Five Spice Tofu Stir-Fry

When you get the urge for a chinese supper, this syn-free Choi Sum Tofu Stir-Fry really hits the spot. Packed with protein-charged tofu and lots of crunch fresh vegetables, this is a meal ready in minutes that makes a perfect weeknight quick-fix meal.

After finding some Choi Sum at a reduced price, I snapped it up to experiment with and came up with this tasty treat. You could easily swap in pak choi, chard or a similar leafy green, sliced into similar chunks if (when) this isn't available but if you get the chance to try this, it has a lovely citrus tang to it, which I thought was pretty delicious.

I would strongly recommend using a firm tofu, like Tofoo, or press a less firm brand first, before making this as the dryness means it does take up the marinade a little and allows it to form this darker crust on the outside of each chunk. I'd also recommend some nice big hearty chunks like this, to decrease the chances of it breaking up within the pan.

I tore off strips of dried nori seaweed that I had in the cupboard left over from some sushi I had made recently so decided to add these to the bowl at the end and it was lovely - it keeps in the cupboard for a long time so would advise it as something worth keeping in store for moments like these.

As with all recipes and meal plans on the blog I have highlighted the protein sources (P foods) in red, the speed (S) foods in green, healthy extra allowances in blue and syns, with syn values in brackets, in orange. 


Five Spice Tofu Stir-Fry 

Serves 1 - Syn-free 

160g Firm Tofu (such as Tofoo brand), chopped into large chunks (about 2cm sq if poss) 
200g Choi Sum or Pak Choi, chopped across the stalk in sections of about 3/4 cm 
Handful of sugarsnap peas
1/2 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 spring onions, cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into half moon slices
Carrots, shaved into thick strips with a peeler
1 sheet of Nori (dried sushi seaweed)
A thumb of ginger, grated
3 cloves of garlic, chopped into small chunks
1 red chilli, very finely chopped
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
Lemon juice
Spray oil

In a seal-able bag (a zip-able sandwich bag or similar) pour in the soy sauce and add the garlic, ginger, chilli and five spice powder and then tip in the tofu chunks. Seal the bag and massage the contents carefully to ensure all chunks are covered in the marinade. 

Leave this to marinade for as long as you have - even if it is just the time it takes to prep the veg it will coat the tofu. However, if you can leave it overnight or in the fridge during the day ready for tea-time, then all the better! 

Spray oil into a non-stick wok or frying pan and put on to the heat. Get to a high heat before adding any ingredients. 

Once the oil is very hot, remove the tofu from the bag with a slotted spoon (but retain the marinade for later). 

Allow the tofu to cook on the first side that hits the pan for a few moments and then carefully turn to brown the opposite side. It may stick to the pan a little - don't panic about this, but if it is falling apart completely, remove from the pan and keep to add until a little later. 

Add the choi sum, peppers, sugarsnaps, spring onion and red onion and cook in the pan for 5- 6 minutes until the choi sum has fully wilted and the red onion strips are semi-translucent. If it starts to catch, add a tbsp of lemon juice. 

Push the contents of the pan to one side and add the marinade from the bag and let it bubble away in the gap left in the pan for a moment or two. 

Add the carrot strips and then toss all of the pan contents together and cook for a further minute or two, until the carrot has slightly softened. Add a further tbsp of lemon juice if it starts to catch.

Tear the nori sheet into long thin strips (or whatever you can manage, as its stubborn stuff) and once you've spooned the stir-fry into the bowl, lay these on top to slightly shrink back. 

Serve hot - witness the steam coming off my dish!