Meatless Saturday: Crispy Tofu with Sesame Broccoli

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Hello foodies and hivers!

Here’s yet another easy meatless recipe that we would like to share with you, using tofu as the alternate protein source. Tofu is marinated, coated, and crispy-fried or oven-baked and tossed with sesame oil stir-fried broccoli, then sprinkled with a generous amount of sesame seeds. This recipe yields a sweet and spicy mix of protein and vegetables and is really fast and easy.

So what is tofu? It is a soybean curd, derived from coagulated soy milk and pressed into white blocks, in the same way, that dairy cheese is made. It is an excellent source of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium. On top of that, it has no cholesterol! Tofu can be soft, firm, extra firm, or even super firm. We bought organic extra firm tofu for this recipe, to make sure that it is free of residual insecticides or herbicides. We also had to make sure we squeezed out the moisture off the tofu so that when it is fried or oven-baked, it will come out really crispy.

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We had a head of broccoli in the fridge, (courtesy of our friendly neighbor) which was now on the verge of turning yellow and begging to be cooked already. As it turns yellow, broccoli will taste more bitter. We had to cook it now! We used red onion for the recipe; it's the last one in the cupboard.

Recipe for Crispy Tofu and Sesame Broccoli

Ingredients

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2 14-ounce blocks of extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, parboiled for 3 minutes
1 piece of onion, sliced into strips
1 piece bell pepper, slice into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
salt and pepper
sesame oil

Directions

  1. Open the tofu package and drain out any liquid. Using your palms gently squeeze out some of the water then place the tofu on a cutting board and carefully cut it lengthwise in half. Press each half in between kitchen towels or paper towels and squeeze out more moisture. (It should be easier to get rid of the moisture from these smaller and thinner slabs than from the uncut thick block).

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    2. Cut the tofu into 1” cubes - in similar sizes as much as possible - so they can cook evenly in the oven or in the pan

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      3. Marinate the tofu pieces in a bowl with teriyaki sauce; cover and set aside for 15 minutes.

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        4. Coat the marinated tofu cubes with cornstarch.

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          5. Arrange the tofu pieces on a single layer on a greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper). Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes. If not using an oven, pan-fry the tofu in oil until crispy. Cool and set aside.

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            6. Parboil the broccoli florets. Parboiling cooks it partially so that it will cook faster when added to the stir-fry. Prepare a pot with water, bring it to a boil and add salt. Place the broccoli in the water and boil for 2 minutes.

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              7. Using tongs, remove broccoli from the pot and cool it in running water to stop it from cooking. Set aside.
                8. In a frying pan, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, and ginger and stir fry until fragrant.

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                  9. Add the bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes till it is crisp and tender, stirring occasionally.

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                    10. Add the previously par-boiled broccoli florets; stir in soy sauce and maple syrup. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.

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                      11. Add the crispy tofu and toss to coat with sauce. Top with a generous amount of toasted sesame seeds. Serve with white rice or noodles. Enjoy!

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                      Was that easy or what? To reduce cooking time, try frying the tofu rather than baking it; however, frying would use more oil, hence adding more to your calorie count.

                      But who’s counting anyway?

                      Thanks for the read, guys! Till next!



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                      16 comments
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                      Yumminess! Perfect for vegetarians and low carb dieters, using coconut oil in frying can't add calorie and healthy.

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                      If you are trying to.lose weight you can incorporate this in your diet.

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                      This reminded me to buy tofu when I get to the asian store. I was to get it at the last but week it was too early when I passed by after the tooth treatment last week..My plan is to add tofu in my pancit bihon.

                      You are made me craved for this food after seeing your presentation Thanks for sharing.

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                      I haven't tried pancit bihon with tofu. Will wait for you to share the recipe, am sure that would be delish.

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                      Lol, will take a while... but I`ll try to get some bihon at the Asian Store.

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                      Tofu and Broccoli so delicious. These are my favorite vegetables and carrots. They so versatile to used with different types of dishes !

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                      As you said, they are delicious for any type of dish. Thank you for dropping by.

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                      Love your Foodie post!

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                      Yummy recipe. Might try this one of these days!

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                      So easy to prepare! And looks so healthy and delicious!
                      Might try this one day..

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                      It's a time saving dish as well. Thank you for dropping by.

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