Recipe - Orange Tofu with Broccoli

5/26/2018

Orange Tofu with Broccoli

[Vegan]

Over the last few months, I've been experimenting with a number of recipes. Some of them have gone well, others not so much. Out of all of them, this has become my fall back recipe to cook for family and friends. You get that signature crunch and flavor of orange chicken, but without the meat (which isn't only great for vegetarians but also for your pocketbook!).

The Recipe

Originally Based on the Following Recipes:

Ingredients

Sauce

1 - Large Orange or ½ cup - Orange Juice
3 Tbsp - Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp & 1 tsp - Brown Sugar
½ Tbsp - Rice Vinegar
1 tsp - Ground Ginger
½ Tbsp - Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce
- Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce has become a staple for Devon and I, try it in scrambled eggs!
- If you need to substitute try garlic powder and cayenne or chili powder.
½ tsp - Cornstarch
Pinch of - Salt

Everything Else

14 oz block - Extra-Firm Tofu
Pinch of - Salt
2 Tbsp - Cornstarch
2 Tbsp - Neutral Oil (vegetable, canola, peanut)
Dash of - Soy Sauce
Dash of - Sesame Oil (optional)
1 lb - Frozen Broccoli Florets
3-4 - Green Onions, sliced
4 cups - Cooked Rice

Step by Step

1. Place a decent number of paper towels on a plate. Take the tofu from the package and place it on the towels. If the block is very thick I will usually cut it in half. Place more paper towels on top then cover it with a second plate with something heavy on top. Try for something stable so nothing falls over while you’re cooking. Let the tofu press for at least 30min.

2. While your tofu is pressing, it’s time to work on the sauce. If you are using a large orange, grate 1 tsp orange zest then squeeze ½ cup of the juice. Combine the juice (and zest if you have it) with the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ground ginger, chili garlic sauce, pinch of salt, and cornstarch in a saucepan. Whisk until the corn starch is hardly visible. Heat the sauce on medium-low until it simmers, thickens, and turns into a glossy glaze. This should take about 5-8 minutes. Once it does, remove it from heat.

3. When the sauce is complete, and before you start on the tofu, I’d suggest slicing up your green onions and starting your rice.

4. Once the tofu is pressed, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes, then place in a large bowl. Dash some soy sauce over them, then toss. Once the soy sauce is evenly distributed, sprinkle roughly 1 Tbsp of cornstarch over the cubes. Toss again until evenly distributed. You want every cube to be lightly covered.

5. Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium flame. Once hot, add a dash of sesame oil for flavor then about 2 tbsp of your neutral oil. Rotate the pan till the oil covers the bottom, if it does not, add a little more until it does. Add the tofu and let them cook until their bottoms are golden brown. Once they are, use tongs to flip each cube over and cook until that side is golden brown. When done, set aside on a plate with paper towel on it to soak up the excess oil. Continue this process until all tofu cubes are fried.

6. Mix the fried tofu cubes with the orange sauce until all the pieces are fully coated.

7. Drain any extra oil. Add the frozen broccoli to the hot skillet. Stir fry until the broccoli is warmed through and there is no water on the bottom of the skillet.

8. Set heat to low then add the tofu and excess orange sauce to the broccoli. Mix so that the extra sauce coats the broccoli as well. When the whole mixture is warm, turn off the heat.