Got Miso? Make Dinner.

I am in refrigerator clean-out mode. I am not sure if it is the time of year - the abundance at the local farmer's markets requires more refrigerator space, or maybe it was just my mood this afternoon, but the shelves of my fridge are being cleaned out. I am attempting to avoid the grocery store this week, which is a bit of a challenge since I haven't been since last weekend (as in a full 7 days ago), and I didn't goto any farmer's markets this weekend (I was in Connecticut). I plan on hitting the farmer's markets this weekend which leaves me 5 days to clear out the refrigerator. So as I was shuffling items around, and, sadly, tossing some bell peppers and beets that had gone bad, I discovered an unopened container of tofu cubes. Of course the use by date was about 2 months ago... but it had never been opened. So I turned to my friends at the CLBB, and it only took one reply to convince me to use the tofu cubes. I applied my "dairy rule of thumb" to the tofu - if it smells okay and isn't growing something funny, eat it. Of course, I don't recommend any of you follow this rule of thumb and please don't sue me if you do! ;)

Excuse me while I get slightly off track to mention how wonderful these tofu cubes are to keep on hand for quick meals. I wasn't too sure about tofu, especially since I discovered I do not like the silken version "hidden" in things like smoothies. I have always enjoyed tofu in dishes like Pad Thai, but it doesn't really fit the bill for the healthier way I am attempting to eat at the moment. I grabbed the box of Nasoya Organic Cubed Super Firm Tofu on a total whim, and let it sit in my fridge for a long time before trying it. It is the greatest convenience food! I simply drain it while I prepare whatever dish I am throwing it into and add it when appropriate. Delicious and super simple! I definitely plan to keep it on hand - especially since I know that the use by date is merely a suggestion. :)

The inspiration for my dinner tonight was part refrigerator clean-out, part Asian food craving, and part necessity. What the heck was I going to make in about 15 minutes (I had to eat ASAP because I had a big work out tonight with Kali)?! Well, a stir fry always works when you need to get food on the table, and it is also perfect for using up the forgotten vegetables at the back of your produce drawer. I am also happy to report that I used the basic flavor profile for this stir fry from the Ellie Krieger Miso Glaze recipe I reviewed here. The blonde miso container that was shoved to the back of the fridge found another use. This dish was absolutely delicious, satisfying and easy to throw together. I am sure I will make several variations of it in the future. Most importantly, this dish is very healthy, and you can up the vegetable content to your own taste. I am submitting it to Sweetnicks ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday blog event since it is full of healthy goodness.

Josie's Quick Miso Tofu Scramble

Serves 1

1 T olive oil
1 t sesame oil
1 green garlic stem, tough green leaves discarded, white & light green parts thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced on the diagonal
~ 1 cup (I used approx. half the package) of Nasoya Cubed Super Firm Tofu, drained
6 asparagus stems, sliced on the diagonal into 1" pieces
1/2 cup mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced (I used shiitake and blue oyster)
1 T blonde miso
1 T brown sugar
Splash of Mirin
Splash of Soy Sauce
2 large eggs, 1 yolk discarded, scrambled

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the green garlic (sub whatever oniony, garlicky goodness you want if you can't get green garlic). Allow garlic to brown slightly, then add the carrot slices and cubed tofu. Allow to cook for about 3 minutes until tofu starts to brown. Add the sesame oil, mushrooms and asparagus and cook for a minute. Add the miso, sugar, mirin and soy sauce and stir to combine. The miso may need a minute or two to thin out and dissolve into the sauce. After the sauce has thoroughly combined and coated the vegetables, slide everything out of the pan to a serving dish. Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook quickly to hard scramble the eggs. Once the eggs are cooked through, add the vegetables and tofu back to the pan and stir to combine.
Adjust the soy sauce and sugar to your personal taste. Serve and Enjoy!