Orange Tofu

When the husband and I first started dating I started introducing him to healthy cooking.  He's a great cook but he grew up in the mid-West where red meat and bacon grease are staples.  Slowly I introduced him to ground turkey and vegetarian meals which he embraced and made part of his style.  He did balk a little the first time I suggested tofu but eventually got on board and was a good sport about experimenting with it.... I suspect he was still trying to impress me. 

The first few times we made tofu it came out terribly.  We somehow missed the whole part where it needs to be drained and we didn't understand how to cook it.  After a few attempts, we perfected the Hungry Girl Tofu Stir-Fry and have made it probably once a month for the past couple of years.  Last week I decided to finally branch out to a new tofu recipe.  When we order Chinese food I love Orange Chicken, so I decided to do a recipe that mimics the sauce to marinate the tofu.  I checked out a lot of different recipes, most of which had a 1/4 cup of brown sugar which I was not interested in.  I finally found this one that used honey instead and we both enjoyed it.  I actually forgot to buy broccoli at the store and I wish I had, I think it would go great with the meal.  

For this recipe we used Thai noodles that we already had in the pantry to serve the tofu on but rice or quinoa could also be used.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 3/4 cup orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce or sriracha
• 1 pound broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound firm tofu, weighted, drained, and cubed
• Noodles, rice or quinoa
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Sesame seeds to taste

The first step is preparing the tofu.  There are multiple ways to do it, but this is what we do that works for us.  We slice it in half lengthwise so it is not as thick and firms up better while cooking.  The two slices are put inbetween two paper towels and cans from the pantry are put on top for at least half an hour.   We then slice it into smaller pieces to cook.  We used Thai noodles to serve the tofu on, rice or quinoa could also be used.

Draining the tofu with cans from the pantry

• 1)  First make the sauce to marinate the tofu in.  In a bowl, whisk together cornstarch and warm water. Add orange juice and zest, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and hot chili sauce. 
• 2) Steam broccoli for 2-3 minutes until broccoli turns bright green but is still very firm.
• 3) Heat oil in a very large nonstick pan or wok over medium-high heat. 
• 4) Add tofu to pan and cook,browning on both sides, about 6-8 minutes total on each side. 
• 5) While tofu is cooking, prepare noodles, rice or quinoa using the instructions on the box.
• 6) Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 
• 7) Add broccoli and orange sauce and stir to combine. 
• 8) Cook until sauce begins to bubble and reduces slightly, an additional 2-3 minutes.
• 9) Stir in sesame seeds.
• 10) Divide among 4 bowls on top of your carb of choice.

Raw tofu

After about 6-8 minutes of browning

Tofu simmering in the orange sauce

Orange tofu