Sweet and Sour Spiced Tofu Stir Fry

Ben and I eat a lot of veggies, and stir-frying is one of our favorite ways to eat them. This stir fry is a nice blend of sweet and sour, and has a smoky taste of cumin.  If you like some heat, you can add some red pepper flakes, but I used a hot pepper jelly that left it mildly spicy.  Its very forgiving and you can really play around with the recipe, substituting whatever veggies you have on hand, and it pairs well with rice and a simple side salad. 
A word on tofu: If you've never cooked with tofu before, I suggest an open mind.  It really isn't that scary.  It doesn't taste like much on its own, and the consistency varies from firm (think hard boiled egg white) to soft (cream cheese texture) depending on what you get.  It absorbs the flavors of whatever it is prepared with or marinated in.  Personally, we've always gotten firm and extra firm tofu, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying soft or silken tofu.  If you aren't used to it,  try it along with another ingredient so it isn't all by itself- such as blending it 50/50 with ricotta in a lasagna.  It really isn't that scary.  A 1/2 cup serving has just 88 calories, 10 grams of protein, and a good amount of iron, magnesium, folate, manganese, and many other minerals.   

Ingredients:
Tofu and marinade:
 1/2 block of firm/extra firm tofu (about 1 cup chopped)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp mango hot pepper jelly (if you don't have this, just use apricot jelly, or even extra honey or brown sugar)
2 tbsps soy sauce

Veggies and spices: (substitute others as long as you keep the same amounts)
2 carrots chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 small yellow pepper
1 small orange pepper
1/4 cup corn
1 tbsp cumin seeds

Directions

1. Start with the rice, and then tofu preparations.  If you are using brown rice to serve with this, start cooking the rice since it will take 40 minutes to fully cook.  Otherwise you can wait a few minutes, then prepare white.  Or if you're really in a hurry, you can use instant rice.  This recipe serves 4 so cook however much rice you think you'll use.  Press tofu to remove excess water (I wrap in a clean towel and place a heavy pan on top for around 30 minutes). Whisk together marinade ingredients in a bowl, add chopped tofu.  Allow to marinade in fridge for 3o minutes or more, while you prepare the rest of the stir fry. 
2. Assemble and begin chopping the veggies.  While you are doing so, put a tbsp of oil in a cast iron pan and heat to medium.  Add the cumin seeds- the heat of the oil will draw out amazing flavors from the seeds.  It really is a must- powdered cumin doesn't hold a candle to it.  
3. Once the oil is hot, begin adding your veggies. Add the onions and carrots first, cook for about 10 minutes or until starting to soften, then add the rest of the veggies.  Continue cooking on medium, stirring occasionally and adding more oil if necessary. 
4. Once veggies are cooked, add the tofu and marinade, stirring well.  Salt if desired-I did not need much salt since the marinade is already salty. 
5. Serve over rice. 
6. Enjoy!