Stir-fried Yellow and Green Beans with Pan-fried Tofu and Chevre

Being primarily vegetarian, a plateful of vegetables completely satisfies my appetite. 'Primarily vegetarian'? I caught myself asking as I typed, and then started wondering how it might come across. Well, I do taste the poultry and fish I cook for the family (no beef, pork, lamb etc), but I don't relish it as a meal, having spent the first 3 decades of my life as a vegetarian. So, while no strict rules about it, I do tend to avoid eating meat.

Well, now that we've gotten that bit of trivia out of the way, this plate full of stir-fried veggies made quite a sumptuous meal that I wanted to share here.

Pan-fried tofu is a great option for adding protein to a vegetarian meal (well, unless there is some soy intolerance and other health reasons). When we buy a block or two, I tend to bake/pan-fry a batch and have it handy in the fridge/freezer.

The flavoring for the baked tofu is carried through to the vegetables in this recipe via the marinade. Of course, feel free to substitute any other favorite marinade/dressing.

Ingredients
Extra Firm tofu
a variety of green beans and baby carrots, par-cooked
peeled and sliced garlic cloves
Chèvre - Goat Cheese
Crushed roasted peanuts
vegetable oil

Marinade:
Soy sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Minced garlic
Agave nectar (just a tiny bit)
Hot sauce (I used Tapatio Salsa Picante which was handy, but prefer Sambal Oelek)

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F
2. Stir or blend the marinade well; make enough for tofu as well as vegetables, and maybe save some for drizzling right before serving
3. Slice the block of tofu into 1cm thick slices, drench in marinade and bake for about 45 minutes, flipping half way though and basting with marinade as needed; remove from oven, allow to cool and cut into strips
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the par-cooked beans, some marinade, sliced garlic, and stir fry; toss in strips of tofu as well
5. Off heat, stir in crushed roasted peanuts, drizzle extra marinade if preferred, dot with tangy clean-tasting chèvre to balance the flavors and serve at room temperature