Stir fry HELP!!!

[meegbear]

With thong season here before you know it, meegbear is eating healthy, deciding to give stir frying a whirl.

I have the following list of ingredients to cook in peanut oil:

extra firm tofu
asparagus
green pepper
onion
baby corn
bamboo shoots
water chestnuts
garlic

How should I cook these? Any tips suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Toodles.

[LeftyMom]

1. Did you press the water out of the tofu?

If not, do that first. Set the tofu on a folded clean dishtowel on a plate. Cover with another clean folded dishtowel, another plate and set a can on there if you need added weight.

That way the tofu won't have that gross spongy texture.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

2. That is the best advice ever when it comes to cooking tofu!

most people dont realize that tofu has that "ucch" texture cause there is still too much water in it. I press out most of the water till the tofu is very thin-like!

:yourock:leftymom

[LeftyMom]

3. Thank you.

As always I'm glad to be of service. :)

[meegbear]

8. That I've heard and will do ...

I've been warned that some ingredients cook real quick and will burn. Wanna get it right.

[matcom]

4. tofu?

no help from me x(

[meegbear]

10. I only eat tofu here

no tofurky or hot dogs here.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

5. my suggestion is

start with the garlic in the peanut oil till it gets fragrant. Then add the veggies for a few, then throw in the tofu for the end! hope this helps :hi:

[Gormy Cuss]

11. Me too, and I would add

Cut the onion into thin slivers end to end rather than chopping or dicing. Slice asparagus on a diagonal and leave the tip ends slightly longer than the other pieces.After garlic add peppers, onions, and shoots. Stir fry for about a minute, then add the tofu, stir fry for 15-30 seconds, then add the asparagus and chestnuts, stir frying just until the asparagus is electric green. At this point you're done unless you want to add flavors like soy sauce or rice wine. If you want to add those, do it at the end when you turn the heat off and toss to coat.

Extra firm can be OK without squeezing but LeftyMom is right -- get some of that water out and you'll be much happier with the texture.

On edit: baby corn at the same time as the tofu.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

15. whoa, that is a much more detailed recipe then I gave

:applause: :bounce: :yourock:

Im bookmarking this thread :9

[KitchenWitch]

6. Add the onions and garlic first, then the green pepper

Cook those until the onions are translucent, then add the rest of the veggies. Cook for another few minutes, then add the tofu.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

7. d'oh! I missed the onion! KW is right more then me I think....

:loveya:

[meegbear]

9. OK ... that sounds good

Hope it comes out as good as it sounds. Thanks!!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. Very high heat

and cook the thicker things first. If you have to, dump out the cooked stuff to keep the heat high.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. I think stir frying is a great way to cook them! Go for it!

[lakemonster11]

14. I usually cook the tofu separately.

Definitely drain it first.

Other than that, when I stir-fry, I heat the oil and add garlic and the hardest of the vegetables like onions and peppers, let them cook for a little while, then I add more delicate vegetables like zucchini. I add the cooked tofu in towards the end.

I would serve it over brown rice, if you have it.

[yellowdogintexas]

16. you need ginger, too. nt

[AtomicKitten]

17. don't use too many ingredients

keep it simple.

Bok choy is a fabulous veggie. You cook the stalk like celery, and then chop up the leaves and cook like spinach (throw it in at the very end, stir briefly, reduce heat and cover for a couple minutes).