Recipe!! Tofu with Garlic Ginger Hoisin Sauce

One of my all-time FAVORITE foods is Chinese food. The other day while I was at the store I had the idea to make a tofu Chinese inspired dish. After gathering all of my ingredients, I rushed home and came up with this recipe!

This dish had about 10 minutes of cook time, and I don't know about you but I am a sucker for quick Vegan dinners! The last thing I want to do at the end of the day is to stand over a hot stove preparing a meal. This recipe would be perfect to prepare before work and cook when you get home.

I have been told tons of times that tofu is nasty. That it has a nasty texture or that it is flavorless. I am going to share a few of my "Top Secret" tofu tips with you. The first tip is to remove as much water as possible. You can do this by putting two paper towels and setting something heavy on top of it. Like a book or cast iron skillet.  

The second tip is to marinate it. When people say that tofu does not have any flavor, they are completely right. Tofu is flavorless, this is why it is essential to marinate it. Sure, the dish would be okay if you didn't but it is excellent if you do marinate it.

My third, and final, tip is actually two but they have to deal directly with each other. You need to make sure you cook it until it is crispy and you need to make sure it is thin enough pieces to cook evenly (1/4-1/2 inch is a perfect size). When you are ready to add your tofu to a pan, make sure you are not over crowding it. You want every piece to be completely touching the bottom of the skillet. If there is too much to fit in one pan, cook it more than one batch.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
~Happy cooking~
-Stella-

Tofu with Garlic Ginger Hoisin Sauce Recipe
Makes 2-4 Servings

1 block extra firm tofu
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
3 tablespoons vegan tamari sauce or vegan soy sauce
Olive oil

1. Drain all of the water from the tofu.
2. Put the block of tofu between two paper towels and set a book or cast iron skillet on top of it. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
3. Slice the tofu into 1/4th-inch slices and then cut it into bite size pieces.
4. In a bowl, mix together all of the other ingredients.
5. Marinate the tofu in the mixture for at least 4 hours.
6. Heat up a skillet with a bit of olive oil.
7. Remove the tofu from the sauce, set it aside for later.
8. Cook the tofu until it is crispy, I recommend doing it in two separate batches to prevent over crowding the pan.
9. Once all of the tofu is crispy, add the sauce and cook for another 5-10 minutes on medium heat.
10. Serve! (Shown here with white rice, steamed broccoli, and carrots)