Today’s Cooking Class - Speedy Asian Vegetarian
Two clients came to my inaugural cooking class today and we all enjoyed a great time sharing with one another and a wonderful lunch of brown rice topped with tasty stir fry and crispy tofu. Cooking started at 11:00 and we were done eating by noon.
Here’s the recipes although I really didn’t follow the stir fry very closely as I had different vegetables on hand and no seaweed. That’s one of the great things about stir fries - you can use whatever you have. Just try to have some green veggies and some orange and/or red to give plenty of contrast.
When I cut up the vegetables, I put the ones that take longer to cook in one bowl and the ones that cook quickly like tomatoes, peppers and summer squash in another. I start frying the harder veggies first and then add the others along with the garlic and ginger after a few minutes.
Prepare the tofu and put it in the oven to bake before frying the vegetables. That way everything will get done at the same time.
Put a pot of rice on the stove first since it takes about 45 minutes to cook brown rice. We like ours with approximately 4 1/2 to 5 cups rice to 8 cups of water. Start it on high and then turn down to low as soon as it boils. It’s done when you see small holes in the surface with no water bubbling out of them.
Stir-Fry
Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a wok on high, add your bowl of cut-up hard veggies, such as the following:
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 cups broccoli
Stir frequently.
After a few minutes, add the ingredients that don’t need as much cooking, such as these:
- 1 tbsp hijiki or arame seaweed, soaked in warm water and then drained
- 1 cup cabbage or bok choy
- 1 tbsp grated fresh (or frozen) ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
After a couple more minutes or if it starts to stick to the bottom, turn the heat down halfway. When it’s close to done, stir in the sauce.
Turn the wok off a bit before the vegetables are cooked as it will continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Stir it once during that interval so that everything is cooked evenly.
Sauce:
Combine in a small bowl -
- 2 tbsp light miso (fermented soybean paste - kept refrigerated in health food and Oriental stores)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sherry wine
1. Rinse and soak hijiki or arame seaweed in warm water. After about 10 minutes squeeze seaweed to remove excess water.
2. Cut up vegetables and saute in sesame oil. Add ginger, garlic, seaweed and more tender veggies when harder vegetables are slightly cooked.
3. Combine sauce ingredients and stir in when nearly done.
4. Serve over rice with pieces of baked tofu on top.
Crispy Baked Tofu Squares
Extra firm tofu
Light soy sauce
Golden flake nutritional yeast
Spray oil
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
- Spray a baking pan with non-stick oil.
- Cut tofu lengthwise and then into slices.
- Dip each slice into soy sauce and then dredge in nutritional yeast.
- Lay tofu slices on pan.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until brown and crispy.
Let me know if you’re interested in coming to a cooking class at another time than Friday noon. Others have expressed an interest in an evening class and that could work on Friday or Saturday. Call 352-514-1305, FB message me, send an email to verna@groger.net, or reply through the contact form here.
