Ellen's Special Stir-Fried Vegetables With Tofu

Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck

Yield:  Serves 2 to 4

1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 large slender Japanese or Asian eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
2 ounces oyster mushrooms, left whole or cut into bite-sized pieces, depending on size
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps left whole or cut in half depending on size
1/2 small organic red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 small organic green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined, and cut into 1-inch squares
1/4 medium bok choy, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 to 8 bite-sized broccoli florets
5 asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup organic vegetable or mushroom broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
14-ounce package firm tofu, thoroughly drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

In a large wok or a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat half of the oil over high heat. When it’s almost hot enough to smoke, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the eggplant, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the wok, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

Add the remaining oil along with the garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and raise the heat to high.  As soon as they are fragrant, after about 30 seconds, add the snow peas, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, asparagus and sugar. Stir briskly to coat all the vegetables with the oil, aromatics and sugar. Add the broth and soy sauce, and continue stirring until the vegetables are brightly colored, about 1 minute.