No-Stress Meals: Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry

This recipe calls for chicken or pork and I’ll be honest, because of the sad state of American food recalls of late, meat has been giving me the ick, so I replaced it with tofu and it works. If you want to use chicken or pork, go for it. A can of drained white beans works, too, as does rice instead of noodles.

As a Transformation Coach, I guide women to reduce the mental load any way they can. Often, making meals simpler by choosing a handful of go-to recipes, and leaning on one-pot methods to cut prep and cleanup are the answer to getting meals on the table when you don’t have the energy to cook.

I halved the cooked spaghetti from Peanut Sesame Noodles recipe to make this meal. Splitting ingredients across two recipes is good practice if you live alone because it prevents food boredom, something I suffered greatly from when I was going through my “cottage cheese phase” to hit protein macros when I started lifting weights.

It lasted only a month. I’m now in cottage cheese rehab.

I think tofu deserves a place in your cooking repertoire. It’s not only high protein, gut healthy and affordable, it’s a chameleon ingredient that takes on the flavors of other ingredients. In this case, kimchi, and the spicier the better. I lean heavy toward “food that makes you cry”. You can use a milder version, obvs.

Print Recipe

Kimchi Tofu Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 2 cups kimchi with juice, spicy preferred (480 ml)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (30 ml)
• salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger root (6 g)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil of choice (45 ml)
• 1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes (450 g)
• 1 20-ounce bag frozen Asian vegetables (567 g)
• 8 ounces cooked spaghetti (225 g)

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the kimchi with juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, ginger and garlic.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the tofu cubes in a single layer, as much as possible, and cook for 5 minutes. Gently stir to flip the tofu over to lightly brown the other side for 5 minutes.
3. Add the frozen vegetable mixture and spread it evenly over the tofu, trying not to disturb the cubes. Pour in ½ cup (120 ml) water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low; gently stir in the cooked spaghetti and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the kimchi sauce and serve.

Mel’s Tips

• substitute pork or chicken for the tofu (make sure to adjust cooking times). Canned white beans work in a pinch.

• substitute cooked rice for the spaghetti. I use pre-cooked rice such as Ben’s to save time

• there are a wide variety of frozen Asian vegetables, choose whichever makes you happy

Before You Go

I'm building a space for women who are done performing, both at home and  in the boardroom. If you enjoyed this article, I invite you to stick around and join my community of fierce women.

I encourage you to subscribe to The Fierce Weekly Edit.  Every Sunday, I write rebel wellness topics that call out the systems that keep us small and exhausted and offer small acts of non-compliance to break free (so you can find your fierce!). It will include the behind-the scenes series Tales From the River and include whatever settled my nervous system that week; a recipe, a book, a walk by the river. It's where you get to know the woman behind the brand, in the vintage RV parked next to a river.

And if you feel like leaving a comment down below, I welcome it. You might encourage or inspire another reader who is struggling and needs to know she is not alone.

Stay fierce, 

Melissa