It’s a 20 minute dinner, that’s healthy, filling, and delicious.
It’s my go-to meal after spending a long day at work, with tons of work left to get through at home, because at that point the last thing I want to do is make dinner.
It’s the recipe that saves me from ordering takeout, because it tastes so much better than ordering takeout!
Enter: my simple, healthy Asian Stir Fry.
I love Stir Frys because they are the easiest way to get a HUGE serving of veggies and protein without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. They’re also a great way to use up leftover ingredients or veggies – because you can pretty much throw anything in them and it will still taste good.
We usually have frozen veggies, tofu and soy sauce in our fridge – the basic ingredients you need – along with a few other things to spice it up. If you have a non-stick pan, you don’t even need any oil for the stir fry, which saves you a ton of calories in this recipe!
The Ingredients
- 2 Packages of Frozen Asian Mixed Veggies (you can find these in the frozen section – I like to get the one with the greatest variety of veggies – Trader Joe’s has an awesome option, pictured above)
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Package Organic Sprouted Firm Tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 Package Teriyaki Baked Tofu, cut into cubes (see picture above – I use the kind from Trader Joe’s but you should be able to find baked tofu in the refrigerated section of most supermarkets)
- Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Sauce (see picture above – again you can pretty much use any bottled sauce mixture you like – check out the Asian section in your supermarket. But make sure to get a sauce that’s relatively low in calories and sugar. I like the Thai Red Curry Sauce because it’s only 80 calories for 1/4 cup – which is really all you need if you mix it with Soy Sauce)
- Olive Oil Cooking Spray
- Brown Rice or quinoa
- Sesame Seeds as a garnish (you can also throw in cashews or almonds – both taste pretty good in this dish)
The Directions
Step 1: Get your brown rice or quinoa cooking first – because that takes the longest to cook in this recipe. Cut your tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
Step 2: Heat a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray, and pour the frozen veggies into the pan. Stir fry 5-10 min until the veggies are cooked through, add soy sauce to taste towards the end of the cooking process (note – the Trader Joe’s Asian Veggies comes with a great soy flavored sauce – so I usually just add that instead of soy sauce. But if you get a different frozen veggies mixture, then soy sauce is a decent substitute).
Step 3: Spray another pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Saute the tofu cubes until slightly crispy on the outside, add 1-2 Tbsp soy sauce towards the end of cooking for flavor. Add the tofu cubes to the veggies, and add 1/4 cup Thai Red Curry Sauce (or more to taste).
Step 4: Stir fry lightly just until the entire mixture is heated through. Sprinkle sesame seeds or cashews or almonds (or nothing at all) on top. Serve with brown rice or quinoa.
Nutritional Information: While I don’t have exact nutritional stats for this dish, I’d estimate it would be around 400 calories per serving (depending on how much tofu and rice/quinoa you take). Also – the mixed veggies provide tons of fiber as does the brown rice/quinoa, and the tofu is packed with protein. It’s really well rounded and tastes just like a stir fry you’d get at a restaurant. Not bad for a meal that takes 20 minutes to make!
