Simple Tofu Stir-Fry

I know what you’re thinking: there’s no way to make tofu taste good. It’s spongy, weird, white, and what is it even made out of? Those were definitely my thoughts the first time I had it. I held on to this misconception for a very long time UNTIL the day I ordered tofu from a restaurant and it was cooked correctly. From that moment on, I knew that it had potential and could be made in to something amazing – you just had to cook it right.

Packed with protein, little to no fat, and takes on the flavor of ANYTHING you cook it with, this plant-based powerhouse is great in so many different ways. Best of all? Tofu is crazy inexpensive compared to other proteins (meat, fish, etc.) and will keep your wallet happy.

The tricks to making tofu delicious lie within the cooking process and the type of tofu you buy. For this recipe, we are using extra firm tofu. While other kinds may work for desserts or different types of recipes, 9/10 you’re going to want to buy extra firm. Next, there are three steps to cooking cry worthy tofu:

1. Press
2. Bake
3. Fry

As you’ll see below, pressing or draining the tofu before you bake it allows it to have a much meatier texture when cooked. When you cook tofu directly from the package, it has a lot of liquid in it due to sitting in water in its containre. When you drain it however, it really firms up when cooked and has an amazing consistency. Try out this simple method below & I PROMISE you will never look at tofu the same way again.

Serves: 2-3

• 1 package of extra firm tofu
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
• 1/4th cup scallions
• 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce (I used Braggs Liquid Aminos)
• 1 Tbsp ginger
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

*Preheat your own to 430 degrees.

• First: prepare your tofu. Drain the tofu from the package and press it down with paper towels. Press it down until no more liquid comes out.
• Change your paper towels to new dry ones. Wrap up the block of tofu with one paper towel on the bottom, and one on the top.
• Place a heavy object on top of the tofu (I use a heavy pot) and let it sit to drain out for about 15-20 minutes. Straining the tofu like this allows it to soak up spices and sauces more easily, as well as gain a better texture when cooking.
• While it is straining, make your stir fry sauce. Mix the last four ingredients in the list above until they are fully combined. Set aside. Feel free to double the recipe if you like a lot of sauce.
• After 20 minutes, grab the tofu, throw away the paper towels, and cut up it up in to small squares. I cut mine in half length wise, then in half again and again until I had small pieces.
• Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-35 minutes, flipping halfway through. (Feel free to bake longer for a meatier texture).
• Next, steam your broccoli and carrots in a pan until they are cooked (5-6 minutes).
• When your tofu is done in the oven, combine it with the broccoli and carrots in the pan. Add your stir fry sauce, and mix everything together until it is all combined.
• Enjoy!