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Tag: chili garlic paste

Ma Po Tofu with Peas

Ma Po Tofu with Peas This is my husband’s favorite thing to order in Chinese restaurants. It is a Szechuan dish and so not really available in a lot of the restaurants. The dish is also on the greasy side- like any other that we tend to order in the restaurant. As usual I try to make it at home. It doesn’t taste exactly the same but it tastes good and I know it is healthy.

Usually the dish is made with ground pork and soft tofu with a delicious sauce. I used my usual ground turkey, which is my ‘go to’ ground meat. It is much healthier- I use dark turkey meat so the taste is really good.

I marinated the meat with some tamari and corn starch. The corn starch was to thicken the sauce while cooking the dish.  I then prepared a sauce consisting of black bean sauce, chili garlic sauce, ketchup and vinegar. I made a delicious sauce and got the tofu ready. I decided to make the dish a one pot meal and added some peas to it. I thought it was a good addition to the dish and I didn’t have to worry about serving a vegetable on the side.

Try this dish- it is easy, quick and super delicious….

  • ½ pound ground turkey
  • 3 teaspoons tamari
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

Mix the tamari with the cornstarch. Marinate the turkey meat with the cornstarch mixture for 2 to 3 hours.

  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 2 teaspoons black bean sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey

Mix the tamari, bean sauce chili paste, ketchup, vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Keep aside.

  • 1 pound silken or firm tofu, cut into 1 inch squares
  • 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons water

Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and keep aside.

Heat a wok-like saucepan with the oil. Add the ground turkey and sauté on high heat and separating the meat with the back of the spatula. Cook on high for 4 to 5 minutes till golden brown. Add the tamari sauce and mix well. Add the tofu and frozen peas. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to another boil. Check for seasonings and serve with brown rice.

Healthy Chicken & Broccoli

Healthy Chicken & Broccoli1 Here is another healthy dinner for you to make. I have made chicken and broccoli before but this version is a bit quicker and healthier. I used frozen broccoli instead of fresh- you can use either one. I happen not to find fresh broccoli so I used the frozen.

I drizzled a bit of oil on the broccoli and roasted it to get rid of excess moisture.

In the meantime I mixed up a quick sauce and instead of my usual chicken thighs, I used chicken breast. I sliced the breast pieces really thin and marinated them. Obviously chicken breast has less fat and is healthier than thighs. Personally I prefer the taste of dark meat but to be healthy- I used the breast.

Overall the dish was delicious and I served it with brown rice- enjoy!!!
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