Offering an attractive presentation of steamed fresh veggies, this is a nice change of pace from stir-fries. It’s a fresh-tasting meal that gets its personality from a luscious sauce.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　1 recipe Coconut-Peanut Sauce or Salad Dressing (page 215)

　　2 large broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size florets

　　8 ounces slender green beans (see Note), cut in half

　　2 stalks lemongrass, cut in half, optional

　　1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

　　1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into narrow strips

　　2 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

　　Two 8-ounce packages White Wave Thai-flavored baked tofu, cut into narrow strips

　　Salt to taste

　　Hot cooked rice

　　

Step 1

Prepare the sauce according to the recipe. Leave it at room temperature or heat until just warm if desired; set aside until needed.

　　

Step 2

In a wide skillet or stir-fry pan, combine the broccoli florets and green beans with just enough water to keep the bottom of the pan moist.

　　

Step 3

If using the lemongrass, bruise each section by creating long slits with a sharp knife. Lay them over the vegetables in the pan. Cover and steam until the broccoli and beans are just beginning to turn bright green, 5 to 7 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Add the zucchini, bell pepper, scallions, and tofu. Give the mixture a good stir, cover, and continue to steam until the vegetables are all tender-crisp, another 2 to 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt.

　　

Step 5

Serve at once with or over hot cooked rice. Pass the sauce in a spouted cup so everyone can use as much as they like.

　　

menu suggestions

Step 6

This one-dish meal can be finished without much further ado. When I’m in a rush, I like this with rice-stick noodles; with a little more time to spare, it’s delicious with brown basmati or forbidden black rice (a medium-size, nutty variety that’s actually more purple than black). Either way, complete the meal with a platter of yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, chunks of mango and/or canned or fresh pineapple, and baby corn.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

Calories: 440

　　

Step 8

Total Fat: 23g

　　

Step 9

Protein: 25g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 35g

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 23g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 880mg

　　Cooks' Note

　　When good fresh green beans are not in season, use frozen organic whole baby green beans.

　　Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).