It was time. It is time! As I mentioned in my last post, my road to recovery has been kind of (annoyingly) slow. I’m an expert on every “Solving crimes using dead bodies” show on TV, and have binged watched Netflix enough for a lifetime. I knew it was time to get moving Friday morning and make something for Shabbat when I found myself watching the Vince Camuto sale on HSN. Yup. Definitely time.
So…I went downstairs to the kitchen to see what I could MacGyver together into a dish for Shabbat. Now please keep in mind that other than one burst-of-energy Costco shopping trip last week, I’ve been relying on my amazingly awesome, incredible Dear Husband,my fabulous girls KIH, and the generosity of good friends for all the meals/food these past few weeks. I searched the refrigerator and our kitchen cabinets and pantry.
Here is what I found:Rice Ramen Noodles (from Costco – gluten free)1 pound of extra firm tofu (expiration date March 1, 2017 – whew!)Frozen garlic cubesGround gingerToasted sesame oil2 jars bean sprouts2 jars bamboo shootsA bunch of green onions1 can crushed pineappleLa Choy Soy sauce (gluten free)La Choy Stir Fry teriyaki sauce (gluten free)Sesame seeds
This was an easy one (and easy was what I needed!).
I cooked and rinsed the ramen, then cubed the tofu and thoroughly dried it. I heated some sesame oil in a wok, added the tofu, garlic and ginger, then stir fried the tofu until browned. I added all the sprouts, shoots, pineapple, sauces, rice noodles and onions and tossed them until they were heated through. Done.
I really wished I had some carrots and green pepper for the dish – it would have made it perfect. DH (who was working from home) came upstairs from his home office and noticed the novelty of me cooking!!!! I mentioned that the dish would have been better and he told me that there was one rogue green pepper that had escaped my search. I found it, sliced it thinly, stir fried it in a small pan with some toasted sesame oil, then added it to the final dish. YUM! Even not working on all four cylinders I still managed to put together a tasty, gluten free, and super simple dish. Yay!
In order to celebrate this major accomplishment on my part I’m sharing this fabulous recipe with you. It seriously was super quick to make, but was fairly impressive upon completion. When you make it you could theoretically substitute chicken for the tofu (even though the tofu tastes like chicken), or use high protein tofu instead of the standard extra firm.
Here are some tips for making this fabulous dish:
- Always use toasted sesame oil rather than the non toasted variety. The toasting adds a lot of flavor, resulting in using less oil with a more flavorful result.
- Heat the wok before adding the oil.
- Make sure to thoroughly dry the tofu before browning it. If you add moist tofu you end up steaming it instead of browning it.
- In a pinch, frozen, ground garlic and ginger are a good substitute for fresh.
- If you don’t need to make this dish gluten free you could use regular ramen noodles, but the brown rice ones seem healthier and definitely taste better.
- You could add additional vegetables like, sliced carrots, for more color and flavor. For a little bit of crunch you could also add dry roasted peanuts.
Easy Vegetable & Rice Ramen Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30
Description
Super easy to make from healthy stuff you have in your pantry and refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cloves crushed garlic, or 2 frozen garlic cubes
- 1 pound extra firm tofu, cubed (I prefer high protein tofu) – thoroughly dried with paper towels
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 jar (Lachoy) stir fry teriyaki sauce
- 2 12 oz jars bean sprouts (drained)
- 2 12 oz jars bamboo shoots (drained)
- 1 20 oz jar crushed pineapple
- 6 scallions, sliced on the bias
- 2 large green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 bag shredded carrots (optional)
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts (optional)
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish
- additional scallions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen and boil for 1 minute. Using a fork separate the noodles. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 2 additional minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
- Heat a large wok, then add the toasted sesame oil. Add the tofu, garlic and ginger. Stir fry until the tofu is browned. Add the soy sauce and toss with the tofu, then add the green pepper and stir fry until the peppers are soft.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the wok, toss to combine, and until completely heated through.
- Serve topped with sesame seed and additional scallions for garish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
Leave a Reply