Peanut-Ginger Tofu with Carrots and Kale

As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. For me, this is particularly true with this recipe, which also happens to be one of my absolute favorite go-to meals.  The original recipe, from the Eating Well Diet Cook Book, calls for mushrooms, but Jeff doesn't like mushrooms. So, in order to be able to make it, I had to substitute the mushrooms with something else, thus the carrots were added.  Then, we started getting a CSA this winter, and we had an abundance of kale, so I figured I would swap that for the spinach in the recipe.  Finally, as I was preparing to make dinner this weekend, I realized we didn't have any natural peanut butter in the house, but we did have a jar of dry roasted peanuts!  So, we got on the web and found this from Brown Eyed Baker. 

 It worked perfectly.  I don’t think we will be buying peanut butter again.

Peanut-Ginger Tofu with Carrots and Kale

Makes 2 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the Sauce

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons natural (just peanuts) peanut butter

½ tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon (or to taste) minced ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced

For Tofu & Vegetables

6 ounces extra-firm tofu

1 & ½ teaspoons divided, extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced carrots

2-3 large handfuls torn kale leaves

2 green onions, sliced into ¼ to ½ inch pieces

4 tablespoons (or more as need) water

Directions

1. To prepare the sauce: whisk together water, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic in small bowl.

2. To prepare tofu: drain and rinse tofu; wrap in paper towels and press under a pot or in a tofu press for about 30 minutes. Cut into ½ inch cubes.

3. Put 1 teaspoon olive oil in large skillet and heat on medium-high. Place tofu in single layer and cook for 5 minutes without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom.  Continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes stirring frequently.

6. Remove tofu from the pan and cover. Add remaining ½ teaspoon olive oil to the pan and add sliced carrots.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Return the tofu to the pan.

7. Add the Kale along with a tablespoon or 2 of water to help the kale start wilting. Give the kale a few minutes to wilt, then add the sauce and green onions.  The sauce may want to clump up at this point. Add a little water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it out. Continue to cook, adding water one tablespoon at time, until the sauce is at the desired level of creaminess and the vegetables are tender.  Serve over brown rice or brown rice noodles.