6/4

Red Cabbage Stir Fry

Food, Grains, Meal Ideas, Weekday Approved
By Emma Chapman

6U8A8862There are plenty of nights we get home late from the office, and I just don’t feel like waiting an extra hour and a half and making a big mess in the kitchen to make something fussy. I love cooking, so there are plenty of nights I do like to make something special. But on the days I don’t, one meal I fall back on a lot is stir fry. I adore how the overall meal can turn out pretty complex tasting, even though you really only need one pan to cook it all in. Also, you can easily make a great stir fry dinner from whatever veggies or protein you have on hand. 

One veggie I’ve been experimenting with lately is red cabbage. I love how colorful it can make a meal, and cabbage is truly a very delicious vegetable (very similar in taste to my beloved brussels sprouts). If you’re in the mood for a quick, colorful dinner this week, I highly recommend you give this a try.

Red Cabbage Stir Fry, serves 2-3

1 cup uncooked rice (I used brown rice)
7 ounces extra firm tofu
1-2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrow root powder
1/2 red cabbage
1 red bell pepper
1/3 yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

6U8A8838Cook the rice according to the package directions. Depending on what kind of rice you decide to use, the amount of water needed can vary slightly. I highly recommend cooking the rice a day (or two) ahead of time. This saves you time the day you are making your stir fry dinner, AND day old rice makes better stir fry. You don’t want your rice to get too soggy, so letting it dry out a little is a good thing.

6U8A88306U8A8836Drain the tofu from any packaging liquid. Place on a plate with a paper towel underneath, and place a paper towel over the top and another plate. Like a tofu sandwich. Place a few canned goods over the top of the top plate. This will help the tofu to drain more. Cut up into small squares. Place in a ziplock bag, add the cornstarch, and give it a gentle shake. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, tossing once in the middle of the bake time.

6U8A88436U8A8846Prepare all your vegetables. Chop up the cabbage, bell pepper, and onion. Mince the garlic. In a large cup, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large cast iron skillet or a wok. Add the onion and bell peppers; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cabbage, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Now add in the rice, pour the sauce over everything, and continue to cook until the liquid dissolves and everything is hot. Toss in the baked tofu and cilantro just before serving. 

6U8A88556U8A8887You can totally add a fried egg in there if you like. Honestly, I usually do, but I was out of eggs the day I made this one, and it was still totally delicious, so I figure I’ll put the ball in your court on that one. 🙂 Enjoy! xo. Emma

Note: If you’re enjoying this as part of the Weekday Weekend Challenge be sure to use brown rice or another whole grain option.

Print

Red Cabbage Stir Fry

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked rice I used brown rice
  • 7 ounces extra firm tofu
  • 1-2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrow root powder
  • 1/2 red cabbage
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/3 yellow onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Depending on what kind of rice you decide to use, the amount of water needed can vary slightly. I highly recommend cooking the rice a day (or two) ahead of time. This saves you time the day you are making your stir fry dinner, AND day old rice makes better stir fry. You don’t want your rice to get too soggy, so letting it dry out a little is a good thing.
  2. Drain the tofu from any packaging liquid. Place on a plate with a paper towel underneath, and place a paper towel over the top and another plate. Like a tofu sandwich. Place a few canned goods over the top of the top plate. This will help the tofu to drain more. Cut up into small squares. Place in a ziplock bag, add the cornstarch, and give it a gentle shake. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, tossing once in the middle of the bake time.
  3. Prepare all your vegetables. Chop up the cabbage, bell pepper, and onion. Mince the garlic. In a large cup, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large cast iron skillet or a wok. Add the onion and bell peppers; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cabbage, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Now add in the rice, pour the sauce over everything, and continue to cook until the liquid dissolves and everything is hot. Toss in the baked tofu and cilantro just before serving.

Credits // Author: Emma Chapman. Photography: Sarah Rhodes. Photos edited with Lila from the Fresh Collection.

34 Comments

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.