Leaving the noon church service today I got into a conversation that resulted in my late arrival for lunch. As I entered the refectory I heard happy exclamations regarding the meal…”What a great lunch! I loved this…so fresh and beautiful so colorful and tasty.”
What was it they were raving about? It was a brand new crisp, crunchy tofu recipe and it was all they described it to be! Truly sensational and remarkably satisfying.
SERVINGS4CHANGE SERVING SIZE |
COOK TIME15-20mins |
PREP TIME45mins |
READY IN1hr (approx) |
Ingredients
- Tofu
- 1 brick tofu extra firm
- 3-4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- Onion salt to taste
- black pepper ground, to taste
- Sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 shakes red pepper flakes (optional, 2 shakes turns out pretty mild. Add more for more spice, or you can leave out for less)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 onion(s) green, chopped
- 3 tbsp ginger fresh, finely chopped
- Cabbage Salad with Oranges and Lemons
- 5 cups cabbage finely sliced
- 1 tsp Onion salt
- 1 celery stalk(s) small, leafy, finely sliced
- 2 orange(s) whole
- Dressing
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- salt
- black pepper freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
Tofu
- Drain tofu of excess water. Let sit 20 minutes to drain.
- While waiting for tofu, mix together the first 7 ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a skillet on medium with about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil inside. While heating, slice tofu into 1/2" slices, then cut each slice into thirds. Coat each cube lightly with cornstarch using a sifter and then place into pan until browned and crispy. You may have to turn up the heat under the pan a bit. Remove from frying pan sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and set aside on paper towels.
- Wipe pan clean with paper towel and add sesame oil, onions, and chopped ginger. Cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add sauce mixture to pan, bring to a boil, and simmer about 2 minutes. Add tofu back to mixture, toss to coat. Top with green onions if desired.
Cabbage Salad
- Put the cabbage in a large bowl, with the celery, cut the skin and pulp from the oranges ...slice them into wheels (cut out any seeds) and add to the cabbage. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, balsamic and oregano and salt and pepper and pour over the cabbage.
- Mix well. Let it settle then mix through a few more times so that it is completely coated. Toss prepared tofu over salad before serving.
