Kosher Blog

Eight Meatless Weeknight Suppers (Part 3)

(Here are parts 1 and 2)

Meatless Supper #5: Hot and Sour Tofu Stir-Fry
This is another very flexible recipe. The vegetables listed below are only one option. In my opinion, stir-frys are only slightly better with oil, so feel free to omit the grease.
serves about 3

1 cup (dry) brown rice, plus water, oil, and salt for cooking

peanut or canola oil (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens)
1 Italian eggplant,* diced (peeling is optional)
1 lb extra-firm tofu, cubed
1 small head broccoli in small florettes
1/2 lb snow peas
1 6-0z can water chestnuts
1 14-oz can baby corn
1-inch piece ginger, minced (optional)
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews (optional)

Hot and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1/2 cup dry white wine, parve broth, or a combination
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
hot sauce to taste

Cook the rice. (Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook, which is about 20 minutes longer than this stir-fry takes, including cutting the vegetables. Eat your salad in the meantime :))

Prepare the vegetables and set aside. Prepare the sauce: Combine a small amount of soy sauce with the corn starch (if using) and mix well to remove lumps. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil or 1/4 cup sauce in a 9-inch skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic, scallions, and eggplant and stir-fry until the garlic begins to brown (if using oil) and the scallions and eggplant soften. Add tofu, remaining vegetables, ginger, and nuts and stir fry for about 1 minute. Add remaining sauce, bring to a light boil, and simmer until the broccoli and snow peas are just tender. Serve over rice.

*Some cooks salt and drain eggplant before cooking in order to remove any bitter juices and prevent it from getting soggy. We do not salt our eggplant and have not encountered a bitter one since we began using the small Italian variety and choosing eggplant with smooth, glossy skin. However, the eggplant in this recipe does become quite soft.

Note: I’ve found that it takes a generous quantity of hot sauce to season this much stir-fry. It is a good idea to taste the sauce to make sure that it is as hot as you’d like it.

Meatless Supper #6: Tempeh and Vegetables in Peanut-Yogurt Sauce
This is an unusual combination of ingredients, but DH and I like it a lot. It is based on a recipe in the ninth edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook, but we’ve made quite a few additions and modifications.

1 10-oz package tempeh, halved lenghtwise and sliced
teriyaki sauce for marinating
1 cup brown rice, plus water, oil, and salt for cooking

peanut or canola oil
1 lb string beans, ends snipped, cut into thirds
1 large head broccoli in small florettes
1 red bell pepper in thin strips
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts (preferably unsalted)

Peanut-Yogurt Sauce
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
hot sauce to taste

Coat the tempeh slices with teriyaki sauce and place them in a flat-bottomed container to marinate. Cook the rice.

Prepare the vegetables and set aside. Prepare the sauce: Microwave the peanut butter for 1 minute or melt it in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the yogurt, soy sauce, honey, and hot sauce.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a 9-inch skillet over a medium-low flame. Add the vegetables and stir-fry until almost tender. Add the tempeh and peanuts and stir-fry 1 additional minute. Add the sauce and simmer until it begins to bubble. Test the tempeh to make sure that it’s hot enough, then remove from heat. Serve over rice.