Quinoa and Vegetables Stir Fry



I had some leftover quinoa so I added it to my vegetable stir fry for an added protein  and served with some jasmine rice.You can use either regular or royal red quinoa for this dish. As with all stir-fries, once all the ingredients for this one are prepped, the cooking takes less than five minutes.

Ingredients

1/2 pound firm tofu, drained and sliced about 1/2 inch thick

2 broccoli crowns, broken into florets

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce (regular or low-sodium)

2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon of stir fry vegetarian sauce ( can be bought at the Asian Grocery Store)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

3/4 pound (2 medium) baby bok choy, trimmed, washed and dried, cut in 1-inch lengths

1 bunch scallions, sliced very thin

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Method

• Place the tofu slices on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top, and prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Cut the tofu slices into 1/2-inch dice. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the broccoli. Boil one minute, and transfer at once to a bowl of ice water. Drain and dry on paper towels.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce,and sesame oil. Combine the garlic and ginger in another small bowl. Have all the ingredients within easy reach of your pan.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in a tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and tilting the pan. Add the tofu. Reduce the heat to medium, and stir-fry one to two minutes until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the pepper and bok choy, and stir-fry for one minute. Add the broccoli, and stir-fry for one minute.
• Swirl in the remaining oil, and add the scallions, quinoa and the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry, scooping the ingredients up from the bottom of the wok, for about one minute until heated through and fragrant. Serve at once.
• Advance preparation: Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.