Mixed Vegetables & Beancurd

This is an "all-in-one" dish. There are more steps involved compared to the others dishes I posted, but still quite easy to prepare. Here I cook in larger portion as the leftovers can be reheated with rice for my next meal, which helps to cut down time spent cooking. If you are preparing it as one of a few dishes for your meal, you could reduce the quantities given.

Ingredients:

• one packet frozen mixed vegetables (carrot & peas). I use an organic packet which weighs about 284g
• 2 tomatoes
• 8 small sausages about 5cm each. I use this because it's more convenient and both my husband & son like the taste. However I prefer to use minced meat (whether chicken, pork or beef) whenever it's available, anywhere about 250-350g is good enough, depending on your preference of proportion of meat to vegetable (I prefer about 250g)
• 2 packets of tofu (beancurd), each weighing 300g
• 1 heaped teaspoon of chopped garlic
• 1 heaped teaspoon of chopped ginger
• 1 heaped teaspoon of chopped shallot (I have a bottle of deep fried shallot which my mum prepared for me to keep in the fridge, I use this for convenience & to help cut down cooking time too)
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoon cornflour with 2 tablespoon water (as cornflour mixture)

Seasoning:

• half teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soya sauce

Sauce:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 400ml hot water

Method:

• thaw, wash & drain the frozen mixed vegetables & sausages
• wash & dice the tomatoes
• cut the sausages into slices (if you use minced meat instead of sausages, you have to marinate it first with 1 teaspoon each of salt, sugar, soya sauce, sesame oil, cornflour and a dash of pepper)
• rinse & drain the beancurd
• heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok, add garlic, ginger, shallot. When fragrant, add mixed vegetables, tomatoes, sausages (or minced meat) & seasoning. Stir fry for 3 minutes on high heat. Ladle out & put aside
• pour the sauce ingredients listed into the wok. When boiling, add the 2 blocks of beancurd, cover & cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Carefully ladle onto serving bowl
• continue to heat the sauce over high heat, add cornflour mixture & stir well for 2 minutes
• add the vegetables prepared earlier
• stir briskly for just half a minute to mix
• pour over beancurd

There, you have a colourful & nutritious dish!