Mouthwatering, Crispy, & Sticky Tofu !

Tofu sometimes gets a bad rep, hey? Half the time it seems it's because people just don't know what the heck to do with it! Do I fry it? Do I bake it? Do I season it?! It's hard to know sometimes. Especially if tofu is a new food to you! But I am here to save the day, and I have a feeling that after you try this quick tofu recipe out, you will feel like you have mastered the art of preparing tofu once and for all. This tofu is so so crispy on the outside, but still nice and fluffy in the middle (thanks to the good ol' defrosting trick!), and when coated in the sauce it becomes a mouthful of sticky, spicy, sweet deliciousness. And is super simple and quick! Even my meat-eating parents and boyfriend who aren't vegan, absolutely love this dish. So.. let's begin!!

INGREDIENTS (makes 2/3 servings):

- 1 block (around 350g) firm tofu

- 4 tablespoons cornstarch

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon pepper

- 1/2 teaspoon paprika

- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (or olive oil)

Sauce:

- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 4 tablespoon soy sauce

- 2 tablespoon brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon minced ginger (optional)

- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (you can totally add more or less)

- 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

- 1 teaspoon black bean (or hoisin) sauce (optional)

- Sambal Oelek & gochujang (or any hot sauce of your choosing) to taste

Garnish:

- 1 green onion

- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Step 1: First things first you are going to want to have your tofu prepped! By that I mean having it pressed. If you want your tofu to be extra fluffy and get nice and crispy, a great tip is to freeze it and defrost it (up to 3 times if you are extra prepared). But, if you don't have time for that, just wrap your block of tofu in some paper towel and place a heavy pan on top of it for 15-3o minutes to press the excess moisture out. Heat your oven to 420F. When prepped, you want to tear off pieces (however big or small you want!), this will make the tofu even crispier when it is baked ! But I highly recommend freezing and thawing out at least once, it is life changing !!

Step 2: Now that our tofu is cubed, you want to mix up the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika in a little bowl and quickly toss the tofu in the mix. After it is coated in the seasoning mix, gently toss the tofu in cornstarch.

Step 3: After the tofu is coated in our yummy seasoning mixture and cornstarch, and our oven is heated up fully, go ahead and pop the tofu in. It usually takes about 20 minutes, but just keep an eye on it until it becomes golden brown!

Step 4: While the tofu is getting all nice and crispy, you are going to want to go ahead and mix the sauce up in a little bowl and set aside.

Step 5: At this point, you could just drizzle the sauce on top, but to get the yummy sticky sauce, you are going to want to pop it in a pan!

Turn it up to medium heat, then once it's the sauce begins to thicken up, toss the cooked tofu in the pan and then give it a good mix up. Keep on tossing until it gets all sticky and shiny!

Step 6: Plate your delicious tofu and top with sesame seeds and green onion. I usually serve this with rice and broccolini, or on top of spicy noodles, but it is a fantastic snack or appetizer just by itself!

Enjoy and stay tuned if you want to get your hands on some more simple and delicious plant-based recipes!