Sweet and Sour Tofu with asparagus

It seems people are SO intimidated by tofu, cooking it as well as eating it. Especially if its mushy the first time you try it . Luckily the first time i had tofu, it was most delicious. First impressions make a huge difference! So if you have yet to try it, or if you can't convince your husband to, (like mine!!) this would be the perfect first impression. The tofu is slightly crunchy on the outside, perfectly done inside. No mush here.

However, if you're not ready to take a stab at the tofu fear, my husband tells me this was exceptionally delicious on chicken as well.




Sweet and sour tofu (recipe by veganyumyum)

1 Tub Extra Firm Tofu, pressed
2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tsp water, mixed (or 1 egg)
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
Enough oil to lightly fry
1 lb asparagus

Sauce:
3 1/2 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs + 2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Soy sauce
1 Tbs Ketchup
1 tsp Molasses
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Tbs Cornstarch + 2 Tbs water

Slice the tofu into triangles or small cubes. Smaller = better for this recipe, since smaller pieces won’t have a tendency to break when you toss them, and they have a bigger surface area to volume ratio (read: they’ll be crispier).

Toss tofu with the egg replacer mixture/egg until coated. Then toss in cornstarch until each piece is coated and dry, adding more cornstarch if needed.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok.

While oil is heating, mix sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water into a small sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens. If you leave the sauce unattended it will thicken and burn, so keep an eye on it. When thick, turn off heat and set aside.

Place tofu in the hot oil, being careful not to burn yourself. You don’t want the tofu to be crowded or the pieces will stick to each other, so fry it in batches if needed. Fry for 3-5 minutes until golden on the bottom, then gently turn and brown the other side. Blanch asparagus (or pop it in the microwave in a shallow bowl, with a few tablespoons of water, until slightly tender)

Drain tofu from oil (in the sink like you’d drain pasta, being very careful), and place tofu and asparagus in a large bowl. Pour sauce on top and gently toss to completely coat. Sauce should be thick and sticky – it shouldn’t pool at the bottom of the bowl.

Serve with rice.