Tofu Fried Rice and Stir Fried Broccolini

I love Asian food. I think I could eat it almost every day. I can't think of an Asian dish that I haven't liked. Since going gluten free, I have found it difficult to eat Asian food out because soy sauce is in most dishes and it contains wheat. I have been pretty sad about Thai food because that is my absolute favorite type of food!

Even before going gf, we never went out for Chinese food. I enjoy the flavor, but it usually has too much oil or more sauce than I would like. I always feel very full and heavy after eating American made Chinese food. We make a fair amount of stir fries and noodle dishes at home and enjoy them more than going out. We usually don't use a recipe and make it up as we go along.

Now that Thanksgiving was over, we decided to decorate. John suggested that if I cooked dinner, he would get down all of the Christmas decorations and set up our faux Christmas tree. I gladly accepted because I would rather decorate than get out boxes and set up the actual tree. So, while he decorated I cooked. The following are the recipes that I came up with.

Tofu Fried Rice

• 2 cups of brown rice
• 2 cups of water
  
• 1 package of extra firm tofu, cubed
  
• Vegetable oil or spray
• 3 scallions, chopped
  
• 3 carrots, chopped into small pieces
  
• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh green peas
• Gluten free, reduced sodium soy sauce

Prepare the brown rice per package instructions. We used a rice cooker and steamed the rice. Heat up a wok or a large frying pan on medium high heat. Non-stick works best. Add a small amount of oil or spray and add in the tofu when the pan is hot. Cook for several minutes and then add the scallions and carrots. Cook until the tofu is golden brown and the carrots are tender. When finished, remove the tofu mixture from pan and set it aside.

When the rice is finished cooking, set it aside and prepare your wok again. Heat the wok to medium high and add oil or spray (don't use too much or your rice will be greasy). Once the oil is very hot, add in the rice. Allow the rice to cook about a minute or so before stirring. When your rice is starting to get crispy, add in soy sauce. We don't like very salty foods, so we add in less than a tablespoon. The rice will continue to get crispy. When it is crispy enough for your taste, add back in the tofu mixture and add more soy sauce as needed. About a minute before the rice is finished, add in the peas.

Remove from heat and serve with vegetables!

Stir Fried Brocolini

• Vegetable oil or spray
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
  
• 1.5 inch chuck of fresh ginger, grated
  
• 1.5 teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1/2 cup of homemade, no salt vegetable broth or water
• Gluten free, reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 bunches of broccolini or broccoli, chopped stems included
  

Heat a wok or non-stick pan to medium heat. Add in a small amount of oil or spray. Less is better here. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and ginger and let it cook for several minutes to become aromatic. Add in brocolini and cook for about 3-5 minutes. The broccolini should just become tender at this point.

In the meantime, mix the cornstarch with the broth. Whisk or stir to combine. When combined, add soy sauce to taste. We probably added about a teaspoon. When combined thoroughly, add it to the broccolini and cook for several minutes longer.

Remove from heat and serve!

We enjoyed the stir fried broccolini over the fried rice. We both enjoyed the meal and agreed to have it again soon.