Rainbow Stir-Fry

I had planned to write about a pasta dish today, but I'm under strict orders to post this recipe immediately. I don't really mind; in fact, I'd love to use the phrase "guest post by my daughter" right now, but the truth is, E. likes to cook the food, photograph it, and eat it, but she doesn't want to write about it. It's too much like all those reports she has to do for school.

So I'll just have to be content with the fact that my darling daughter and wonderful husband got in the kitchen and actually cooked dinner two nights in a row. I've been having some back trouble that makes it painful for me to stand too long on the hard tile of our kitchen floor, so for the past two nights, D. and E. have come to the rescue. The first night I helped out by telling them which ingredients to use and how much to add to make our fall-back meal, a fast and easy soup, but last night they did it all themselves, with the help of E's favorite cookbook Kids Can Cook: Vegetarian Recipes. They adapted the recipe for Asian Stir Fry--adding tofu and cutting fat--and did an excellent job.

E. wanted me to let you know that she did all the chopping (except for the ginger root), chose the set-up for the photo, and even clicked the remote shutter release (after I chose the angle and focused the camera). And I wanted to let you know that I asked them to reduce the oil in the recipe but failed to notice that it had over 1/4 cup of soy sauce and extra salt. So, to my taste at least, it's very salty. But good. And colorful! Best of all, when E. makes a meal, she tends to eat it, even the ingredients she says she hates like bell pepper. I strongly advise all parents to get their kids cooking; it just may turn them into vegetable lovers!



Rainbow Stir-Fry

1/2 package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes (about 8 ounces)

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large onion, sliced
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 head purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced ginger root
1 teaspoon salt (reduce if necessary)
1/4 cup soy sauce (reduce if necessary)

Marinate the tofu in the marinade for about 15 minutes. Heat a non-stick skillet and sauté the tofu until brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Put the onion and green pepper into the pan and stir-fry for three minutes. Add the carrots and cabbage and cook until cabbage begins to wilt, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and the tofu, stir well, and cook 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and serve over rice. Serves 4.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live