“But I hate tofu!” (I can hear you in here. You didn’t know that, did you?)
Trust me, you don’t hate tofu. You just haven’t found a good tofu marinade yet.
Until now. 🙂
You see, tofu doesn’t taste like anything on its own. Have you ever heard anyone say they hate noodles? Of course not. Noodles taste like nothing. You can’t hate something that tastes like nothing. It’s possible to love or hate lasagna, or tuna casserole, or mac and cheese…because they taste like something. But noodles taste like nothing at all. You can’t hate ’em.
Same deal with tofu. No flavor. Give it a flavor–then decide!
Want to try a tofu recipe? Good. It’s wonderful for you, an excellent source of inexpensive plant-based protein, great for a vegan diet!
Ingredients:
1 package refrigerated, extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons Sriracha (or to taste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or to taste)
1 large zucchini (sliced)
4-5 green onions
Oil for sauteeing
1/4 cup peanuts or cashews
Optional: cornstarch for dredging, water
Step one: go to the refrigerated case in your supermarket, in the produce section. Do not buy those packets of “silken tofu” in a little packet like a juice box that live on supermarket shelves. They are fine for extra protein in smoothies, but they have a very custard-like texture that doesn’t hold up well in cooking.
So – look for extra firm tofu instead, the kind that comes in the refrigerated case. It has a sturdy, cheese-like texture.
Bring your refrigerated pack home, and slice it into squares. I like my squares about 3/4 of an inch so I can get a solid mouthful in each bite.
Prepare marinade: (I’m making this simple, folks, so there are two, count ’em, TWO ingredients here.)
Sriracha sauce and soy sauce.
New to Sriracha? Me too. But I’m in love! It’s a kind of asian hot sauce, with a shot of garlic and a hint of sweetness. It adds a happy kick to just about everything…including this marinade.
(Worst picture ever, here. Sorry folks!)
So: use equal parts sriracha and soy sauce. A couple of tablespoons of each is plenty. You can baste the tofu with a brush or shake it up in a sealed container…just try not to abuse the tofu squares so they stay nice and …square.
Allow the mixture to marinate a couple of hours or overnight.
Then drain and reserve extra marinade.
Now this is up to you: if you don’t mind the extra fat and calories, and want a little crunch on your tofu, gently coat the cubes in cornstarch and fry. (Sooo good…that little extra crunch on the surface!)
If the extra calories bother you, simply saute the tofu in a little oil.
.
Set sauteed tofu aside. (If fried with cornstarch, drain on absorbent paper.)
Add sliced zucchini to the hot pan and stir fry for about two minutes, then add sliced green onions and stir fry another minute. Add reserved tofu, the extra marinade, and stir fry until everything blends.
Note: If you have cornstarch on your tofu, it may thicken your sauce a little and you may need to thin it with a little water. If you don’t have cornstarch on your tofu and would like a thicker sauce, add a tablespoon of cornstarch stirred until smooth into 1/2 c. water.
Garnish with peanuts or cashews.
Yum. Trust me on this. Even my meat and potatoes man loved it!
Simply Betsy 