Recipe: Broccoli, tofu and cashew nut stir fry
Broccoli is great for detox and this recipe brings together some of our favourite ingredients and flavours into one super tasty dish.
By including broccoli regularly in your normal diet, and particularly in your DIY detox, you will boost the amount of vitamin C, fibre and B vitamins in your diet. Scientific research has found that eating broccoli regularly can improve heart health, contribute to digestive health and help to reduce the chances of developing cancer (due to its anti-oxidant properties). It also tastes great, particularly when combined with tofu.
This dish is a great source of protein – it comes in both the tofu and cashew nuts, in addition to the natural vegetable proteins. During your detox it is still necessary to include a source of protein in your diet, as it is needed for cell repair and growth. Tofu is low calorie, as is broccoli, so the majority of the calories in this recipe come from the cashew nuts.
It is best if you have a little time for preparation to make sure the tofu tastes great. We always suggest that you marinade your tofu, to infuse it with some lovely flavours. Marinading the tofu for two to three hours is ideal. If you do not have much time, you can use the marinade to cook the tofu, so it will coat the tofu with flavour, rather than allowing the marinade ingredients to soak in.
We like to buy our cashew nuts natural – so there is no added salt and they are not roasted. You can then choose to roast the nuts yourself, as and when you need them. Roasting the nuts brings extra flavour to the dish. If you are short on time then you can use natural (unroasted) nuts. To roast, place the nuts onto a baking tray, spread them out into a single layer and place into a medium oven (or under a medium grill). Shake them a few times to make sure all sides are roasted.
Serving suggestion: You might like to serve this dish with some cooked brown rice (maybe use our brown rice salad recipe, served warm during the winter months) for a complete and filling meal.
Serves: 4
Calories: 992 total, 248 per serving
Broccoli, tofu and cashew nut stir fry recipe
Ingredients
Marinade
1 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tamari sauce
1 tbsp rice syrup
Zest and juice of ½ orange (or use lemon)
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ small red onion, finely chopped
Pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced or chopped finely
3cm chunk ginger, grated
Handful fresh coriander finely chopped
For the stir fry
1 pack (275g) organic firm tofu, diced into chunks
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 stick celery, finely cut
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tbsp tamari sauce
Juice from 1 lime
Handful of fresh coriander
Large handful toasted unsalted cashew nuts
Method
Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Put the diced tofu in a bowl and cover with the marinade ingredients. Place the tofu (covered) into the fridge and leave for a minimum of one hour (preferably three hours) to marinade.
Place the tofu and marinade into a pan and cook for 15 minutes over a medium heat. Add more water as necessary to prevent sticking. You want the tofu to become brown on the outside.
In a separate pan, cook the onion in a little water for about 6 minutes, until it starts to become soft. Add the celery and carrots and continue to cook for another few minutes. Add more water to the pan to prevent sticking. Add the red pepper and continue to stir fry for another 5 minutes. The veggies should be tender, but still a little crunchy.
Add in the tamari sauce, lime, fresh coriander, cashew nuts and tofu. Stir well to combine. Serve topped with a sprinkling of nuts and fresh coriander.
There are lots more recipes on our blog and you can find out more about the plant-based (vegan) food at La Crisalida Retreats here.
About the author
- Lisa is one of the founders of La Crisalida Retreats. She is an Epidemiologist, therapeutic hatha and yin yoga teacher and also teaches mindfulness meditation. Lisa has studied NLP and hypnosis, as well as nutrition (she designs the menus).
