Inspired by Bluezones.com/recipes
Sauce ingredients:
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (for gluten free)
3 tablespoons rice wine or sake
1 tablespoon date paste, maple syrup, or sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch stirred into 2-3 tablespoons water
Mix together then toss with the snow peas.
Directions:
1. Drain the tofu and if firm, rather than extra-firm, press with a tofu press or by putting it between two inverted small plates, and placing something heavy on the top, like a full tea pot. Let stand 20-30 minutes. Dry, then cut in half horizontally, and into 1/2 cubes by cutting lengthwise and crosswise. Put into a bowl and add the marinade ingredients (3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tbsp. garlic, and 1 tsp. sesame oil if using). Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature, tossing occasionally to coat. Or, put in a zip lock baggie and push out the air for even coverage.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet and wipe a paper towel with a bit of oil over the surface. Arrange the tofu cubes around the pan. Let become golden brown on one side, then turn to the opposite side to do the same. This can be done while the vegetables are being cooked, or, remove from the pan and set aside, then use the same pan again to complete the recipe.
3. Heat to medium high a skillet or a wok. Add the onion, spread it around the pan and let it sizzle a bit to draw out moisture, when it begins to stick and darken, add a tablespoon or more of water to deglaze the pan. Do this one, or two times more, until onion begin to get light golden. Add the black beans, 2 tablespoons garlic, ginger, and chili sauce, and stir to coat the onion. Add a few tablespoons or more of broth to deglaze the pan, then add the carrots, and bell peppers. Stir until slightly tender. Add the sauce/sugar snap peas mixture and the browned tofu and toss lightly until the sauce has thickened, 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
4. Serve with steamed rice or quinoa.
