Cashew and Snow Pea Stir-fry with Sesame Marinated Tofu

This stir-fry is fast and foolproof, and way better than any takeout! If you are skeptical about cooking tofu then this may be the recipe to change your mind. After marinating in a flavourful sesame sauce all day and a quick saute with some stir-fry veggies, you will forget you ever thought it was bland and spongy! For those of you that are sitting there rolling your eyes at me - just make it with chicken instead, or double up on the mushrooms and cashews. This stir-fry is excellent hot or cold, with rice, noodles, or just as is.

Sesame Tofu Marinade Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small knob of ginger, minced to yield about 1 Tbsp.

2-3 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. Sriracha - Add more or less depending on your spice level preference

1 block firm or extra firm tofu

Directions:

Remove the tofu from the packaging and drain it of excess liquid. I do this by placing it in on a large plate or shallow bowl, then placing another plate on top of the tofu and putting a heavy bowl or jar/can on the plate to weigh it down. I leave it to drain all day or for at least 2 hours, occasionally pouring off the liquid that collects on the plate. This is an important step because it ensures that the tofu will soak up as much of the marinade as possible and become saturated with flavour. After draining, pat the tofu dry of any remaining moisture with paper towel or a clean, dry dish towel. 

Slice the tofu lengthwise into strips, then halve the strips, keeping them a bit thin so that they can absorb more of the marinade. In a shallow dish or plastic container, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and Sriracha. Place the tofu in the dish and evenly cover with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Cashew, Snow Pea, and Bell Pepper Stir-fry Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 cup snow peas, halved diagonally

5-7 Cremini mushrooms, quartered

1/3 cup roasted cashews

2 tsp. cornstarch - This will thicken the reserved tofu marinade to create a sauce

Rice or noodles, to serve (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove the tofu from the marinade and arrange the slices evenly on the hot pan. Saute for about 3-4 minutes, until the slices begin to brown on one side, then flip and saute for another 3-4 minutes. 

Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch into the leftover marinade. 

Add the vegetables and cashews to the frying pan and cook until the vegetables are almost tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes just to warm the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

*Recipe by Brooke McMillan