Meatless Monday Veggie Stirfry

I'm trying to get a bit more into the whole meatless Monday thing.  I've virtually cutout milk on a daily basis.  I used to drink tons of milk and eat tons of yogurt.  After a stint of going vegan last summer, I've come to my own conclusion that dairy makes me breakout.  I've been drinking a combination of Almond & Rice milk as well as eating coconut & soy yogurts. 

Growing up my mom cooked frequently with tofu.  I actually like it and used to use it a lot but have gotten out of the habit.   I picked some up the other night along with a packet of pre-cut stir-fry veggies from Whole Foods, a little ginger, garlic & onions and some brown rice.  Voila, dinner for about $10 for 2.  It's not often dinner costs me just $10 to make. 

Pre-sliced veggies are a price saver because I didn't have to buy whole peppers, packages of mushrooms & broccoli I'm not going to eat.  I don't have a wok, so I made this in a large heavy bottom stainless skillet & it worked just fine.  Stir-fry is kind of like soup - you can put almost anything in it & have it turn out well.

• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
• 1" - 2" chunk of ginger finely grated
• 1 package of stir-fry veggies
• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• brown rice prepared per package instructions (I added a bit of black pepper & butter)
• vegetable oil - or any oil you like to use for high heat cooking (NOT OLIVE OIL)
• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy
• 1 tablespoon hoison sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

1. Over medium heat add oil and onions and cook until nicely browned, remove & put aside.
2. Drain tofu & pat dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.  Cut into 1" chunks.
3. Add a bit more oil over medium heat and add tofu.
4. Let tofu cook until browned on all sides.  Half way through cooking add the ginger.  A tip with tofu, it will release from the pan when ready to be flipped.  Remove tofu when browned.
5. Return heat to medium high & add a drop of oil to cook veggies.  
6. Add veggies except for the garlic to the skillet.  Keep the veggies moving with a wooden spoon and saute for 5- 8 minutes until tender.  When veggies are almost cooked add the garlic, onions & tofu.
7. Make a mixture with the liquids and cornstarch.
8. Push veggies away from the middle of the skillet and add liquid let the liquid bubble for 30 seconds then stir in with the veggies.  
9. Done!  You can also add a couple of drops of sesame oil or fire oil at the end.  These oils don't tolerate high heat well so they are best added at the end.