Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Soy-Mirin Tofu with Snow Peas and Peanut Sauce

I haven't had any peanut butter in the house for the past couple of weeks and I knew I always loved peanut butter, but now I know I feel incomplete without it. What am I supposed to dip my apples in? What am I supposed to spread on a freshly toasted bagel? How am I supposed to make peanut sauce??

So it's no surprise that I really enjoyed this meal smothered in peanut sauce. The tofu is glazed with a soy-mirin mixture, which I didn't really taste. The peanut sauce was delicious (hard not to be though) and I loved the crushed peanuts sprinkled on top. We ate it with other roasted vegetables and stretched it out to make 4 meals (or 2 meals for 2 people).


A blog reader commented and asked about how I do my meal planning. I wish I had some fancy system to describe, but all I do is find 3-4 recipes (usually 3) that I know will make enough for lunches and dinners for 2 people for at least 5 days (work days). I don't plan when we'll eat them though, and now that I get home from work so late we make everything on Sunday (which is working out really well!)


A glimpse into my kitchen during our Sunday cookfests. I guess I should move my Kitchenaid and blender off the counter (where they usually live). Actually there's a lot on the counter that shouldn't be there like a box of shortbread from my grandma and tea from E's parents. I love my rice cooker that cooks brown rice!


I usually go for 1 pot/dish type meals (ie. stir fry, casserole, soup) but sometimes I'll put a couple of recipes together. I try to get a variety of protein, choosing a maximum of 1 tofu recipe, and then 2 bean/lentil recipes or sometimes (rarely) something with cheese like lasagna. I often try to pick 1 soup recipe because I know it will last for at least 3 meals. How do you guys do your weekly meal planning?


The stove often looks much messier than this in the middle of cooking 3 meals! I'm actually impressed with how clean it looks.


If this sounds good, you might also like:
Maple-Miso Glazed Tofu with Broccoli and Butternut Squash
Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Mustard Tofu
Orange Sesame Tofu & Coconut-Lime Basmati Rice
Broccoli Cashew Teriyaki Tofu Stir-Fry

Soy-Mirin Tofu with Snow Peas and Peanut Sauce
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum

Makes 4 servings (with a side of vegetables like roasted beets and carrots)

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water

1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 tsp powdered ginger

1 block extra firm tofu, cut into small squares
2 cups snow peas, trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
Crushed peanuts

Cook the rice in the 2 cups of water (I used a rice cooker).

Make the peanut sauce by blending together the peanut butter, 1/4 cup water, sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar and ginger.

Mix together 1 tbsp soy sauce and the mirin and set aside (to be used to glaze the tofu).

Once the rice is almost finished cooking, heat a wok over high heat. Add the tofu and cook until browned on at least 2 sides of every cube. Turn the heat off, and add the snow peas. Pour the soy-mirin mixture over the tofu and snow peas, and mix.

To serve, plate the rice, tofu and snow peas. Top with peanut sauce and crushed peanuts.

8 comments:

Chucky said...

Hi Ashley. Is your recipe missing "peanut butter" as an ingredient? The only peanut related item are the crushed peanuts yet you make mention "Top with peanut sauce and crushed peanuts."

Joanne said...

I meal plan pretty much the same way! I like to have variety throughout the week..and if I had my way, I'd ALWAYS have peanut sauce. This sounds so good.

janet @ the taste space said...

haha, I definitely feel a void when something from my usual pantry is gone. Although since we're moving in May, I am trying to use everything up so we don't have to pack it! Fun times! :)

Johanna GGG said...

wow that is so impressive how much you plan and make - I sort of have a few things in my head but that often goes out the window and I often find myself making things the week after that I planned last week - I am also comforted to see your mess because mine so often looks like that - though my benches aren't so deep.

By the way is that an electric stove - do you find it hard to manage the hotplates - I have been very fussy about living in places with gas cookers - though occasionally have lived with electric and never like them. I guess you get used to it though

eatme_delicious said...

Chucky: Thanks for noticing!! I added it in. :)

Johanna: Yea it's an electric stove. most houses here have electric, so it's what I've always been used to. I've heard gas is better though!

Anonymous said...

I wish, Long and I would be able to cook meals for the week together. He hates cooking and everything in the kitchen.

Anonymous said...

what do you mean by "rice cooker that cooks brown rice"? does it not work with regular rice? =P

Linda, Hong Kong

eatme_delicious said...

Linda: Hi! Well I thought not all rice cookers can cook brown rice? My rice cooker has a white rice and a brown rice setting. It can also steam and be a slow cooker.