photo by Lea Kriesberg
Stir fry is something my mom made a lot for me and my family at home– and for good reason. It’s healthy, easy, and fast. The purpose of “stir frying” is cooking your food in hot oil so it cooks super fast. You need to stir it so it won’t burn over the high heat (hence, the name). This makes stir fry perfect for anyone who can’t devote a lot of time to being in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to bring your pan to a high heat before you add all of your ingredients so you get a nice sear on the tofu and vegetables. Coconut oil is great for this because it has a high smoke point, meaning you can bring it to a very high heat without it smoking or burning. Stir fry is great for getting in a good amount of vegetables along with your protein. I use tofu, but you can use whatever protein source you like. Stir fried tofu comes out crispy and flavorful. Stir fry is also versatile because you can add any vegetables you want and always switch it up. I didn’t use them in this recipe, but you can also use vegetables such as mushrooms, asparagus, and snow peas. Serve it alongside some brown rice or rice noodles and you have a complete and balanced meal. It doesn’t take many ingredients to get a flavorful stir fry. Sesame oil, garlic, and soy sauce all make for a delicious stir fry. Stir fry is also easy to make in bulk to save for the week.
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Ready in: 35 mins
Servings: 5
Ingredients:
- 2 packages extra firm tofu
- 3 bell peppers
- 1 white onion
- 1 head broccoli
- 5 carrots
- 2 cups chopped string beans
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups brown rice
supplies:
- large non-stick pan
- chopping board
- knife
- large spoon
- peeler
- small pot
Instructions:
- Bring water to a boil for the rice. When the water boils, add the rice and let it cook while you make the stir fry (make sure to set a timer so you don’t forget about it).
- Prepare all of your vegetables and tofu. Peel and chop everything into small uniform pieces. Preparing all of the ingredients is important here because it will allow you to move quickly once you start cooking.
- Heat the coconut oil in the pan over high heat. Wait for it to get hot. Test the heat by sprinkling a little bit of water on the pan to see if it sizzles. If it sizzles, the pan is hot and ready.
- Add the tofu pieces to the pan with sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Don’t stir too much to let the tofu cook up in the oil. Once it’s browned on one side, flip the pieces around so the other sides get browned. This should take around 7 minutes.
- Add the vegetables so they have time to cook and get soft. Stir the vegetables around for about 5 minutes or until they are tender (but not mushy) and cooked.
- Add the onion and garlic and stir it around for about a minute, making sure that they don’t burn.
- Taste and add more sesame oil, salt, pepper, or garlic as needed.
photo by Lea Kriesberg