Reducing food waste is a great way to save money! This Ginger, Watermelon Rind & Tofu Stir Fry mixes the ordinary with the unexpected for a refreshing and delicious quick weeknight meal.
This post contains sponsored content. I was fortunate enough to receive monetary compensation from National Watermelon Promotion Board as part of their #usethewholewatermelon campaign. Although compensated for my efforts, all opinions are my own. Follow them on Instagram at @WatermelonBoard to get delicious watermelon inspiration, year-round!
It’s been a busy summer, friends! From starting my Master’s program, moving apartments and travelling on a few farm visits I have no idea where time has gone. While I feel like I blinked and I missed summer I do have some amazing memories to hold on to! From a great hiking trip in Minaki, Ontario, a music festival in Craven, Saskatchewan and many late nights around the fire in Winnipeg with friends, it was an action packed few months. Because of how short my summer seemed, I am holding on to every last minute of summer and enjoying the outdoors and sunshine while I can. While I may have to say goodbye to camping trips soon, I don’t have to do without the flavours of summer! Watermelon is available year-round in Canada, thanks to U.S watermelon importers! Watermelon is one of my favourite snacks for work as it is vitamin-packed, refreshing and a hydrating sweet treat, so being able to get it all year round is absolutely amazing.
As a budget conscious food lover, I try to reduce waste when I can and love to repurpose leftovers or use-up every bit of an ingredient that I can. Recently, the National Watermelon Promotion Board challenged me to take part in their #usethewholewatermelon campaign and it was the perfect fit! I’ve had most of the summer to think of the perfect creation and I am pretty proud of this knock-out vegetarian weeknight meal idea for one! The watermelon rind takes on the sharp and fresh ginger flavor while adding a great texture to your typical veggie stir-fry mixture. Of course, I could have hollowed-out the rind and used it as a compostable bowl to serve fruit salad or even a watermelon based punch, but I thought a stir-fry for a busy weeknight meal is just the recipe we need for the start of a busy fall!
Choosing the right watermelon with this dish is key. An under-ripe or over-ripe watermelon will affect the taste of the fruit as well as the rind. I was fortunate last year to travel to California with the blog to learn about Watermelon production in the U.S and was given an in-field education on how to select the best melon! First, you want to inspect the melon and ensure it is free of any dents or bruises. It should also be heavy for its size! You also want a yellow spot or marking on the melon’s underside. This spot if from where the melon was on the ground in the field, getting ripened by the sun. Think of it as a tan line!
Have you seen a watermelon on the vine before? Here are some photos from my trip to the watermelon field when I was in California! You’ll note that some of the watermelons on these photos don’t look like the classic watermelon from your childhood. That’s because there are actually over 1,200 varieties of watermelons grown in 96 countries across the world! The U.S produces 5 main types: seeded, seedless, mini, yellow and orange. They are all delicious and I encourage you to try as many types as you can.
This Ginger Watermelon Rind and Tofu Stir-Fry packs a nice flavor and is best served over rice. Feel free to swap-out the celery for other veggies of your choice but be mindful to not overpower the dish so that the yummy watermelon rinds stand-out! I wanted to profile the watermelon rinds as much as possible so I went easy on other veggies. Try this dish ut with orange bell peppers, sugar snap peas and zucchini, too!
As with all stir-frys, make sure to cook this dish hot and quick, constantly moving the stir-fry mixture in a large pan or wok. Because of the constant movement, please create this dish with an extra-firm tofu so that it doesn’t crumble and fall apart during the cooking process. If you are planning to cook this meal for more than one, simply double or quadruple the recipe to fit your needs!
Ginger, Watermelon Rind & Tofu Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Canola Oil
- 1/4 Block Extra Firm Tofu Drained and Cubed
- 1 tablespoon Soya Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dark Soya Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Root Freshly Grated
- 1 clove Garlic Chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Celery
- 1/2 cup Watermelon Rind (White part only, some watermelon can remain)
- 1/8 cup Green Onions
Instructions
- Drain tofu and chop to desired size. Heat-up a medium size pan with Canola oil and fry the tofu until golden brown on each size, about 5 minutes. Remove from Pan and set aside.
- In small bowl, mix soya sauces, garlic, ginger and brown sugar.
- Reheat medium size pan with remaining oil. Stir Fry celery for 3 minutes or until tender. Add sauce mixture. Return fried tofu to pan and coat well.
- Once tofu is well coated with sauce, add watermelon rinds. Cook for another 3 minutes ensuring watermelon rinds are well coated.
- Once cooked, serve over fresh jasmine rice and top with a generous amount of green onions!
Did you make Ginger Watermelon Rind & Tofu Stir-Fry at home?
If so, take a picture and tag it with #UseTheWholeWatermelon and #PeppersAndPennies! I love seeing your creations and will gladly share your photo
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