I was in the mood for Asian flavors so this Ginger-Peanut-Coconut Tofu Veggie and Rice Stir-Fry really hit the spot. The warm spicy ginger mingling with rich, nutty peanut flavor, cool, captivating coconut milk, bright citrus and a hint of miso and tamari. Colorful Asian veggies like broccoli florets, snow peas, edamame, carrots and water chestnuts are heated in a sizzling skillet, tossed in sauce and plated on top of fluffy white rice. Plump pillows of seared miso-ginger tofu cubes on top. A ring of freshly sliced citrus, orange zest aroma, to accent the platter. Sake on the side. And an extra bowl of fluffy rice too.
There is just something about a side bowl of fluffy rice that makes me happy.
This dish rocks as a "leftovers" meal too. Served cold or warm. Craving stir-fry? Give this vegan meal a try!..
And some thoughts of the day: On Single-tasking..
Today's contemplation to pair with this Zen-inspired meal: How good are you at the skill of single-tasking?
What is single-tasking, you ask? Good question!..
Back in the day, they used to cite studies saying: "Juggling career and family, women are better multi-taskers than men!" Well nowadays I think it is safe to say that everyone is a skilled multi-tasker. We juggle tweets, Apps, emails, TV, news, music, texts, blog posts, articles, photographs, recipes, videos, (videos of cats your friend tweeted you), dinner plans, Facebook statuses, online banking, calenders and work duties all over the course of one. simple. day.
The number of virtual and in-person connections you can (easily) make in one day is staggering. This interaction can be energizing and inspiring, but on the other end of the spectrum, information burnout is bound to happen. So instead of working on our now-perfected skill of multi-tasking, lets step back and develop the skill of single-tasking.
Single-tasking: Do one thing with pure and quiet focus, flexed concentration. All while shaking away any anxious, busy or nervous thoughts that jump into your mind. Noise: off. Energy-robbers like worry and anxiety: mute them.
Not so easy, right?
Try this: Five minutes of meditation. Nothing stressful or anxious should be tumbling through your thoughts. Only happy, quiet calm. This blank space is not time wasted, it has great value in keeping your head clear and sharp. Computers need to sleep. Brains need to meditate.
Single-tasking is a skill I think we can all gain from having. And medtation is just one way to single-task! Other activities I like for the single-activity quiet and calm they induce..
* Kitchen time, cooking my favorite dishes.
* Long walks at dusk when the neighborhood begins to grow quiet and the sky turns powder navy blue. Cell phone stays home.
* Nature time. The beach, in a park, mountains, lakes, wherever I can get lost in nature, quiet mode easy to find.
* Exercise. Yoga and dancing and my favorites. Deep breathing always helps lighten the weight in your mind and helps release anxiety and nervousness that clings to you in noisy spaces.
* Travel. Old fashioned vacation, escaping from the familiar and routine inspires reflection.
* Art. Painting and drawing has always opened a door to quiet and reflection for me.
* Being Brave. Resist the desire to shrink away from challenges. Embrace the new, the unknown. This keeps your mind focused and on its tippy-toes.
What do you do to single-task? To keep your mind feeling focused, less-than-frazzled, quiet, renewed and sharp? Ponder THAT as you enjoy this energizing one-plate-wonderful stir-fry...
Ginger-Peanut-Coconut Tofu & Veggie Stir-Fry over Rice
vegan, serves 4
Ginger-Peanut-Coconut-Citrus Sauce:
2 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
½ cup coconut milk (I used light coconut milk, but full fat works too)***
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon candied ginger, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup or agave syrup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon orange zest
s&p to taste if desired
***lighten it up: If you want to lighten up the sauce, you can use light coconut milk, or substitute with an unsweetened non-dairy milk. I tested with almond milk - it was a bit watery, but still delicious.
Tweak it! Other flavor accents to experiment with in the sauce: lime juice and zest, lemongrass, dried chilies, basil, miso.
Veggies:
4 cups Asian veggies (broccoli florets, snow peas, water chestnuts, carrots, mushrooms, edamame - any variety you'd like - fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon safflower oil
optional: splash of sake to finish
also:
⅓ cup slivered almonds or chopped peanuts
Miso Ginger Tofu:
1 ½ cups large tofu cubes, firm
1 teaspoon white miso paste
2-3 teaspoon agave, maple or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice + pinch of zest
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon safflower oil
s&p to taste
Rice:
1 cup white rice, rinsed
1 ½ cups mushroom or vegetable broth
Curtis Essen says
This recipe looks great. I think I will try it tonight as I have all the ingredients in the house, or viable alternatives. But Kathy, your web site loads sooo slow I almost closed it because I thought it was a dead end. Just thought you might like to know. Otherwise thanks. [email protected]
VM127 says
I just used sesame oil in the second sauce and regular old vegetable oil for the veggies! It turned out fine. 🙂
VM127 says
This was a great meal that was easily made in under an hour! Seriously yummy! I added a bit of sriracha for some heat and it was perfect.
EDIT: I made it for a second time tonight with my family. I noticed a big difference between the first time (I used a more natural/less sweet peanut butter, maple syrup instead of agave for peanut sauce), and this time where I used Jif (rather sweet), honey (again subbed for agave). I would recommend that you try the peanut sauce first before adding sweeteners to ensure you don't over sweeten the dish!
Hannah says
This was literally one of the best things I have ever tasted! Kathy, you are a wonderful godsend to this new vegan. Thank you!!!!!
Jasmine says
I'm just learning to cook by recipes and never heard of safflower oil. Is there any other common oils I can substitute it with for this recipe? I'd prefer not to purchase not knowing whether or not I can use it in other recipes. Thanks, Kathy!
Nikhita Mathur says
Your blog is so inspiring! I have been vegan for awhile and have stopped using recipes but whenever I need inspiration for a dish I always turn to your site! I just got some water chestnuts and wasnt sure what flavours to pair them with and I never thought asian stirfry! By the way, I'm 17, live in Canada and your one of my biggest food inspirations! You might say I "want to grow up and be just like you" :3 hehe if your shirts ever become available to Canada I will be the first to order!
Julia says
I made this, and it was fantastic! The whole family loved it.
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂 thanks!
Kathy Patalsky says
thanks!!
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
no coconut oil does not work in place of milk...
Kathy Patalsky says
super! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
yay singel tasking! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
The sauce is cooked with the veggies so it really soaked into the veggies.
Kathy Patalsky says
thanks!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thanks! Yes I love broccoli with rice and tofu and peanut sauce. yum.
Kathy Patalsky says
Sorry, I feel dumb saying it if that helps. But I guess I was just taught that Asian food includes recipes like this. Thanks for the info though - I will try not to use that word in the future! I really didn't mean to offend ! Just want to post yummy food and describe it in keywords that people recognize. Interesting that you would call this Thai-inspired. Always love learning more about food and cultures... I think I need to travel to these places to fully understand.
ricky says
I totally get it! This kind of thing is difficult to spot if you didn't grow up with it in your face. I know you meant no harm, you seem so nice 🙂 Thanks for hearing me out! I always appreciate a kind/thoughtful response. Hope the warm weather is treating you well.
ricky says
this looks delicious! I hate to be that guy, but... I am korean, and I will say that I really, really hate it when people refer to "asian" anything like it's a real thing (e.g. "asian flavors"). Asia is not a monolith, and while I understand it can be difficult to parse the different types of "asian", lumping us all into one category is detrimental to the way we are perceived in this country. I know this is not your intention, but I like to combat this view whenever I see it because I have seen with my own eyes the damage that homogenization can do. Asians are often perceived as a "model minority" and ignoring the nuances and differences between asian communities can leave many communities struggling with crime, poverty, and disease that go unnoticed because, statistically speaking, "asians" are doing okay in this country.
just a thought. I love your blog, and the recipe does look fantastic. Just wanted to add in my 2 cents.
ps I would call this a very thai-inspired dish. Koreans would balk at implying that this was in any way "their" cuisine. 😉
What should I eat for breakfas says
You made some lovely styling over here.
Therawfoodsisters.com says
Looks super delicious! Thank you for your inspiraiton!
Oscar_de_Jarjayes says
This dish is a classic I've been making for years! (well at least the similar recipe I have) Love it!
I can't see the sauce in the pictures, though.
jodye says
It used to make me quite uncomfortable, but now I take great pleasure in single tasking. You can really appreciate things more when you focus on them. Something I'd really like to focus on is this beautiful looking stir fry! Love the use of orange juice and ginger together - definitely a favorite combination of mine!
Stefanie Roszkowski says
Actually, studies have shown that multitaskers multitask poorly, even if they think they do it well. Google something like "bad at multitasking study" to learn more.
Suzanne says
Thank you for this recipe Kathy! My meat-loving family were raving 🙂
Guest says
This recipe sounds great. Could I use coconut oil instead of coconut milk? I just bought a giant tub of coconut oil from Trader Joe's and want to use it.
Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth says
Yummmmmm, yum yum yum yum yum yum! I love peanut sauce but I've exhausted my recipe hahah can't wait to make yours! xo
John Hartil says
This looks like a pleasant change from my normal stir fry
Maria Tadic says
I love dishes like this. I've been eating so many of them lately - mostly filled with broccoli. There's just something delicious about stir-fryed broccoli. So crisp! Yum. This sauce sounds amazing, I'll have to try it.
Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This is so gorgeous!! Love this recipe!
The Vegan Cookie Fairy says
This curry's like it was made for me!! All the flavours I love. Yum 🙂
Couldn't agree more on the subject of single-tasking -- I think for me especially it got bad when I became a full-time student and there just weren't enough hours in the day. I'm a compulsive multi-tasker now. I try to meditate every day and practice yoga to calm myself down, and now that I'm graduating I can pick up a good book and take all the time I like to read it. If I lived in the countryside, I'd definitely go for long walks every day, but walks get boring in London: it's always the same pavement, the same streets you see.