Easy Veggie/Tofu/Rice Stirfry

This is a very easy meal, we have it several times a week, with different variations. If you are fortunate enough to have a Trader Joe's nearby, you can get everything you need in one store.

Equipment: Large non-stick flat pan with cover

Ingredients: fresh or frozen veggies of choice, cooked brown rice (or any whole grain variety, red, brown, black, etc. We like Trader Joe's brown rice blend, which is brown rice, black barley and radish seeds), tomato sauce, baked tofu.

We love mushrooms, so I usually start with those. Water saute the mushrooms in a small amount of water. Dice the baked tofu and add to pan (for variety, crumble up veggie burgers or use tofurky sausages.) Also, baked tofu comes in many seasoning flavors, experiment with these). Add in your favorite seasonings (for the tomato version, we like garlic and basic, fresh is best, but dried powder will do in a pinch). Dice the rest of your veggies and add to pan, cover and simmer till they are soft. D doesn't think he likes eggplant, so I peel baby eggplants so he won't notice them. Zucchini or Spanish Squash is another favorite for tomatoe sauce, as are red/yellow peppers. When the veggies are soft, add in a small jar of tomato sauce (or homemade if you have some.. we like Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce, it has no added oils), and your cooked brown rice. Mix well, cover for a few more minutes.

Other options on the same theme:

Asian stirfry - snowpeas, broccoli, string beans, and use low sodium soy sauce (or Braggs Amino) instead of tomato sauce. For seasonings, we like garlic and ginger.

Mexican stirfry - corn, green beans, mushrooms, stewed tomatoes, season with ancho chile pepper or chipotle pepper if you like it hotter. (D is not a fan of this option, "it's too spicy, mommy", your mileage might vary.)

You can also sub in cooked beans for the tofu, or as an addition to the tofu.

Tip: A good rice cooker makes rice preparation very easy! Alternately, Trader Joe's sells cooked brown rice which is even easier. :)