Meatless Monday: Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry

If you would have asked me at the beginning of summer if I liked tofu, my answer would have been a solid "NO!"  Possibly followed by an eww or gross. However, Brandon isn't one to give up so after reading about how to improve the texture of tofu and me playing around with some seasonings, I have come to love tofu.  My all time favorite dinner is Tofu & Veggie Stir Fry.

Tofu tips:  As soon as you get it home, pop it in the freezer for 24 hours.  When you are ready to use it, make sure it's thawed and cubed.  Lay down a tea towel and a paper towel, spread the tofu cubes out over the paper towel in one layer.  Lay another paper towel and towel on the top and press to draw out moisture.  (I usually use a cookie sheet on top with some heavy things sitting on it.)

I have trouble sharing recipes because I don't really follow them.  I tend to add things "to taste" instead of actually measuring them out.  Here is my attempt at putting this into a recipe.

 3-4 cups of cooked rice (I use a wild blend)
1 bag of frozen stir-fry veggies
1 container (14oz) extra firm tofu
Soy Sauce (gluten-free)
Sesame Oil
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
Cayenne Powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss tofu cubes in soy sauce to coat and season lightly with garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne powder.  Spread out in single layer over cookie sheet.  Bake 15 minutes or until desired texture.  Put about 2 tbsp of sesame oil in a frying pan and heat up.  Saute veggies until tender.  Add rice and soy sauce to taste.  Stir in tofu.  ENJOY!

We add extras from time to time.  I've learned I don't like those little corn on the cobb things.. I do like adding mushrooms. 

Monster Salad

Another family favorite is salad night.  It's still hard for me to believe but it's one of our kiddo's go-to meals when we can't think of anything else or if they don't like what we are having.  There are so many different kinds of salads out there.  Brandon likes to experiment making his own dressings.  Another time I will post his strawberry vinaigrette that he makes to drizzle over a spinach, grape and walnut salad.  Today's salad is what we like to call "Monster Salad" because it's huge. 

This salad contains the following;

Spinach
Garbanzo Beans
Pumpkin Seeds
Artichoke Hearts
Tomatoes
Cucumber 
Mushrooms
Carrots

Other things we like to throw in when we have them:

Kidney Beans
Bell Peppers
Banana Peppers
Sesame Seeds
Avocado

What is your favorite salad or ingredient to add??