Tofu Fried Rice

I love tofu and am trying to cook with it more often. Tofu is a great alternative to meat as it is low in calories, high in iron, it has little fat, and a high amount of protein. Many people cringe when one mentions tofu, but it really masks the flavor of other foods when cooking with it. My Dad is one of those people who cringes at the word "tofu." The other night my Mom made a peanut tofu stir fry (amazing) and after dinner I asked him how he liked the tofu. His response "What tofu?" I said "it was in the dinner we just had!" He replied "Oh wow, I was wondering what that was, but it was good!" That goes to show if cooked right, it is fabulous. Anywho, enough of my babbling...try this recipe below! We have tons of leftovers and I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow. :)

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups) Original recipe found here

Ingredients:

2 cups brown
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices green onions
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sake (rice wine)
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Thinly sliced green onions (optional)

Preparation:

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
While rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Add eggs to pan; cook 1 minute or until done, breaking egg into small pieces. Remove from pan. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to pan. Add 1 cup onions, peas and carrots, garlic, and ginger; sauté 2 minutes.
While vegetable mixture cooks, combine sake, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Add cooked rice to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tofu, egg, and soy sauce mixture; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

Note: Using frozen peas and carrots plus bottled minced garlic and ginger speeds up preparation of this simple Chinese standby. Keep any leftover sake tightly capped in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or you can substitute a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar for the sake.

*I served the fried rice with fresh organic asparagus that I lightly coated with olive oil, salt and pepper, then broiled it for about 10 minutes. Perfect side to this dish!