Teriyaki-Glazed Asparagus Kale and Tofu Stir-Fry

Last night I was thinking about what I could make for dinner after spending all day with the girls and the afternoon making adorable animal shaped bread. I knew that I had asparagus and kale to use and that my body would sure appreciate the greens. I also knew that I didn’t want to spend too long in the kitchen, so I decided to cook up some brown rice and make a stir-fry.

Teriyaki-Glazed Asparagus Kale and Tofu Stir-Fry

I have a special place in my heart for asparagus and kale, but had never thought of pairing them together in one of my favorite dishes. This stir-fry is easy to prepare and glazed in a beautiful sweet, ginger and garlic Teriyaki sauce. Definitely one of my new favorite meals.

Serves 4

Brown Rice –

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice

Stir-Fry –

1 package (350 g) extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 2 cm cubes
2 tablespoons sunflower oil, for frying
1 bunch asparagus (about 25 spears), chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 large leaves of kale, ribbed and chopped

Teriyaki Sauce –

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons shoyu or tamari
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1/4 cup water

Directions

Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the brown rice, return to a boil then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. While the rice is cooking, prepare the stir-fry.

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, rice vinegar, shoyu or tamari, molasses, sesame oil, pressed garlic and ginger. In a separate small dish, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Add the cornstarch/water mixture to the rest of the sauce ingredients and whisk until combined.

Place the pressed, cubed tofu into a medium-size bowl and pour the Teriyaki sauce over top. Allow the tofu to marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Heat a medium non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Dry fry the marinated tofu cubes in for 5-8 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in the same skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and kale pieces and stir-fry for 8-10 minutes until the asparagus is fork-tender and the kale pieces have wilted.

Add the tofu to the skillet along with the cooked asparagus and kale and pour the Teriyaki sauce over top. Cook a few minutes more, stirring often until the sauce has thickened and evenly glazes the entire stir-fry.