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Orange Chili Tofu

An addictive orange based spicy yet subtle sweet sauce to make tofu your new favorite food
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

For the sauce

  • 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup tamari
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2-3 tsp red chili flakes- adjust per your spice tolerance
  • 2 tsp date sugar can use agave or maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp corn starch

Tofu

  • 7 oz extra firm tofu drained and pressed of water for 15min
  • 2 tsp corn starch

Instructions
 

Preparing tofu

  • Once you open tofu package, drain water and place heavy weight on it for 15-20 min till as much water as possible is drained away.
    Then cut tofu per your desired shape, place in a wide bowl and add corn starch. Gently shake the bowl to coat the tofu pieces with corn starch without breaking down tofu. Add tofu to baking sheet and bake for 15 min at 400 F . While the tofu is getting baked, let us make the sauce.

The awesome orange chili sauce

  • Squeeze two oranges to make about one cup fresh juice. That left over pulp can go into a smoothie.
    In a sauce pan once hot, mix orange juice, tamari, rice vinegar, chili flakes, date sugar. Let it simmer for 10 min. Then add corn starch while mixing with a spoon. Give another 3-4 min, while mixture thickens slightly. Turn off the stove.

Final touch to tofu along with broccolini

  • From the sauce pan, take about half orange chili sauce into a bowl. Into the same pan with the remaining half of orange chili sauce, add the baked tofu and let it soak the flavors of the sauce. Once you see the tofu coated by enough sauce and the amount of sauce has decreased, add few table spoons more of the sauce to generously slather the tofu. Give it a minute and take the tofu into a serving bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds.
    In the same pan, add cut broccolini or broccoli. (you can even add brussels sprouts, carrots, snap peas) Add 1/2 cup water. Put a lid on and let the veggies cook for 3-4 min, while soaking up the spicy orange flavor in the pan.
    Take the veggies to the same tofu bowl. If you have any left over sauce, go ahead add on the top of tofu and veggies in the serving bowl and dig in..It is addictive.