Gado-Gado - with peanut sauce

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen  1977

This is normally an Indonesian dish, with ingredients listed below. I had Asian eggplants and okra I needed to use, so I made this delicious sauce and used it to top the stir fry made with the veggies and onion.  Then I used the leftover sauce the next few days as a dip and to flavor lentils and other dishes.  Very versatile, and improves day by day.  The first night I thought the taste of vinegar was too strong, but by the next day and especially two days later, it was perfect.

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 cup chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 cup good, natural peanut butter

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 tsp cayenne, more to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger root

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

3 cups water

3/4 tsp salt

Dash of tamari

2 Tbsp canola oil

UNDERNEATH THE SAUCE:

An artful arrangement of combined cooked and raw vegetables on a bed of fresh spinach.  Here are some recommended veggies and garnishes from Moosewood Cookbook:

Shredded cabbage, carrot slices, celery slices, steamed or raw

Broccoli spears or fresh whole green beans, steamed

Fresh, raw mung bean sprouts, tofu chunks either raw or sautéed in oil with sesame seeds, or pieces of egg

GARNISH WITH:

A drizzle of sesame oil, apples, lemons, oranges, raisins, and/or toasted seeds and nuts

Stir-Fried Tofu with Mushrooms, Red Pepper and Bok Choy

https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/stir-fried-tofu-mushrooms-red-pepper-and-bok-choy/15284/

Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post

WEEKNIGHT VEGETARIAN MAY 16, 2016

2023 update - wanted to prepare tofu while I was roasting green beans with cauliflower and shallots.  So I used this marinade, cut the tofu horizontally, then each 1/2 into 3 rectangles, drizzled ~1/2 the marinade over it and baked for ~15 minutes at 400 and it was great.  No cornstarch needed.

 

Maybe because we were preparing two dishes at the same time, this one seemed to take a lot of effort.  The marinade tasted very good when drizzled over the tofu.  It may need to be doubled to add enough taste to the whole veggie dish.  Might be worth looking for Twin Oaks brand, or other that is not packed in water.  Also need to figure out how to cook the tofu without it sticking to the pan despite lots of oil.  Probably need to leave out or limit the corn starch.

This bright-tasting dish comes together in a flash. Marinating, coating and frying the tofu separately adds flavor and texture.

If you buy tofu that is not packed in water, such as Twin Oaks brand, you can skip the pressing step.

Make Ahead: If using tofu packed in water, you'll need to press it for about 20 minutes. The tofu then marinates for about 30 minutes or up to overnight.

SERVINGS:

Tested size: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces firm tofu
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha, gochujang or Chinese chili paste with garlic
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons canola, peanut or avocado oil
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, including stems, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger root
2 heads baby bok choy, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, cut on the diagonal

DIRECTIONS

Stand the block of tofu on one end and cut it into two equal slabs. Wrap the tofu in paper towels, set it on a plate and place another plate on top. Place a large can of tomatoes or other heavy object on the top plate (to press the tofu). Let it stand for about 20 minutes. Unwrap the pressed tofu and cut it into 3/4-inch squares.

Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil and chili sauce in a large bowl. Add the tofu and gently turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes or up to overnight. (If longer than 2 hours, transfer the marinade and tofu to an airtight container and refrigerate.)

Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the tofu, reserving the marinade. Transfer the tofu to a clean bowl. Sift the cornstarch over the tofu, tossing to coat.

Line a plate with paper towels. Heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over high heat until it's hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add the canola, peanut or avocado oil and heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the tofu and cook, turning until evenly browned on all sides, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined plate as the tofu browns.

Once all the tofu has been fried, add the bell pepper to the skillet or wok; stir-fry just until the bell pepper starts to lose its crunch, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, garlic and ginger; stir-fry, adjusting the heat to maintain a steady sizzle, until the mushrooms start to collapse, about 1 minute. Add the bok choy; stir-fry just until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

Return the browned tofu to the skillet or wok, along with the reserved marinade. Stir once to incorporate, then remove from the heat.

Spoon into a serving bowl and top with the scallions.

Total Fat: 20g 31%

Saturated Fat: 2g 10%

Cholesterol: 0mg 0%

Sodium: 230mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates: 16g 5%

Dietary Fiber: 4g 16%

Sugar: 7g

Protein: 14g

Stir-Fried Tofu with Mushrooms, Sugar Snap Peas and Green Onions

From epicurious.com
Great dish, with the option of inserting other vegetables you have on hand.

3 servings

Ingredients:

Marinade:
3 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1Tbsp honey
1 tsp oriental sesame oil
1/4 tsp dried crushed pepper
1 12-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained (squeezed), cut into 3/4 inch cubes, patted dry
1/4 cup water
1 tsp cornstarch (optional)

Stir-fry:
2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
8 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
4 green onions, sliced on diagonal

Directions:
1. Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.  Add tofu and stir to coat; marinate 30 minutes.
Drain, reserving marinade in small bowl.  Whisk 1/4 cup water and cornstarch into marinade.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add tofu and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to plate with slotted spoon.

3. Add 1 Tbsp oil then mushrooms.  Stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add sugar snap peas; stir-fry  for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry for 30 seconds.

4. Return tofu to skillet; drizzle reserved marinade mixture over.  Stir-fry until marinade thickens slightly, about 30 seconds.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Transfer to bowl.  Sprinkle with green onions and serve.