This Week's Veggie Recipe

  Here's one of our favorite meat free recipes from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen.  We serve it with steamed brown rice or rice stick noodles.  Mayb it is because of the peanut butter based sauce, but my kids really like this dish. (I'm typing one handed while nursing, please excuse any type-o's)

 

Suzanne Nolte

 

Broccoli & Tofu in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Part 1-- Sauce

 

1/2 cup unprocessed peanut butter

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 T tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

2 T blackstrap molasses

1/4 - 1/2 t cayenne pepper

 

In a sauce pan whisk together peanut butter and hot water until it is a uniform mixture.  Then whisk in remaining ingredients.  Set sauce aside.

 

Part 2 -- Saute

 

1 pound of fresh broccoli

3 T peanut oil

2 t fresh grated ginger

4 cloves garlic minced

1 pound tofu, cut into small cubes (I use extra firm)

2 cups thinly sliced onion

1 cup coarsley chopped raw peanuts (optional)

2-3 T tamari/soy sauce

2 freshly minced scallions (for garnish)

salt to taste

 

-Cut off the bottom half-inch of the broccoli stems.  Shave off the tough outer skins of the stalks with a sharp paring knife or a veggie peeler.  Cut the stalks into thin slices.  Coarsely chop the flowerettes.  Set aside.

 

-Begin heating the wok or a large heavey skillet.  When it is hot add 1 T of the peanut oil.  Add half the ginger and half the garlic.  Salt lightly.  Saute over medium heat for 1 minute, then add the tofu chunks.  Turn the heat up a little and stir-fry the tofu for 5-8 minutes.  Transfer it including whatever liquid is might have expressed to the sauce pan of peanut sauce.  Mix gently.

 

-Wipe out your pan with a paper towel and return it to begin heating again.  Add remaing oil, ginger, and garlic.  Salt lightly.   Add onions and grind in some black pepper.  Saute stirrign frequently over medium heat until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes).

 

-On another burner, begin heading the peanut-tofu sauce on a very low flame.  It shouldn't actually cook, it only needs to be warmed through.

 

-Add the broccoli and chopped peanuts to the wok.  Add 2-3 T tamari/soy sauce and stir fry over medium-high heat until the broccoli is bright green and just tender (about 5 minutes).

 

-Pour the heated peanut sauce over the saute.  Toss gently until everything is coated with everything else.  Sprinkly in the minced scallions as you toss.

 

Serve over rice with more chopped peanuts if desired.