Tofu Stir-Fry

Surprisingly enough, I made this 4 or 5 times before I was able to nab a picture of it. Why? Probably because I eat it so quickly.

So, the cool thing about stir fries is that they are really easy to make and you can use basically any protein (I dumpster tofu most often) and any vegetables that you have on hand or froze.  It's especially good for mixing frozen veggies with fresh, since it hides the freezer taste that sometimes accompanies veggies that have been in the freezer a little too long. It's a dumpster diver's paradise.  The stir fry below features marinated tofu, previously frozen green beans, orange bell pepper, corn, zucchini, and red onion.

TOFU (or meat) MARINADE

<u>Ingredients:</u>
- 1 block extra-firm tofu - best when previously frozen, thawed, and then pressed to get out all the liquid with paper towels (I'll cut it up first and then squeeze it to get out even more moisture before marinating it)
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp Mirin (find it in the Asian section of your supermarket - it's pretty much a dumpster chupacabra.  Don't hold your breath for this ingredient)
- 2 Tbsp Rice vinegar (same as the mirin)
- 1 Tbsp honey (vegans can use agave nectar or some other sweetener)
- 2 Tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil (I've dumpstered this once)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 tsp sririacha sauce (or other hot chili sauce you have - more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
- Scallions (optional)

Thoroughly mix all these ingredients, then fold the tofu into it so it's liberally covered with everything.  Let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes (time to cut your veggies) or overnight in the fridge.

ACTUAL STIR-FRY

<u>Ingredients:</u>
- 2 tbsp canola, safflower, or vegetable oil (I like using veggie oil the best)
- VEGGIES

Put oil in a pan or wok.
Get your pan or wok super-hot.
Put in your marinated tofu - you want a browning sear on the outside, but you don't want it to burn.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes, making sure each side gets browned (otherwise the tofu is in danger of falling apart).  Then, push it up to the side of the wok (if you're using a pan, just shift it to the outside edge). 
Add your veggies in the order of which take the longest to cook (carrots, mushrooms, peppers, bok choy stems, etc.) to whichever take the shortest (frozen pre-cooked veggies, corn, bok choy leaves, etc.). 
Once they cook up a bit, add the remainder of your marinade for extra flavor.  Keep cooking until the veggies are cooked, but still have a bit of crunch (taste testing is a great way to tell if they're ready).

You can eat a stir-fry straight (I do this), or make it last a little longer by putting it over rice or pasta.  It's a large initial investment of buying ingredients from the grocery store, but once you buy those basics (which are all pretty cheap), they last you MANY, MANY more meals, so it's worth it.

Items not dumpstered or donated: Ginger, garlic, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, vegetable oil

Vegan Tofu Sloppy Joe

I rarely dumpster tofu, so I was extra-excited when I did recently. I haven't really cooked regularly with tofu since I was in college, but this is a pretty easy tofu recipe for beginners (and super-easy if you want a vegan barbeque option). So, I re-acclimated pretty fast.

VEGAN TOFU SLOPPY JOES

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. extra-firm tofu, pressed (basically, you press all the liquid out of it. It's easier if you freeze it first then re-thaw it) (those who are new to tofu, YES the consistency matters. It will be labeled on the packaging).
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Soy sauce to taste (I used a few tablespoons)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup ketchup (or you can use tomato paste/tomato sauce and apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tbsp brown mustard (optional)
- Cumin, sugar, cayenne, salt, & pepper to taste - be careful with the salt since the soy sauce has salt in it too...
- Some kind of bread or bun (I used a ciabbata roll sliced in half)

Press and crush up the tofu.
Put olive oil in a pan and soften your onions and garlic on medium heat.
Throw in the tofu and soy sauce on high heat for 3-5 minutes (until it's kinda golden brown).
Throw in the tomatoes, turn to medium.
Add the ketchup, mustard, and spices until it all tastes delicious and something like a Sloppy Joe should.
Simmer for at least 10 minutes so the flavors can meld and work their magic.
Donezo!

I ate this as leftovers at work, and I had all these hardcore carnivores asking me what I'd made because it smelled so good! Epic win!

Items not donated or dumpstered: Olive oil, spices, mustard