Asparagus and Zucchini Tofu Recipe

This tofu stir fry dish is a staple in our home and I make it at least one a month. The reasons for this is it's quick to prepare, flavorful and packed with fresh green vegetables. 

The preparation is always the same. In this version, pan-seared tofu pieces (or leftover chicken breasts) are tossed with previously cooked zucchini and baby asparagus in maple syrup, chipotle garlic sauce and soy sauce. At the end, I added onions wedges and turned the heat off; the residual heat in the dish finished cooking the onions while keeping them juicy, sweet and crunchy.

Cauliflower Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

Our favorite tofu company, Vinh Khang Tofu, has just opened a new location in San Jose, close to King road in Sunset plaza. We visited the shop and stocked up on loads of freshly pressed tofu for the week.

I used some of it to make this crispy yet still fluffy tofu with cauliflower. I've prepared tofu so many times over the years that I bet I could prepare a tofu stir fry dish with my eyes closed. I must admit though, that I've never tried it with cauliflower, and I have to say that I really like how it turned out. The cauliflower softened nicely and provided a nice contrast to the crispiness of the tofu. Definitely worth a try!

Mushroom Tofu Stir Fry Recipe

My husband Lulu's niece and nephew spent the afternoon with us. It was so nice having so many children in the house. Of course, our daughter Aria was the center of attention and she loved it! While they were playing with the baby, I prepared dinner. I cooked some brown rice (Lulu's request since the beginning of the new year) and made mushroom tofu stir fry.

The stir fry is composed of combined shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and enoki mushrooms, Japanese eggplant, sugar snap peas and tofu, of course!

Banh Hoi Chay Recipe (Vietnamese Thin Rice Vermicelli Noodles)

Bánh hỏi is a Vietnamese specialty dish. It's composed of very thin rice vermicelli noodles, often steamed and seasoned with fried green onions. They’re usually served with barbecued beef or pork but for my husband who's a vegetarian, I accompanied them with a combination of sautéed tofu, bamboo, jicama, carrots and straw mushrooms. That's why I call this dish bánh hỏi chay (hint: chay means "vegetarian" in Vietnamese).

As a child, I remember having this dish at celebrations, though I don't really know why. I make it pretty regularly in our home because in my opinion, it's very simple to prepare and always enjoyable.

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are traditionally made of sliced pork, boiled shrimp, rice vermicelli noodles and Vietnamese herbs wrapped in rice paper called bánh tráng. Since I cook for a vegetarian crowd every day, today I made “salad” rolls with sauteed carrots, beech mushrooms, shredded white cabbage, soybean sprouts, fried tofu and the usual rice vermicelli noodles, lettuce and Vietnamese mint.

Served at room temperature with a vegetarian dipping sauce, they make the perfect summer entree. And speaking of summer, wrapping almost anything is a really great way to exercise portion control, which will do wonders for your bikini bod!