I like stir fries – they are a fun, easy way to experiment with new flavors and textures.

This one needs a few speciality ingredients but I found all of them in my local Whole Foods

I tackle the stir fry prep first divided into veggies, protein, flavorings and garnish. This recipe is inspired from a Bon Appétit article

Veggies; half a small cabbage cut into big 2 inch or so cubes

Protein: Andrea Nguyen from Viet world kitchen talks up frozen tofu a lot – so I tried it. Freeze and defrost a block of firm tofu – it changes the texture amazingly – the water just drains out. Then crumble tofu into 1 inch or so jagged crumbles

Flavorings: 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp garlic, the whites of 6 scallions and 1 tsp vegetable oil

Garnish: the greens of 6 scallions and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Sauce: 1/3 cup mirin 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar and 1 tsp (or more) of sambal olek , 1 tbsp sesame oil

Boil a pot of water- add udon (14 oz) and cook according to package directions but a minute or two less. Cool immediately and drain

In a very hot non stick pan- add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and cook the cabbage (tossing frequently) till charred in places and soft. Remove cabbage to udon bowl

In the same pan, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and add the crumbled tofu with 1 tbsp corn starch just shaken over it. Cook over high heat till tofu is browned

Make a hole in the center, add the flavorings. Cook for 30 sec and then toss with tofu

Add cabbage, udon and sauce- coat noodles with sauce

Add garnish and serve with additional sambal olek

This is fairly nutritious and made about 5 servings for us (dinner and lunch the next day)