Meatless Mondays: Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts

Tonight I made this yummy recipe.

(And, no, that's not MY picture. I borrowed the picture from the recipe at Cooking Light.)

I only recently started cooking tofu. I was nervous about it, but I like the texture of broiling the tofu. Also, there are a couple ingredients in this recipe I'd never heard of before, but I found all of them in the "Asian cooking" aisle at my grocery store.

I served it over rice I made in my rice cooker. Oh, how I love my rice cooker...

Szechuan-Style Tofu with Peanuts

1 (14-ounce) package water-packed firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces

cooking spray

1/2 c. broth

1 tablespoon ground fresh chile paste (I used Roasted Red Chile Paste. Close enough.)

1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch (I used flour)

2 teaspoons black bean garlic sauce

1 tablespoon oil

1/4 teaspoon salt (I omitted the salt)

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

1/2 c. matchstick-cut carrots

1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1/4 c. unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a foil-lined jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray; broil 14 minutes or until golden. (I flipped mine halfway through)

3. While tofu cooks, combine broth and next 4 ingredients (through black bean sauce), stirring with a whisk; set aside.

4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salt (or not) and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes or until mushrooms begin to release liquid, stirring occasionally. Stir in carrots and ginger; cook 1 minute. Add broth mixture; cook 30 seconds or until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat; stri in tofu and onions. Serve over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.

I should probably confess that, while he HAVE been eating way more tofu these days, I've also taken up a love affair with bacon. I'm totally a work in progress...