Tofu Almond Stir-Fry

Hoisin is a Cantonese dipping sauce made from sweet potatoes, vinegar, garlic and chili peppers; you can find it in the Asian ingredients section of most supermarkets. Here, it adds immense flavor to tofu, which gets a pre-soak in vegetable broth for even more flavor. This recipe was created by Trudy Slabosz, who writes the blog veggie.num.num.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the tofu:

• 1 package (10.5 ounces) firm tofu, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

To complete the Tofu Almond Stir-Fry:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 5 shallots, sliced
• 5 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can (15 ounces) baby corn, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 1/2 ounces blanched almonds, toasted

Directions:

To prepare the tofu:

In a medium bowl, soak the tofu cubes in vegetable broth for 30 minutes. Strain the tofu and reserve the broth. Drain tofu on a bed of paper towels.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg white, corn starch, hoisin sauce and salt. Add the drained tofu and gently toss to coat well.

To prepare the sauce:

In a medium saucepot over high heat, bring the reserved broth, cornstarch, hoisin and soy sauce to a boil. Cook, stirring, 4 minutes, or until the sauce darkens and thickens slightly.

To complete the Stir-Fry:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu ; cook 10, turning occasionally, until crisp and golden on all sides. Transfer to a fresh bed of paper towels to drain.

Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the same skillet. Add the shallots, mushrooms, baby corn, bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender, but the bell peppers are still crisp.

Add the tofu; cook 1 minute more, tossing gently, until the tofu is heated through. Pour the sauce over the stir-fry and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the almonds