Nutty Tofu Stir Fry

The addition of baked Cashews and Walnuts give this Nutty Tofu Stir Fry and extra boost of protein and crunch that makes it super satisfying. The “sauce” has only two ingredients, making this tasty dish ready in less than 30.

Ingredients

2 (14-ounce) packages extra-firm tofu do not use firm, silken or anything other than extra-firm

1 tablespoon canola oil or grapeseed oil*

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided, plus additional to taste

3 large garlic cloves minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)

1 small bunch green onions finely chopped, divided

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1–2 teaspoons fresh chili paste (sambal oelek) or 1/4–1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we like a bit of a kick, so I use the full 2 teaspoons chili paste)

10 ounces baby spinach**

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

½ cup cashews rough chopped

½ cup walnuts rough chopped

2 teaspoons sesame oil

For serving:

Prepared brown rice

Cauliflower rice

Soba or rice noodles

Quinoa

Instructions

Roughly chop your walnuts and cashews, not too fine you want them to be a hearty bite. Place on baking sheet and  lightly spray with olive oil and season lightly with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Place in a 350 degree oven and roast until golden brown. Watch closely as you do not want these to burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Drain the tofu. Wrap each block in a double layer of paper towels and pat dry, pressing down on the tofu lightly to squeeze out excess moisture. Cut the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes.

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the tofu (be careful, as the oil will splatter a little bit) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. 

Sauté, stirring every minute or so until the tofu is nicely colored on all sides and the moisture has cooked off, about 8 to 10 minutes. Don’t feel that you need to stir constantly. Sitting for a while on one side is what will allow the tofu to brown. Add the garlic, roughly two-thirds of the green onion, ginger, chili paste, and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add several large handfuls of spinach, stirring as you go so that it wilts and you can fit more in the pan. Once the first addition has wilted, continue to add and wilt the spinach by handfuls, until all of the spinach is added. It will seem like a ridiculous amount at first but will cook down considerably. Stir in the sesame seeds and baked nuts. Stir in the sesame oil. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the reserved green onions over the top. Serve hot, with brown rice, noodles, or whatever you like, along with a few dashes of additional soy sauce and chili paste or flakes to taste.