Vegan Tofu Stir-Fry with Cashews & Zucchini

My husband likes to eat vegetarian a lot, but he's also an athlete so he's not willing to skimp on protein. This dish goes the extra step to vegan (meaning there are no animal products in it at all) but the tofu keeps the protein count up. Many people avoid dishes with tofu, but unless you're allergic to soy, give this one a try. The trick to making good tofu is to marinate it first so it takes on flavor.

You will need:

One 18oz block of firm tofu (found in the produce or refrigerated sections of the grocery store), cubed
1/2 cup of soy sauce

Lemon juice from one whole lemon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder (not garlic salt!)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups of white long grain jasmine rice
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
3/4 cup of roasted, salted cashews, chopped coarsely
2 zucchinis, sliced
3/4 cup of frozen green peas
4 green onions, chopped (I cut them with scissors)

small bowl with a flat bottom for marinating the tofu
chef's knife
cutting board
citrus juicer
rice cooker
measuring cups
measuring spoons
wok
wooden spoon

Put the cubed tofu in the small bowl. Pour the soy and lemon juice over the cubes, then sprinkle the ginger, garlic, and pepper on top. It's okay if the marinade doesn't cover all of the tofu. Set aside for at least ten minutes before starting the rest.

Cook the rice in the rice cooker. I use a ratio of about 1 part rice to 1.25 parts water when I cook white rice, but your rice cooker may not work the same as mine, so go by your own experience.

Put the chopped garlic, celery, cashews, and zucchini in the wok with the olive oil. Cook on high heat until the bits of garlic are translucent (2-3 minutes), then lower to medium. Stir frequently. Add the tofu and half the marinade (discarding the rest).

When the zucchini's seeds are more visible, somewhat translucent, but the skins are still dark green, add the peas and the green onions. Continue stirring frequently until the peas have warmed, about 3-4 minutes.

Plate the rice first and then the stir fry on top. Enjoy!

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