Lightweight Eats

Like most families, we have some go-to meals. For example, we try to always keep black beans, tortillas and red cabbage on hand so we can whip up tacos with cabbage slaw. (Thanks to my sister for the slaw recipe!) Smoothies are another great option: we keep veggie scraps and bargain bin fruit in the freezer to blend with protein powder for a fast, easy, healthy dinner.

Another favorite is the stirfry. Every week, we buy two blocks of tofu and it almost always gets used in a stirfry.

When we first started making this, we usually ended up with soggy veggies and tofu crumbles. After much trial and error (and equal amounts of simplification), we now consistently produce crisp veggies, tasty sauce, and chewy tofu. Learn from our mistakes.

If you're super new to making stirfry, I recommend using one piece of advice per attempt.

1. Start your rice first. It takes about 30 minutes to make white rice, so this needs to get going right away. By the time everything else is ready, your rice will be ready. If it's done early, it can wait. Rice stays hot.

2. Use two pans—a flattish pan for tofu (non-stick is ok) and a higher sided, thin pan (one that gets really hot and tends to burn things) for veggies.

3. Once the rice is going, cut the tofu into bite-size pieces and pat it dry. Heat up your flat pan with a bit of oil; once it's hot, add the tofu—it should sizzle. Cook it until it's brown (2-3 minutes) and stir. Get at least two sides browned. Feel free to chop veggies during this process (or use pre-chopped). Set the tofu aside (or leave it on low heat, stirring every 4-5 minutes).

4. Use no more than 2 types of veggie. We love broccoli and carrots—easy to cut, easy to cook. Some other ideas: baby greens, shiitake mushrooms, canned bamboo shoots, green onion, celery. Any other suggestions?

5. Cook the veggies lightly over very high heat. Start with the veggie you'd least like to eat raw—in our example, broccoli goes in first. Then add the second when the first is almost ready to eat. When your veggies are crisp but cooked—don't try to brown them—add half of your sauce (see below) and toss together.

6. Make a simple sauce. Sweet soy sauce is a good stand alone. You can also buy bottled teriyaki sauce. Or, mix peanut butter, minced ginger and soy sauce.

7. To serve, assemble bowls with rice, browned tofu, veggies and a spoonful of sauce. Top with sesame seeds and chopped green onions if you're feeling fancy.