15-Minute Healthy Sauteed Asparagus and Tofu - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

Today's Recipe
If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
Add this quick-and-easy non-meat meal to your Healthiest Way of Eating this week. Prepared by using our Healthy Sauté cooking method it has great flavor with a minimal number of ingredients and is prepared without the use of heated oils. Enjoy!

15-Minute Healthy Sautéed Asparagus and Tofu
Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced medium thick
• 4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 TBS vegetable broth
• 2 TBS minced fresh ginger
• 3 cups thin asparagus, cut in 2-inch lengths
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thin julienne in 1-inch lengths
• 4 oz extra firm tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 2 TBS rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice onions and chop garlic and let both sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Add garlic, ginger, asparagus, and peppers and continue to healthy sauté for another 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add tofu, soy sauce, and vinegar. Turn heat to low and cover for about 2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, yet still crisp.
5. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serves 4 Printer Friendly Version of 15-Minute Healthy Sautéed Asparagus and Tofu
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for 15-Minute Healthy Sautéed Asparagus and Tofu
Healthy Food Tip

Are the different colored bell peppers different plants?

From a scientific standpoint, bell peppers all come from the same genus and species of plant, called Capsicum annuum. Some of the color differences in bell peppers originate in the cultivars used to grow them. (Cultivars are special varieties of a plant that growers select for desired characteristics. They still come from a single seed source, however—in this case, Capsicum annuum.)
Most of the differences in bell pepper color stem from time of harvest and degree of ripening. Green peppers are bell peppers that have been harvested before being allowed to fully ripen. While green bell peppers usually turn yellow-orange and then red this is not always the case. Red, orange, and yellow bell peppers are always more ripe than green ones and therefore require more time in the ground before they can be harvested; that's why they are more expensive. Bottom line: all of the bell peppers originate from the same species of plant, and they achieve their different colors naturally, not by any artificial means.
It's interesting to note that in addition to their unique colors, each differently hued bell pepper has a unique array of nutritional benefits. Green peppers feature an abundance of chlorophyll. Yellow peppers have more of the lutein and zeaxanthin carotenoids. Orange peppers have more alpha-, beta-, and gamma-carotene. Red peppers have more lycopene and astaxanthin, two other important carotenoids.
For more information on this topic, please see:

• Bell peppers