Szechuan Pan Fried Tofu with Spicy Black Bean Sauce

This is one of my favorite dishes when we go out for Chinese. This was particularly good because the tofu was lovely and crispy, and the veggies had a nice char on them. You can serve with rice, but we elected not to. This recipe was adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

• 1-pound block of extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon grated garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans paste
• 1 tablespoon chili paste or crushed red pepper

• 11/2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Sherry (dry or sweet)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• vegetable oil
• 2 cups fresh broccoli (cut in bite sized pieces)
• 1 cup red bell pepper, julienned

Directions

Rinse the tofu, then cut crosswise into 4 slices. Put slices between towels, put a cutting board on top, and weight it with a can or canister and let drain while making the sauce. 

For the liquid portion of the sauce, stir together the water, soy sauce, Sherry, maple syrup, vinegar, and the cornstarch until the cornstarch is evenly suspended.

 Place a thin layer of oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the seasonings until fragrant, less than a minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it to the pan, bringing it to a boil and simmer till thickened. 

Heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking.  Fry the slices on all sides turning them only when the undersides are golden and crisp.Give the tofu one last flip on a paper towel to sop up any stray oil and reheat the sauce. 

Add broccoli and red pepper to the pan you just removed the tofu from, give it another turn of the pan of oil, and do a quick stir fry until they begin to caramelize at the edges, but are still vibrant and crisp.

Place tofu center on a serving plate, surround with the veggies and spoon some sauce over the tofu. Serve the remaining sauce in a pitcher at the table.

Serves 2 as a main dish with no starch:

Calories:  569

Carb:   45

Fat:  27

Protein:  29

Fiber:   4

Potassium:   236

 

Or 4 if served with rice (add in the nutritional info from the rice you choose):

Calories:  284

Carb:   23

Fat:  14

Protein:  14

Fiber:   2

Potassium:   118

Three Sisters Stew

This is a traditional Native American dish. Many tribes have grown these crops together throughout their history and have various legends about the three sisters. Nutritionally, this is a power packed meal, because eaten together they provide every single amino acid needed by our bodies for complete nutrition. And it is absolutely delicious! I adapted the recipe here from The Oneida Indian Nation website.

Three Sisters Stew

Ingredients1 large onion, sliced
1 TBS garlic, crushed
2 pickled jalapeno chili, finely chopped
4 cups yellow summer squash, sliced (about 1 pound)
4 cups zucchini, cut into l inch pieces (about 2 medium)
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1 large)
3 cups green beans, cut into l inch pieces (about 1 pound)
1 can white hominy, undrained
2 16-ounce cans kidney beans, undrained
1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
14-ounces water
2 tsp cumin
2 TBS cilantro paste (available in tubes in produce section)

Directions
I like it easy, guys, chop everything up, put it in the pot, cook until squash and green beans are tender.  Delicious!

Serves 9 generously

Calories: 244
Carbs:  41g
Fat:  2g
Protein:  11g 
Fiber:  11g
Potassium:   871g