Spicy Almond Tofu Stir-Fry

I probably make a stir-fry dish at least twice a month.  It is my go-to weeknight meal because I always have some vegetables and protein on hand.  I typically whisk together a soy sauce-based sauce to tie the entire dish together but this week, I decided to try something different.  I was really craving a good Thai-style peanut sauce but when it came time to dinnertime, I found that I only had almond butter on hand.  So, I did a substitution and found that almond sauce is pretty fantastic too.

First, I gathered my stir-fry ingredients.  Obviously you can use whatever vegetables and proteins you would like, but I used:

• 1 block firm tofu, drained (or in my case, pressed) and cubed
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 habanero pepper, mostly de-seeded and finely chopped
• 1 package of baby button mushrooms, cleaned and patted dry
• 1/2 cup of frozen zucchini slices
• 1 cup of frozen broccoli
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can of sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of peanuts, toasted
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil (not pictured)

For the almond sauce, I used:

• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon spicy red pepper flakes (Thanks, Bianca!)
• 1/4 cup water (not pictured)

After I prepped all of my stir-fry ingredients, I started out by warming up the wok on high heat with the vegetable oil.  Once the wok and the oil were very hot, I added the tofu to get a nice browned crust on the tofu.

While the tofu was cooking, I whisked together the ingredients for my almond sauce. 

When the tofu was done, I transferred the tofu to a plate and then added the chopped onion and habanero pepper to the wok.

After a few minutes, I added the mushrooms.

Then, I added the zucchini, broccoli, and garlic, along with some salt and pepper.

Finally, I added the tofu and almond sauce back to the pan and gave everything a good mix to make sure the almond sauce coated all of the stir-fry.

I then threw my peanuts into the oven at about 400 degrees to get them roasted.  While the peanuts were roasting, I added the water chestnuts to the stir-fry and gave everything a final mix.

I served the tofu stir-fry in a shallow bowl and topped with the roasted peanuts.  You can serve the stir-fry over noodles or rice, or eat it plain like we did.

The habanero pepper and red pepper flakes added a lot of heat, but it contrasted nicely with the sweet creaminess of the almond butter.  I also loved that there were softer mushrooms, onions, and tofu but also crunchy broccoli, water chestnuts and peanuts. 

This impromptu almond sauce will definitely be making a regular appearance in my stir-fry rotation.  Tell me, what is your go-to weeknight dish?  What dishes make regular appearances in your kitchen?