MONDAY RECIPE POST - CHIPOTLE-ORANGE BROCCOLI AND TOFU

Today's recipe came from Eating Well and you can look at it here.  I haven't made anything with tofu for a while, and I liked the look of this one.  I changed a few things which you can see below.  For those who don't like tofu you could use any of your favorite proteins with this one.

Chipotle-Orange Broccoli and Tofu

Serves 4 

Serving size is about 1-1/4 cups

Calories: 242 per serving

 

Chipotle peppers add heat to this tofu and broccoli stir-fry recipe. If you don't like things spicy, cut back on the amount or leave them out completely. Serve over brown basmati rice.

 

Total cooking time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

 

1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu

½ teaspoon salt, divided

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

6 cups broccoli florets

1 cup orange juice (*see my note below this recipe)

1 tablespoon minced chipotle in adobe sauce (see tip), seeded if preferred

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Drain tofu and pat dry; cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes.  (The more moisture you get out of it, the crispier it will be.)  You can also sauté your favorite protein in place of tofu.  

Sprinkle tofu on all sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu in a single layer, stirring every couple of minutes, until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes total.

Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and broccoli to the pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Stir until the broccoli is bright green, about 1 minute.

Add orange juice and chipotle, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Return the tofu to the pan, gently stirring, until the tofu is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the cilantro.

Denise's notes: I thought I had a can of the chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in the pantry, but when I checked I couldn't find it.  I decided to go away from the Mexican theme (will try that next time) and replaced the chiles with a tablespoon of chili garlic sauce.  It worked well.

*I liked the orange sauce but thought I would cut back from 1 cup to half-a-cup when I make this again. Add half a cup of vegetable broth to make up the difference.  

I read the comments at the website and a few people felt this was a bit bland.  I followed some of the advice and added a tablespoon of fish sauce, and a few dashes of soy sauce.

Another commenter suggested thickening up the sauce.  I put a tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl, mixed it with a little of the sauce to make a paste.  Then I put that back into the pan and stirred for a couple more minutes just until it thickened.

In the second photo of my meal, you will see I have sprinkled some of my favorite organic Umeboshi Japanese Furikake mix.  A little fusion going but I enjoy it and have done this for other meals occasionally.

Instead of the above you could use chopped parsley, chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions for a garnish.  

My chosen rice today was Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice.  It's very easy, take the pouch out of the box and put in the microwave - unopened -for three minutes.  

There were leftovers for two more meals the next day.

That's it!