Simple Stir Fry

Birthday Stir-Fry with Buckwheat soba & Umeboshi Plums

This is it. This is the basic food concoction that started it all for me. When I worked at the Wedge Co-op in Minneapolis I was introduced to so many wonderful new foods. Kale was one of them. Not really wanting to eat it raw I decided to use the suggested recipe on the back of the Lady Moon Farms label: Heat some oil in a pan, add minced garlic, wash and chop kale, saute, add a little lemon juice enjoy. Okay I remember thinking simple enough. Kablam! A whole new world was opened up to me. So after years (about a decade to be exact) I have perfected my all-time favorite default meal...Stir-fry. Usually when folks approach me about their first time foray into a new vegetable (and usually its Kale!) AND tofu I write this recipe down for them. I stay away from quantities because I have never measured this one out. And frankly you really don't need a recipe for this dish. Oh AND this is a GREAT meal to make on a Sunday night along with a pot of brown rice and eat from it all week long by refreshing it with steamed veggies! Can you say healthy and economical?

Simple Stir-Fry

serves as many as you'd like

You will need:

A large saute pan or wok

Oil (olive, unrefined coconut or ghee)

Garlic (about 2-3 cloves) minced

Fresh ginger, about 1 tablespoon, grated (powdered will work too)

Cayenne (to taste/optional)

Braggs or Tamari

Lemon Juice (optional)

Extra Firm Tofu drained, squeezed of its water and cut into one inch cubes

Washed spun dry and chopped (about 3-5 cups) Kale (any kind)
(Any green veggie will work, kale, collards, broccoli, bok choy and cabbage work great)

Carrots, julienned

One white or purple onion sliced and diced any way you'd like

You can keep adding to your hearts content...other great additions are pea pods, corn, mushrooms, peppers etc...

Have everything chopped, grated, minced and ready to go...

Heat the oil on medium to medium low heat. When hot add the garlic, ginger, cayenne and saute until fragrant (about one minute) add a splash of Braggs or Tamari and Lemon Juice. Add the tofu in an even layer saute/cook your cubes, flipping them over every 2 minutes for 8-10 minutes, adding a splash here and there of Braggs or Tamari. Then add your onions, saute until almost translucent, add your carrots, another spash of Braggs or Tamari and Lemon Juice, saute for 2 more minutes, add your kale and other healthy splash of Braggs or Tamari andLemon Juice cover and steam until the greens are bright or if using a wok saute until bright green. Serve over brown rice or buckwheat soba noodles.