Tofu Tuesday: Veggies and Tofu in Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

This dinner was inspired by my desire to go meatless for at least one meal a week. In spite of Elliott's initial dismal outlook for the evening (yes, he likes his animal flesh THAT much),  we were both surprised at how satisfying this meal turned out to be. Unlike other vegetarian meals that leave us wanting more, the richness of the peanut sauce and the seared tofu were filling and a welcome change. Ingredients: Stir Fry (Use whatever you have in your refrigerator that sounds good): Firm tofu, 1.5" cubes Broccoli, florettes Green beans, trimmed Red pepper, slices Yellow onion, half moons Mushrooms, slices White or brown rice Peanut Sauce 1 tbsp. ginger, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 tsp. red pepper (or more, depending on desired heat) 1 tbsp. fish sauce 1-2 tsp. tamari 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil 1-3 tbsp. water, depending on desired thickness Mix the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, coconut milk, fish sauce, sesame oil and tamari in a bowl until thoroughly combined (the peanut butter will take a while to fully blend with the other ingredients). Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and mix it with an additional tablespoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce and toss with the tofu chunks. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat a large pan or wok on medium-high heat. Put in a tablespoon of high-heat vegetable oil (we used safflower), and let the pan get smoking hot. Throw in the onion and red pepper and move constantly for 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli, green beans and mushrooms (and whatever else you may be using) and stir until veggies are browned and broccoli is softened. Take the pan off of the heat and toss in a couple heaping spoonfuls of the peanut sauce. Mix until everything is evenly coated and set aside. In a cast iron skillet, fry the tofu until golden on all sides. Top the rice with the veggie mixture, tofu, and more of the sauce. Be sure to warm up the sauce in a small pot on the stove. We made the mistake of throwing it into the microwave for 30 seconds and got a petrified version. Enjoy!