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Leafy Chinese Tofu
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5 from 1 vote

Golden Tofu and Spinach Stir-Fry

Dinner in one hour? No problem. Start rice and quinoa in one pot. Press the extra water from the tofu. Sauté the tofu in a skillet. Clean spinach. Toast and grind sesame seeds. Wilt the spinach with tamari. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and love. Ta-da! Makes 3 to 4 servings.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spinach, tofu
Servings: 4 servings.
Calories: 376kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup red or multi-color quinoa ,rinsed
  • ½ cup brown basmati rice
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 14 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu, see note
  • 1 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed, washed, about 12 ounces spinach, see note
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add the quinoa and rice, cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and cook, covered, 30 to 40 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed. (To see if the liquid has been absorbed without stirring, tilt the pan to the side.) Let sit 5 to 10 minutes to cool. Fluff with a fork.
  • Press excess water from the tofu: Place the tofu on top of a clean tea towel (without terrycloth nubs.) Cover with another towel or paper towels. Place a dish on top and place something heavy on the dish. After 5 minutes the tea towels will have absorbed excess water.
  • Grind the toasted sesame seeds in a blender or food processor for about 5 seconds. You want some of the seeds to remain whole. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the salt.
  • Tear the spinach into pieces no larger than the size of a credit card.
  • Cut the pressed tofu into cubes, about 3/4-inch square.
  • In a non-stick skillet, on medium high, heat the coconut and sesame oils until shimmering. Add the tofu. Let it get golden on one side, then turn the cubes over and cook on another side, turning occasionally until the tofu is crisp golden brown on most sides. This should take about 15 minutes.
  • Push the tofu to the sides of the pan. Arrange the spinach in the middle of the pan. Sprinkle with tamari soy sauce, cover, and steam just to wilt the spinach, 2 to 4 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the sesame seed/salt mixture on top of the spinach and tofu.
  • Serve over the steamed quinoa rice.

Notes

  • Start the quinoa and brown rice first--while it’s cooking you can prepare everything else.
  • 1 cup of uncooked quinoa/rice yields about 3 cups cooked. You'll likely have some leftover—freeze it and add to creamy soups for a toothy bite.
  • I try to keep a package of tofu on hand. Refrigerated and unopened, it has about a six-week expiration date—just be sure to check the date before buying.
  • Feel free to substitute baby spinach for larger spinach. Use 2+ (5-ounce) packages.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 974mg | Potassium: 718mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7974IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 318mg | Iron: 6mg