Gabe's Stir-fry with Toasted Orzo and Tofu

I continue to encourage my children to get involved in dinner preparation. True, I get bored and so do they, with my own quick and easy interpretations of stir-fries, grains and veggies, tofu and what generally constitutes a fast meal during the week.

Gabe, who is 14, cooked last night, with a bit of instruction and advice from me. I'm pleased to report that he made a good meal and we ate up every last scrap. I suggested that he write it down so that we could share the recipe.

Stir-fry:

(Gabe didn't want to chop, so he used frozen vegetables even though we had plenty of interesting things in the house...you decide what's best for you)

1 large onion, diced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 20oz bag of frozen mixed veggies - cauliflower, broccoli and baby carrots

Dried thyme, salt and pepper and Gabe's favorite, hot paprika

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned. Add a healthy pinch or two of dried thyme, rubbing it between your fingers to release the oils, a pinch of salt and 5-10 grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle in hot paprika to you taste. Stir.

Add your veggies in (if you were using fresh, I might suggest sauteing some mushrooms, red peppers and zucchini, or carrots, winter squash and celery, for example) and cover. Cook until tender to your taste. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Orzo:

1 medium onion, diced

Yellow curry paste

3 cups orzo - we use a whole-grain, spelt variety, which is very tasty.

4 1/2 cups boiling water

Toasted sesame oil

Saute onion with toasted sesame oil. Stir in yellow curry paste to your taste - Gabe suggests 2 tablespoons which is pleasantly hot - then add the orzo and toast for a couple of minutes in the pan, stirring continuously. Pour in the boiling water - watch out for the sputter - cover, and cook on a low flame for about 8 minutes, until tender.

Tofu:

1 block of firm tofu, cubed

Chili oil

Canola oil

Sesame seeds

Tamari

Saute tofu in canola oil with a drizzle of chili oil mixed in. As tofu begins to brown, sprinkle in sesame seeds and toast alongside the tofu, watching carefully (this will all happen quickly). Once the tofu is browned to your liking, add a few splashes of tamari to your taste.

Serve:

Pile it up. Orzo, topped with veggies and a few cubes of tofu. Great job, Gabe.