As much as I love winter and all the comfort food that comes with it, things can start to get a bit blah by the time we reach late February. Do you agree? For the record, I will never get sick of my cozy soups and stews. I just find myself starting to crave lighter meals and fresher flavors around this time of year. That’s where stir-fries like this one come in! With juicy pineapple, pan-fried tofu, spicy jalapeño peppers, and (totally optional) kumquats, it’s perfect for getting me out of my boring winter food rut.
Cooking with Kumquats
Kumquats (or their relatives, mandarinquats) are actually an optional ingredient in this recipe. I love snacking on kumquats, so I used the stir-fry recipe as an excuse to hunt some down. If you can’t find kumquats, I wouldn’t hesitate to simply leave them out of your stir-fry. Kiersten suggests adding some extra pineapple if you do this. I think a few thin orange slices might also work well. If you do want to include some kumquats, but can’t find them in your area, here is where I bought mine. And if kumquats are totally new to you and you’re not sure, here’s some answers that might help. What are kumquats? Kumquats are cute little citrus fruits. They’re oval-shaped, and about the size of large grapes. How do you eat kumquats? You eat them whole, peel and all! Kumquats usually contain seeds though, so watch out for them. What do kumquats taste like? They’re quite sour on the inside, but the peel is sweet. I find the flavor contrast to be delicious!
How to Make Spicy Tofu & Pineapple Stir-Fry
As with any stir-fry, prep everything before you start cooking. This means pressing and cutting your tofu into little triangles, chopping up all of your produce, and mixing up your sauce. Once everything is ready, you can start cooking! Heat up some oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add your tofu in an even layer. Cook it for a few minutes on each side, until the pieces are browned and crispy. Now remove the tofu from the skillet. You can add some more oil to the skillet if needed at this point. Once it’s hot, add some ginger and scallions (white parts only). Cook your aromatics for a minute or two. Now it’s time to add the sauce. Give it a quick whisk before adding it, to redistribute the sugar, and then add it to the skillet, along with your pineapple, jalapeño pepper, and kumquats, if you’re using them. Let the sauce simmer for a minute or two, until it thickens up a bit, then return the tofu to the skillet. Give everything a quick stir before removing it from the burner. Serve your stir-fry with rice or quinoa, and top it with cashews, cilantro, and/or sesame seeds. The recipe calls for black sesame seeds, but I used white because that’s what I had on hand!
Always prep your ingredients in advance when making a stir-fry! Stir-fries cook quickly, so you won’t have time to do prep work once you start cooking.Leftovers of this stir-fry keep well. They should be good in a sealed container in the fridge for at least 2 or 3 days.Is this stir-fry gluten-free? It is if you use gluten-free tamari.
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