Killer (Glazed) Tofu

Fast food feels fuzzy
Cause it's made from stuff that's skuzzy
I always thought I was such a nerd
I refused to eat that strange bean curd
I wouldn't eat it, WOW! But it ate you!
Ah eeh ooh, Killer tofu.
Oooh eeh ooh, Killer tofu!


So sang The Beets, in the early '90s cartoon series, Doug. It's a catchy tune, but one that paints an inaccurate picture of tofu's agenda and/or capabilities: to my knowledge, there have been no known cases of tofu killing or eating anyone. On the other hand, "that strange bean curd" gets eaten a lot as a staple of many Asian cuisines, and of vegetarian diets all over out little blue planet. (Tofu brings magic happy!) At my house, we love us some tofu, and use it for all kinds of things: cashew ricotta, scrambled, pureed with chickpea flour to make frittatas, or as its own adorable self in a variety of dishes from miso soup to po' boys or vegan "fish" and chips. This sticky, sweet, slightly spicy glazed tofu is an easy way to turn out something pretty impressive in a short amount of time, making it perfect for a weeknight. Whip up some steamed rice and stir-fried green beans or bok choy, and you will have a - dare I say it? - killer dinner on the table in less than half an hour.

Killer (Glazed) Tofu

The Glaze
Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. cold water
~ 1 tbsp. cornstarch
~ 1/2 cup orange juice
~ 1/4 cup soy sauce
~ 1/4 cup rice vinegar
~ 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
~ 1 tsp. hot chili oil (or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes)
~ 2 tbsp. agave nectar
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tbsp. grated ginger


Directions
~ In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water; set aside.
~ In a saucepan, combine all remaining ingredients, bring to a boil for about a minute.
~ Stir in the cornstarch mixture. whisk to combine, and remove from heat.

The Tofu

Ingredients

~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into cubes

~ 2 tbsp. canola oil

~ 4 scallions, thinly sliced

~ Salt and black pepper


Directions
~ In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tofu cubes, sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and cook about 10 minutes over medium-high heat, turning occasionally to make sure each cube gets browned all over.
~ Add the scallions and cook another minute or two.


Now...
~ Pour the sauce over the tofu and give the whole business a stir to make sure everything is coated.
~ Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook another 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has formed a sticky glaze.
~ Serve over steamed rice. (We had ours with Szechuan green beans: highly recommended!)