Braised Green Beans with Fried Tofu

You would not believe that this dish is actually Vietnamese! Even my meat and potatoes husband loves it! My recommendation is to have plenty of white rice on hand since the sauce is so tasty! Great as part of an Asian meal.

Step: 1

In a small bowl, stir together the white sugar, soy sauce, white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Set the sauce aside.

Step: 2

Pat the tofu dry with paper towels, and cut into cubes. Season the cubes with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornstarch over them on all sides.

Step: 3

Heat a little more than 1 inch of oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. If you have a deep-fryer, fill to the recommended level, and heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). When the oil is hot, add the tofu, and fry until golden brown on all sides. Turn occasionally. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.

Step: 4

In a separate skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and green beans; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until they begin to break apart, about 4 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots, and stir to blend.

Step: 5

Stir the sauce into the skillet with the beans, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the liquid starts to evaporate too much, stir in up to 1 cup of chicken broth.

Step: 6

Mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water until cornstarch is dissolved. Stir this into the sauce in the skillet. Simmer, stirring gently, until the sauce clears and thickens. Add the fried tofu, and stir to coat with the sauce.

Per Serving: 380 calories; protein 11.7g; carbohydrates 28.2g; fat 21.6g; sodium 698.9mg.

The most clear way to pick a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and pick something different. When you’re making pasta, go for a simple vegetable . Making steak? Go for something light. If you’re making stir-fry with rice, it must not a good idea to also make a rice salad.

This also can apply to cooking process . You don’t want to overcommit your oven by making to do list three dishes at once in there, or be rounding four pans on the stovetop . But sometimes you can made a dish do double-duty .