 6 servings!)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 Tbsp bottled hoisin sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup chopped celery (I omitted this. Don't like celery, bleh.)

1/2 cup finely chopped red sweet pepper

Instructions

1. In a large skillet heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion wedges; cook about 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in green onions, hoisin sauce, and paprika. Cook and stir for 1 minute more.

2. Add corn, beans, celery, and red sweet pepper. Cook and stir until heated through.

This dish looks like it leans more towards the "West"ern part of its title, but it tastes decidedly Asian. I love the texture of black beans and corn with the unexpected taste of hoisin sauce; I think I'll make this veggie dish many times more!

(This recipe is also from my BH&G cookbook.)