Crispy Tofu With Sesame Asparagus And Dipping Sauce Food

THE BEST CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap the tofu in a clean dish towel and place on top of a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place a heavy pan on top of the tofu and let it sit for 5 minutes to release as much moisture as possible. Unwrap the tofu and slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick by 1 1/2-inch-wide planks.
• Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, agave syrup, scallion whites and sriracha together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the panko, sesame seeds, cornstarch, garlic salt, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper in a pie dish or shallow bowl. Press the tofu planks into the panko mixture to coat on all sides.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, undisturbed, until deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the tofu with a metal spatula and continue cooking undisturbed until a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the soy-sauce mixture to the pan. Cook until bubbling and slightly thicker, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the tofu planks and sprinkle with the scallion greens.

SESAME ASPARAGUS AND TOFU

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon soy sauce, mustard, sesame oil, vinegar, and chives. Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. Blanch asparagus just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander, and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
• Pour sesame seeds onto a small plate. Place remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and tofu in a medium bowl. Turn tofu in soy sauce to coat; let sit 30 seconds. Remove a baton; dip one side in sesame seeds. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining batons.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Arrange tofu, with sesame seeds down, in pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottoms, about 5 minutes. Brown remaining sides, about 2 minutes per side; remove from skillet.
• In a large bowl, toss the asparagus in vinaigrette. Divide the asparagus and tofu among four plates, and drizzle with any remaining vinaigrette. Serve.

CRISPY TOFU WITH SESAME ASPARAGUS AND DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Slice the tofu in half crosswise. Slice each half once on the diagonal, lay cut side down, and cut each vertically into 3 slices, to make 12 triangles. Arrange the slices on double-thick layers of paper towels and press to remove as much moisture as possible. Repeat as necessary to dry the tofu well. In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup of the hoisin sauce, 3 Tbs. of the vinegar, and the chili-garlic sauce. Set aside. In a shallow dish, lightly beat the eggs with the remaining 3 Tbs. hoisin sauce and 1 Tbs. vinegar, 2 tsp. of the sesame oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Put the panko and cornstarch in separate shallow bowls. Lightly season the tofu on both sides with salt. Dredge each piece of tofu in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess, then in the egg mixture, and then in the panko, setting the triangles on a plate as you finish each one. Heat 1/4 cup of the peanut oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add half of the tofu triangles and cook, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, and season lightly with kosher salt. Repeat with the remaining tofu. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbs. peanut oil and return to medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the asparagus, and cook, turning, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tsp. sesame oil and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve the tofu and asparagus with the dipping sauce on the side. nutrition information (per serving): Calories (kcal): 450; Fat (g): 30; Fat Calories (kcal): 270; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 16; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 15; Carbohydrates (g): 33; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 9; Sodium (mg): 870; Cholesterol (mg): 65; Fiber (g): 3;

SESAME TOFU WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices, lay flat on a towel to dry out.
• Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl.
• Marinate tofu in 1/2 to 3/4 of the dipping sauce for a couple hours. (The original recipe says to marinate for thirty minutes, but I did it overnight to maximize flavour).
• Remove tofu from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel (I skipped this step).
• Dip tofu in beaten egg white then coat with sesame seeds.
• Brown tofu slices on each side over medium heat in a non-stick pan with olive oil until sesame seeds are golden and crispy, about 5-7 minutes per side (The recipe says two minutes per side, but I found it took much longer).
• Serve with remaining dipping sauce.

CRISPY SESAME TOFU

Steps:

• Place block of tofu flat on cutting board; slice lengthwise into 4 equal pieces, then down the middle to make 8 squares. Place on baking sheet lined with three layers of paper towels; cover with three more layers. Place another baking sheet and a weight on top. Let tofu drain until towels are soaked, 5 minutes.
• Spread the sesame seeds on a plate. Press both sides of each tofu square into sesame seeds. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium heat. Cook tofu, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Add the soy sauce; continue cooking, turning tofu, until it has absorbed all the liquid, about 1 minute. Remove from pan. Wipe skillet with a paper towel.
• Add broccoli, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Simmer, covered, until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Divide among 4 serving plates; arrange 2 tofu squares on each. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon sesame oil. Serve.

CRISPY TOFU WITH SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE

Steps:

• Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel, and place on a cutting board. Weigh down the tofu with a sheet pan topped with something heavy, such as a large skillet, cans or books, until the tea towel is soaked, about 30 minutes.
• While the tofu is pressed, prep the zucchini: Halve the zucchini crosswise, then cut each piece lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick planks. Finally, cut each plank lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick "fries." Place the zucchini fries in a large colander set over a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a measuring cup, stir together the apricot preserves, rice vinegar, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 2 teaspoons water until smooth. Transfer to a small dish for dipping, and set aside.
• Slice the pressed tofu in half horizontally, and cut each of those halves into 8 rectangular pieces, creating 16 nuggets total. Directly on the cutting board, season the tofu with 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, smearing each piece around to catch all the seasonings.
• In a large bowl, toss to combine the potato starch and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Place the tofu in the starch, and gently toss with your hands until each piece is evenly coated.
• Fry the tofu: Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and add a thin layer of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tofu in a single layer, and cook, flipping a couple of times, until lightly golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked tofu to a towel-lined plate to drain, and season it with salt to taste.
• To serve, transfer the tofu and zucchini to a large platter, and serve alongside the dipping sauce.