Black Pepper Tofu
with zucchini & mushrooms / rice
Throwback alert! We've revived this Black Pepper Tofu from one of our earliest meal plans from 2013 and given it a fresh makeover. Loads of vegetables and a fragrant, peppery sauce will make you want to skip the takeout tonight.
Smarts: As the name suggests, this dish traditionally contains a lot of black pepper. Feel free to adjust the amount to suit your taste. Coarsely ground pepper is highly recommended here, so if you're using a finer grind, reduce the total amount.
Ingredients
- Rice, uncooked white or brown - 1 cup
- Tofu, extra-firm - 16 oz , sliced into 1/2" / 1.3 cm cubes
- Garlic - 2 cloves , minced
- Jalapenos (opt) - 1 , seeded and diced
- Ginger, fresh - 1 Tbsp , peeled and grated
- Mushrooms, any button - 8 oz , quartered
- Zucchini - 8 oz , cubed
- Green onions - 4 stalks , chopped; green and white parts separate
- Stock, any type - 1/2 cup (sub water)
- Soy sauce, low-sodium - 3 Tbsp
- Vinegar, rice - 2 tsp
- Cornstarch - 1 Tbsp
- Black pepper - 1 to 3 tsp , use more or less according to your spice preference (coarsely ground)
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
Prep
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Tofu - If tofu is packaged in water, press out liquid first, like in this video. Then slice into 1/2” / 1.3 cm thick cubes. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Rice - For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Garlic / Jalapenos / Ginger - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Mushrooms / Zucchini / Green onions - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make stir fry sauce - Mix together stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch, ground pepper (add a bit at a time until it's peppery enough for your taste), and sugar. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Make
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Heat a saute pan or wok with first portion of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When oil begins to shimmer add tofu and saute until tofu is golden brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
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Return pan to heat and add second portion of cooking oil. Add garlic, jalapeño (if using), ginger, and white parts of green onions to heated oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
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Fold in mushrooms and zucchini with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
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Make a well in the middle of the vegetables. Give sauce a stir and pour into the center of the pan. When sauce begins to bubble, fold sauce and vegetables together and cook until sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Fold tofu into vegetables and sauce.
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Taste and season with some more salt, pepper, or soy sauce if needed.
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If rice was made ahead, warm it in the microwave.
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Serve Black Pepper Tofu over rice, topped with green parts of green onions. Enjoy!
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