Tofu. Yes, Really. Tofu.

Ready for a confession? Tonight was the very first time in my life I've ever cooked with tofu. I have been easing soy products into my life for the last year. I first started using soy milk in my cereal and fruit smoothies. I barely noticed a difference and enjoyed the variety of nutrients it provided. As my desire for variety increases, I became inspired to try firm tofu. For those who know me personally, you know this is a leap for me! But this recipe from Ellie Krieger's show on the Food Network called "Healthy Appetite" was very tempting. How much do I love fried rice. THIS MUCH. So why not try a healthier version?

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil, divided

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 scallions, greens included, rinsed, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

4 cups leftover cooked brown rice

3/4 cup finely diced red pepper

3/4 cup cooked, shelled edamame

1/2 cup fresh or frozen, thawed, corn

6 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then add soy sauce and incorporate thoroughly. Serve hot.

I have a new cooking toy that made prep for this recipe a lot easier. It's the one chop vegetable chopper from Williams Sonoma. I love it! For those of you who cry when cutting onions, this is the tool for you. For this recipe, it just made my red peppers so uniform (and pretty!) when diced. Anyway, back to this recipe. I was able to make the prep go quickly by purchasing frozen corn and edamame. They both were delicious when cooked (5 minutes each), so don't hesitate to do this. This recipe is a perfect example of how smoothly things can go when you have everything ready before you start cooking. If I didn't do this, something would have definitely burned.

Basically, my hubby and I were really happy with this dinner. It's a gorgeous plate of food - so many brilliant colors and it's very filling. You can use instant brown rice to make this go quicker, of course. Our dinner took a little longer, because I went the non-instant route. Try it, and tell me what you think!