Beef with Tofu

Most of our meals are based on what we have in the fridge/pantry. Today, I dug up some beef buried in the deep recesses of my freezer (tadaaa! I didn't even know it was there!) and paired it with a block of tofu (that had been staring at me for the longest time as well). 

The result was a delicious, saucy meal that we thoroughly enjoyed with hot steamed rice. Yum!


What you need:

• 1 pound beef, sliced into bite-size pieces
• 10 cloves of garlic + 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cake (14 oz) firm tofu
• enough canola oil to fry tofu
• 1 cup beef broth

 What to do:

Fill a pot with about 6 to 8 cups of water and add the beef slices, 10 cloves of garlic, onion, peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then drop heat to LOW and simmer for about 2 hours (or until meat is tender when poked with a pork).

Meanwhile, cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on a cooling rack and set aside.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of Canola oil in a wok. Add the beef (save the broth), minced garlic, fried tofu, and onions. Cook for about a minute, then add a cup of beef broth and the rest of the ingredients. Stir constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom of the wok. Cook until the carrot is tender (according to your preference). Enjoy!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Add more veggies - try broccoli or baby corn.
2. To make it soupy (instead of saucy), add more water.