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. 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!

2021 Update

My now grown-up daughter has been cooking since she was a child, and since she has moved into her own apartment and kitchen, she’s been re-making some of her old favorites and taking photos of them with her iPhone. (That’s her photo just above.) Here’s what she had to say about this recipe:

“Yesterday I decided to revamp one of my very own recipes- Rainbow Stir -Fry. Now that I’m older I like my food a little more spicy, so I added 4 cloves of garlic, a few dashes of smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne. I also wanted more protein so I doubled the amount of tofu and adjusted my marinade accordingly. Finally, for even more color, I used ‘rainbow’ carrots of orange, yellow, and purple. It’s good!”

5 from 2 votes

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Rainbow Stir-Fry

Red cabbage and carrots give this easy tofu stir-fry its vibrant color. It's as beautiful as it is good for you!

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce*
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil optional but adds a lot of flavor
• ▢ 8 ounces extra-firm tofu drained and cut into cubes (about 8 ounces)
• ▢ 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
• ▢ 1/4 cup soy sauce or to taste*

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Instructions

• Mix the 1 tablespoon soy sauce, water, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the tofu and marinate 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.

Notes

*Make this gluten-free by using certified gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce. Reduce the sodium by using less soy sauce or reduced-sodium soy sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Rainbow Stir-Fry

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 151 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Sodium 772mg34%

Potassium 622mg18%

Carbohydrates 22g7%

Fiber 7g29%

Protein 10g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword stir-fry, vegetables

Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.

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