People of the world, spice up your life… by adding some Sriracha to a zesty asian-style vegetarian dish.

Confession: I saw Victoria Beckham on a commercial on TV just once today and now I have Spice Girls stuck in my head. On repeat.

So, I might have added an extra squeeze of Sriracha to my plate of sesame-gingered veggies and tofu, just give my mind and my humming a break. Now my mouth is on fire and that’s all I can think about.

Chrissy- 0

Spice Girls- 0

Sriracha- 1

At least my plan almost worked. Almost.

Enough about my awesome choice in music as a kid that now comes back to haunt me…

This vegetarian dish has great flavor, and it is packed with healthful ingredients.  Served over freshly cooked quinoa, the crunchy carrots and bell peppers pair well with the slightly crispy but tender tofu filet.

Be sure to make yourself an extra helping for lunch the next day! It packs up well and is easy to transport and reheat. Not to mention all of your co-workers will be jealous of your meal as they glance down at their Lean Cuisine (sad face). Go ahead, offer them a bite and then convince them that fresh lunches are way cooler than a freezer burnt, sodium & preservative-packed Lean Cuisine, any day.

Truth be told, as I was preparing this dish, I originally left the kale out of the original veggie mix. So I sauteed the kale with a drizzle of sesame oil and added it to the mix. It was DIVINE. Get ready for a sesame & kale dish coming your way soon.

Sesame-Ginger & Sriracha Vegetables with Tofu

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 package, water-packed extra-firm tofu

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 large carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

8 crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 cup kale, stem removed and chopped

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 green onion, diced (reserve ¼ for garnish)

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp grapeseed oil

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

ground ginger for sprinkling on tofu (about ¾ tsp)

garlic powder for sprinkling on tofu (about 1/2 tsp)

¼ salt, or more to taste

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp Sriracha, plus more for garnish (optional)

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

Slice the block of tofu, into 4 equal portions, and press out the moisture for about 10 mintues. You can do this by wrapping them, individually, in paper towels or a clean towel and covering with a heavy plate/cutting board.

Heat 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp grapeseed oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add carrots and yellow onion and cook for 3 minutes over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, kale, green onion (reserving some for garnish) and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When vegetables are tender but still somewhat crisp, add the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, Sriracha, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute more then turn off heat and transfer vegetables & juices to a plate/bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.

For the tofu, after most of the moisture has been absorbed by the paper towels, sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, ground ginger and garlic powder. Drizzle the last tsp of sesame oil into the skillet and let it get hot. Add the seasoned tofu into the skillet and cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until browned and crispy.

Serve vegetables and tofu with cooked quinoa (about a 1/2 cup), drizzle with additional Sriracha–if you can handle the heat–and garnish with a pinch of toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy