Sweet-and-Sour Stir-Fried Vegetables

This easy vegetable stir-fry  is enlivened by pineapple and a tangy sauce. Bolstered with baked tofu and served over hot grains or noodles, all you need is a simple salad or a platter of raw veggies to complete the meal.

Serves: 4 to 6

Sauce:

• Reserved pineapple juice from canned pineapple (see below)
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or brown rice syrup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
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• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 8 to 10 slender asparagus stalks, bottoms trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 14- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 16-ounce can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
• 8-ounce package baked tofu, cut into strips
• Hot cooked rice or noodles

Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and stir until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a stir-fry pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the green and red bell pepper and the asparagus, turn up the heat, and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and pineapple chunks continue to stir-fry for 5 minutes longer. Stir in the tofu and sauce. Cook until the sauce has thickened, just another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste, and if desired, adjust the sweet/sour balance to your liking with additional agave nectar, vinegar, and/or soy sauce.

Serve at once over hot cooked rice or noodles.

• Here are more easy vegetable stir-fries.