Tamari-Miso Tofu and Veggies

There's something about winter that really makes me crave miso.

Well, actually, let me rephrase that... There's something about this winter that has really been making me crave miso. I haven't tried very much Japanese food at all. There aren't any Japanese restaurants around here and I usually get distracted by making a lot of Thai or Korean food instead (Kimchi warms my soul). However, one of the things I have tried is miso, and I truly love it. I've only tried the white, mild miso, because that's all I can find, but I'm really curious to try chickpea and red miso. I'm sure that when I buy my first jar I'll let you all know!

Anywho. Now that my salad phase is over (it's been over for awhile), I've been eating a lot of stir-fry. And noodles. I recently broke out of my stir-fry bubble though, and I've added a few new items to "the usual".

First off, edamame. Edamame is super tasty in stirfry. It's also nice when you're lazy because you don't have to press it or anything. You can just throw it in the skillet and get an awesome protein punch. I didn't use it in this stir-fry, but I did in my last one.

Another thing I tried: zucchini. I love zucchini. I have no idea what I haven't thrown it in a stir-fry, considering I see it on Chocolate-Covered Katie's blog all the time. BEST IDEA EVER.

I also skipped the green pepper. I used to like green pepper a lot, and although I still do, I've found that I've started shifting toward the riper bell peppers.

Greens + Stirfry = An even more awesome stirfry. Hiding in there is some bok choy, though I think I'd like to maybe make one with some savoy cabbage. I'll have to buy one the next time I get groceries (assuming I can find one). They're in season as well.

And one last thing (and probably the main one here), I also broke out of my box and made this here stirfry with some of my miso!

Although this stirfry isn't the most picture-worthy (I was way too hungry to spend any time making it look pretty. Also, I was too lazy to make my tofu cubes crispy and golden brown. Hehe), I really enjoyed it, and I'm going to be making it again in a day or so! I also served it with thin rice noodles, because I associate them with restaurant meals and eating them make me feel fancy (also 4 minutes to cook!). You can adjust the veggies as necessary, but I think these here are an awesome combination.

Tamari-Miso Tofu and Vegetables:

Stirfry:

1 zucchini, sliced into rounds

3/4 a red bell pepper, sliced (you can use a whole, I just didn't have a whole...)

1 stalk celery, sliced

2 c. bok choy, sliced (about a third of the bunch)

2-4 baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced 

1/2 a yellow onion, sliced

1/2 pkg. firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes 

Tamari-Miso sauce:

1 1/2 Tb. tamari or Bragg's

Juice of half a lime (about 1 Tb.)

1 Tb. rice vinegar

1 Tb. vegetable broth

1/2 Tb. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 tsp. siracha chile paste

1 tsp. agave

1 tsp. white miso

Enough arrowroot/cornstarch to thicken it (I usually just sprinkle the stuff in the skillet 'til it gets as thick as I like it).

1. Press the tofu about 15 minutes, draining occasionally, then cut into cubes. Spray a skillet with nonstick and then cook over medium-high until golden brown (I just went with about 5 minutes here. I didn't mind my tofu on the softer side). Set tofu cubes aside. Wipe out skillet, then spray with nonstick for the stirfry.

2. Meanwhile, prep veggies and mix together the tamari-miso sauce. When skillet is ready to go, add all the veggies at once (no broccoli to slow down cooking time) and the tofu. Let cook over high for about three minutes. Then add the sauce. Stirfry for about another minute or two, or until the veggies and tofu have some time to absorb the sauce.

3. Serve with rice noodles, a slice of lime, and some additional siracha and maybe some additional Bragg's (if you made the sauce with it). Enjoy!

I just might up the white miso when I make this again, and maybe make it a little spicer...