Soy with sizzle: super-fast stir-fries that celebrate spring

Lightning-quick stir-fries are vegetarians' perennial fast food: The high cooking temperatures and uniformly sized ingredients mean that, once you've assembled your stir-fry fixings, dinner can be ready in just 10 minutes!

Turning up the heat under your wok or skillet (most stir-fry recipes call for medium-high to high temperature settings) also helps you cut down on fat and calories because the hotter the pan, the less oil you need to sear foods quick and keep them from sticking.

Stir-frying also offers unlimited options in terms of cuisines and seasonings, from Thai-style curries to Italian-inspired pasta tosses. And this Asian cooking style and soy foods go hand in hand since the high heat seals in flavor and adds texture to tofu, tempeh and seitan. Fast food has never been so healthful--or so delicious!

choose

THINK ROUND-BOTTOMED WOKS FOR GAS BURNERS, FLAT-BOTTOMED WOKS FOR ELECTRIC

EDAMAME FRIED RICE

Serves 4 Vegan
30 minutes or fewer

Cold precooked rice is best for stir-fried
rice dishes, so it's smart to make a little
extra when you're boiling rice for other
meals. Brown rice is used here, but basmati
or jasmine rice are delicious alternatives.

1 Tbs. canola oil
2 carrots, shredded
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
5 scallions, minced
3 to 4 Tbs. tamari or low-sodium
  soy sauce
3 cups cooked shelled edamame
4 cups cold cooked long-grain
  brown rice

1. Heat oil in large wok or skillet
over medium-high heat. Add carrots,
bell pepper and scallions, and stir-fry
until just tender, about 2 minutes.

2. Add tamari, edamame and rice,
and stir-fly until combined and heated
through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

PER SERVING: 440 CAL; 19G PROT: 10G TOTAL FAT
(0.5G SAT FAT); 66G CARB; OMG CHOL: 840MG
SOD; 11G FIBER; 5G SUGARS

STIR-FRIED PASTA AND BROCCOLI
RABE WITH MISO PESTO

Serves 8 Vegan
30 minutes or fewer

Miso and tahini add an interesting
dimension to the nontraditional "fusion"
pesto. The pairing of broccoli rabe and
orecchiette pasta--orecchiette means
"little ear" and aptly describes these small,
round shapes--is popular in Italy's Puglia
region, but any small pasta can be used.
If you can't find broccoli rabe, substitute
small broccoli florets, chard or spinach.
To up the protein, add a cup of cooked
cannellini beans.

  1 lb. orecchiette, cooked al dente
  3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste
  4 cups fresh basil leaves
  3 Tbs. white miso
1/4 cup olive oil
  1 lb. broccoli rabe,
  chopped and blanched
Salt and freshly ground black
  pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package
directions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup
cooking water, and rinse. Set aside.

2. Put garlic, pine nuts and salt in
food processor, and chop. Add basil,
and process until minced. Add miso,
and process until combined. With
machine running, slowly stream
in 3 Tbs. olive oil, and process until
smooth and creamy. Set aside.

3. Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in large
wok or skillet over medium-high heat.
Add broccoli rabe, and season with
salt and pepper. Stir-fry until tender,
about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

4. Add pasta, reserved pesto and
pasta cooking water. Stir-fly until well
combined and heated through. Serve hot.

PER SERVING: 330 CAL: 12G PROT, 10G TOTAL FAT
(1G SAT. FAT); 49G CARB; OMG CHOL; 295MG
SOD; 4G FIBER: 5G SUGARS

Wine Suggestion

Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc from Sonoma is an excellent counterpoint to both the slight saltiness of miso and the grassy sweetness of flesh basil.

GINGER-SESAME TOFU WITH
ASPARAGUS AND SHIITAKES

Serves 4 Vegan
30 minutes or fewer

Tofu soaks up the flavors of sesame,
tamari, ginger and garlic in this recipe,
and provides a hearty complement
to the mushrooms and asparagus.

1/3 cup low-sodium tamari
  or low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, drained,
  pressed dry and cubed
1 lb. thin asparagus, trimmed
  and cut diagonally into
  1-inch pieces
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms,
  stemmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
Toasted sesame seeds
  for garnish

1. Combine tamari, vinegar,
sesame oil and sugar in mixing
bowl, and stir until well blended.
Set aside.

2. Heat 1 Tbs. canola oil in large
wok or skillet over medium-high
heat. Add tofu, and stir-fry until
golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Remove tofu from pan; set aside.

3. Heat remaining I Tbs. canola
oil in same pan. Add asparagus and
shiitakes, and stir-fry until tender,
about 5 minutes. Add garlic and
ginger, and stir-fry until fragrant,
about 30 seconds. Add reserved
tofu and sauce; toss well and heat
through. Garnish with sesame
seeds, and serve.

PER SERVING: 330 CAL; 19G PROT: 22G
TOTAL FAT (3G SAT. FAT]; 16G CARB; 0MG
CHOL: 570MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 4G SUGARS

TEMPEH WITH COCONUT MILK
AND LEMONGRASS.

Serves 4 Vegan

This recipe scores big on preparation
case and flavor. To extract the most
flavor, pound the lemongrass's white
stem end flat before mincing it.
Discard the fibrous green end.
Extra-firm tofu may be used instead
of the tempeh, if you prefer. Serve
this colorful dish over rice or noodles.

1/2 cup lite unsweetened
    coconut milk
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. minced lemongrass
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper,
  optional
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 lb. tempeh, diced
1 large red bell pepper,
  seeded and cut into thin slivers
8 oz. snow peas, trimmed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
  Juice of 1 lime
3 Tbs. minced cilantro
  for garnish
1/2 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted
peanuts for garnish

1. Put coconut milk, soymilk,
peanut butter, soy sauce, lemongrass,
brown sugar and crushed red
pepper, if using, into food processor
or blender; puree until smooth.

2. Heat oil in wok or skillet over
medium-high heat. Add tempeh,
bell pepper, snow peas and
scallions. Stir-fry 5 minutes,
or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add
pureed mixture, and cook
5 minutes more, or until sauce
thickens. Stir in lime juice. Garnish
with cilantro and peanuts; serve.

PER SERVING 520 CAL: 32G PROT; 30G
TOTAL FAT (SG SAT. FAT) 33G CARB, 0MG
CHOL; 500MG SOD; 11G FIBER; 12G SUGARS