Tofu stir-fry with asparagus and carrots

Tofu has never been a weird ingredient for me. I ate it a lot growing up because it is a cheap protein that is really versatile and really healthy. I don't think people understand how great tofu can be, because they have only had it when it's been prepared badly. Yes, tofu can be spongy and soggy and the stuff of nightmarish food hellscapes, but that is true of a lot of foods to which you bring little knowledge and even less tolerance for error.

The magic of tofu is the fact that it will take on the flavor of whatever it's paired with. It's the culinary equivalent of a blank slate. Someday, I'll introduce you to the wonders of my friend Marissa's tofu chocolate pie. That day will come. Today is not that day, my chickens, because today's post is meant to empower tofu neophytes everywhere. Plus, Lent has just started, and I bet some of my friends (and the Internet) with Lenten ambitions probably gave up (red) meat. Now is the time to embrace tofu!

Stir-fry is a simple thing to make. It's the gateway to cooking Asian food. You can use whatever protein and vegetable combinations you have available. I tend to like stir-frys (stir-fries?) that have only two or three veggies, but if you have odds and ends of several, go for it, man. With the other recipes I try, it's not uncommon for me to end up with a spare carrot or two, a quarter head of cabbage, a couple zucchinis, and/or half a bell pepper lying around. I will not hesitate to use some or all of these in a stir-fry.

To begin making this tofu stir-fry, get the excess liquid out of your tofu (which, btw, is extra-firm so that it maintains its structural integrity in the stir-fry). Turn your oven to 375 degrees. While it's heating up, drain all of the liquid from your extra-firm tofu. Get a few paper towels (or a cheesecloth?) and squeeze as much of the liquid as you can from the tofu. Then, dice your tofu into one-inch cubes and put them on a baking sheet. Let the tofu dry out in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. The tofu will be nice and crisp on the outside when you take it out. This will not only allow the stir-fry sauce to stick to the tofu better, it'll mitigate any textural weirdness (re: sogginess).
  
While the tofu is baking, wash and dice your veggies. I used a bunch of asparagus, a couple carrots, and half an onion.

The scallions are for the rice. Read on, dude.

Now that all the veggies are taken care of, mix up the stir-fry sauce. It's salty and sweet and just a little spicy. If you don't do well with spicy things, omit the red pepper/gochugaru. If you like things less sweet, dial down the amount of brown sugar/honey you use.

At this point, the tofu is out of the oven, and all three of your major components--veggies, tofu, and sauce--are ready to hit the skillet. I warmed up a large skillet to medium-high and dropped in a couple tablespoons of sesame oil and tossed the veg in the pan.

 After the vegetables have been in the pan for a few minutes, the onions will be translucent and the asparagus will be a more vibrant green color. Throw the tofu in the pan and add the sauce. Stir it all up and cook until the sauce coats everything and it looks like this:

I served it over warm brown and white rice that I'd mixed with fresh scallions, a dash of sesame oil, sesame seeds, and a minced clove of garlic. It's real good. Enjoy!

Other potential stir-frys ('stir-fries' is weird, no?). I think it is wise to shoot for about 3 cups of vegetables:

• red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms
• cabbage, carrots
• just broccoli
• Thai eggplant, zucchini, sugar snap peas or snow peas 
• green beans, carrots

Tofu stir-fry with veggies
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped (I snapped each stalk into three pieces)
2 medium-sized carrots, chopped into pieces about the size of the asparagus
1/2 of a large onion, diced finely
1 package of extra-firm tofu, drained and dried and diced into one-inch cubes

For the sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced (3 for the sauce, 1 for the rice)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-inch chunk of ginger, grated/minced
1 tsp gochugaru (or you could use crushed red pepper or use 1/2 tsp cayenne)
2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1 tbsp cornstarch (or maybe 1 1/2 tbsp flour, if you lack cornstarch)
cooked rice (I prefer a combination of brown and white together)

To mix into the rice:
scallions, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
minced garlic (just one clove for all of the rice)
a dash or two of sesame oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Press the tofu between paper towels to drain as much liquid as possible. Dice into one-inch cubes, place on a baking sheet, and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Tofu will be golden and crisp on the outside. Take tofu out of the oven and set aside.

While tofu bakes, chop veggies and make sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together. After the tofu is out of the oven, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Put in two tablespoons of sesame oil and put veggies in the pan. Cook for three minutes or so, until onion is translucent and asparagus deepens in color. Add tofu and sauce, stirring until the sauce coats everything. Cook until sauce is thickened.

Serve immediately over rice (to which you may or may not have added scallions, a dash of sesame oil, sesame seeds, and minced garlic).