Kale and Tofu with Sesame Soy Sauce

I eat some sort of kale and tofu dish every week. It's delicious, filling, good for you, and takes the time to boil a pot of water to make. The first couple times you do it will take a bit longer though, so don't be discouraged, chopping all those things quickly takes practice! This version is an old standby, cause I usually have the ingredients on hand. If you're feeling extra lazy, just toss the sauce ingredients into the skillet when you add the carrots, don't bother mixing them together beforehand. You can serve this alongside a whole grain of sorts; quinoa, brown rice or soba noodles would work well. In fact, if you haven't gotten around to grocery shopping yet this week, this sauce goes great on plain noodles or frozen asian veggies.The roasted sesame oil and miso are the only strange ingredients here. I use a brown rice and soy miso, but use the white stuff if you're wary (it's milder). When buying sesame oil, make sure it's roasted and that it doesn't have any filler oil added- this way you can use less.

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch square ginger root, chopped
1 bunch of kale, stems trimmed up to the leaves, sliced very thinly (about three tightly packed cups when chopped)
2 smallish carrots sliced thinly on the bias, or julienned
half a block of extra firm tofu, cut into whatever shape you like- I do triangles

Sesame Soy Sauce:
two tablespoons tamari (fancy soy sauce, use what you have)
two tablespoons of miso dissolved in a third cup or so of warm water
two tablespoons of roasted sesame oil
two tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
pinch red chili flakes, or about 1/2 tsp garlic chili paste (or more if you like the heat)

if desired: green onions sliced thinly on the bias, black sesame seeds to garnish

Bring a lidded pot of water to boil, big enough to accommodate the kale. Add the kale to the boiling water for one minute, then drain and run under cool water. Set aside. Cook the onion on medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. When translucent, add the tofu. Push the onions off to the side if the tofu isn't touching the bottom of the skillet, add a little oil if it's sticking. To make the sesame soy sauce, stir together the tamari, miso mixture, roasted sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds, and chili flakes. When the tofu is just starting to firm up and brown, add the carrots, garlic, ginger, and sesame soy sauce. Cook two minutes, then add the kale, stir it around and cook two more minutes. Plate and garnish. I serve it in cute little asian-inspired bowls with chopsticks, but it's also perfectly fine out of the pan. Serves two for dinner, plus a leftover serving for breakfast. Yum.