Recipes

The Bad Vegetarian

I am..., the Bad Vegetarian without a doubt.  I love eating vegetarian, love it (Thanks Kel!) even vegan but I always succumb to laziness and lack of creativity.  I will say that when I eat solely vegetarian I feel amazing.  If I could have a vegetarian chef cook for me, I don't think I would eat meat again.  Hopefully we can learn together, Jeneen and I have some pretty awesome recipes that we go back to often and I think you will enjoy as well.

Pulled Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich (Vegan BBQ)

Alright I have never made this before but that will all change tonight.  If it's good I will share it with you.

Recipe comes from Sam and her blog It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken.  Thanks Sam!

Crispy Fried Tofu with Chili Sauce

This is an all time favorite at our house.  For decades my sister talked about tofu, actually she made noise about tofu because I wasn't hearing it.  Note: pesky sister preaching tofu's greatness, doesn't work; wife making yummy tofu and forcing you to try it, big thumbs up.  

I want give credit to the website where we got this wonderful recipe from.  I entered the recipe below but you can click the the websites name to link to the recipe.

Thanks DK for your wonderful recipe!  Check out their great website ---> Chef In You

Basic Information

Prep Time: Under 15 min

Cook Time: Under 15 min

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

For the Tofu
• 1 (14-oz) block Mori Nu "Extra Firm" Silken Tofu (see Tips)
• 3/4 cup Cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Cornmeal
• Salt and ground Pepper to taste
• Chili Flakes to taste (optional)

For the Sweet Chili Sauce
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
• 2 tsp Cornstarch
• 1 tbsp Sambal Oelek (see Tips)

Tips

1. Tofu: If you cannot find the Mori Nu brand, then simply use "Medium-Form" or "Soft Tofu". The book mentions that you can also use Firm/Extra Firm tofu but that it will taste drier.
2. Sambal Oelek is an Indonesian Chile paste. If you cannot find it, use whatever chili paste is available to you and add as per taste. You might need less/more than the 1 tbsp depending on the type of chili paste you are using other than the one mentioned.

Method

1

Slice the tofu into cubes/1-inch thick slabs. But before that make sure that drain any water and pat it dry completely.

Important Tip: I was a little slack in doing a good job and it shows the way it fried. So make sure to use several layers of paper towels and let it sit  for few minutes esp. if you are using the tofu that comes with water

2

While that's draining, mix the remaining ingredients in the "Tofu" section in a pan.

3

Make sure to blend it well.

4

Next add the tofu cubes to this mixture.

5

Coat it well. Due to the mistake (as mentioned in the Step 1 tip), my coating was not as smooth as it should be.

6

In a shallow (12 inch non stick) pan heat some 3/4 cup of vegetable oil until shimmering in med-high heat. Carefully add the tofu to the oil

7

turning it until its crisp and golden on all sides. It takes about 5 minutes. Gently lift the tofu

8

and drain them on paper towels. You can transfer them to 200F oven to keep them warm.

9

Meanwhile for the sauce, whisk all the ingredients mentioned in a small saucepan

10

and cook over med-high hear, whisking constantly, until the sauce is hot and thickened. take around 5 minutes. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

That beautiful shiny, glossy and addictive sauce works so wonderfully with that crispy tofu.
The crispiness when you first bite into it then leads to softness of the  silken tofu. Though being a lover of tofu, I can eat them all alone, my better half preferred it with the sauce.