Tasty Planner - Recipe - Broccoli and Tofu in spicy peanut sauce by Pat Roberts

Instructions

Part One: The Sauce

In a small saucepan, whisk together the peanut butter and the hot water until you have a uniform mixture. Whisk in the remaining ingredients, and set aside.

Part Two: The Saute

1. Cut off the bottom half-inch of the broccoli stems. Shave off the tough outer skins of the stalks with a sharp paring knife or a vegetable peeler. Cut the stalks diagonally into thin slices. Coarsely chop the flowerettes. Set aside.

2. Begin heating the wok (or large, heavy skillet). When it is hot, add 1 tbsp. of the oil. Add half the ginger and half the garlic. Salt lightly. Saute over medium heat for 1 minute, then add the tofu chunks. Turn the heat up a little, and stir-fry the tofu for 5-8 minutes. Transfer it, including whatever liquid it might have expressed, to the saucepanful of peanut sauce. Mix together gently.

3. Wipe the wok with a paper towel, and return it to the stove to begin heating once again. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil to the hot wok, and follow suit with the remaining ginger and garlic. Salt lightly. Add the onions, and grind in some fresh black pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes). [Note: I stop this step before the onions are quite soft.]

4. On another burner, begin heating the peanut-tofu sauce on a very low flame. It shouldn’t actually cook—it only needs to be warmed through.

5. Add the broccoli and the chopped peanuts to the wok. Add 2-3 tbsp. tamari, and stir-fry over medium-high heat until the broccoli is bright green and just tender (about 5 minutes).

6. Pour the heated peanut sauce over the saute. Toss gently until everything is coated with everything else. Sprinkle in the minced scallions as you toss.

Serve over rice, and pass around some additional tamari, hot sauce, and even more chopped peanuts, if desired.