Coconut curry vegetables

This is another meal inspired by food I've had while dining out. PF Chang's has really yummy coconut curry vegetables with crisp tofu and brown rice that I just love. I remember being hesitant to try it because I don't like coconut, nor curry. I asked for a sample of the sauce and ended up loving it! So how the heck did I end up falling for these veggies slathered in coconut curry sauce? Not really sure, but I do know they're a go-to whenever I'm there.

This meal also introduced me to the lovely world of tofu. Yeah, yeah I know it doesn't ring the yummy bell with most people unless you're a veggie or vegan. The crispiness of it is what gets me. I really don't know that I could eat it any other way since the texture is so soft. This preparation was so good, that Hubby and I bought a big old box of tofu at Costco for a few bucks. Naturally, we tried this meal at home. A lot was going on, so rather than chronicle everything that was happening, I captured the mess on the stove in one take.

Instead of rice, we used farro (a wheat grain that is really substantial and filling, plus really delicious). We boiled the farro following the box's directions, but I've used it before in making it risotto style. Vegetables were sautéed in extra virgin olive oil (we chose broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and peppers), while I crisped up some cubed tofu in a hot pan. The sauce was really quick and delicious and reduced as we cooked everything else. In the end you, pretty much threw all the components together in one meal and it was divine. I think this meal might have been accidentally vegan, but you would never know!  It tasted just as good as the restaurant's version, and I'm looking forward to leftovers tonight!

Crispy tofu!

Coconut curry vegetables

Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS curry powder
1 1/2 TBS powdered or freshly grated ginger
1 TBS sugar
1 small onion, diced
1 can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Everything else...
1 cup farro
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 TBS olive oil
2 peppers, diced
3 cups broccoli
1/2 cup snow peas
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 blocks tofu, cubed

Directions

Put a medium saucepan on medium heat and sautee the onions, curry, ginger, and sugar for one minute in the oil. Add the coconut milk, mix, then educe heat to low. Let the sauce reduce while you cook everything else. Still occasionally with a whisk to be sure nothing is clumping.

Boil a small pot of water and throw in the farro. Reduce heat to medium and let cook for 18 minutes. Drain and mix in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

Put a large pot on medium heat and sautee all the veggies in the oil. Cook until tender but still has a bit of a bite (you don't want them soggy). Add salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like (I added just a tad of crushed red pepper).

The tofu will be really wet, so lay the blocks on a paper towel or two and pat down with more paper towels until most of the moisture is absorbed, then cube it up.  Heat a medium sautee pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of oil (we tried our new sunflower seed oil, but olive oil is fine). Once the pan is hot, throw in the diced tofu and add salt and pepper. Be sure to let the tofu brown and crisp up before moving the tofu around in the pan. I tend to be impatient and put the tofu in too early and move it around in the pan, not allowing them to brown sufficiently. Be patient, because the crispiness makes all the difference!

Once everything is done, throw the coconut curry sauce on top of the veggies in the large pot and mix together. Then add the tofu and mix. Scoop onto your dinner plate and add a side of the farro. It's really the best when you put the farro IN the veggie mixture, but it's totally up to you. Enjoy!