Peanut Tofu Pasta Food

BAKED CRISPY PEANUT TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Start pressing tofu using a tofu press, or wrap in clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy - like a cast iron skillet or books - on top to press out the moisture. Press for about 15-20 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, tamari, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a small mixing bowl and whisking thoroughly to combine. Set aside.
• Cut pressed tofu into 3/4-inch cubes and add to a large plate. Top with tamari or soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Gently toss to combine using hands or a spoon. Let marinate 2-3 minutes, stirring/tossing occasionally.
• Use a slotted spoon or your hands to transfer tofu to a quart-size or large freezer bag. Add cornstarch 1 Tbsp at a time and toss to coat. Continue adding more cornstarch and tossing until tofu is coated in a gummy, white layer (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
• Transfer tofu to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping at the 18-minute mark to encourage even baking. It should be firm to the touch, firm on the edges, and slightly browned on the exterior once removed from the oven. Bake slightly longer if needed.
• Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet (12 inch) over medium heat. Once hot, add tofu and the peanut sauce. Toss to coat. Stirring frequently, sauté the tofu for about 2 minutes, or until the tofu is hot and well coated with peanut sauce.
• At this point it's ready to eat! Enjoy as is or with any Asian-inspired dish. We love it with our Mango Curry, Noodle-Free Pad Thai, or these Thai Noodle Bowls!

TOFU PEANUT STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the vegetables until tender. Mix in the ginger, and season with salt and pepper. Remove vegetables from skillet, and set aside.
• Place the eggs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dip tofu cubes first in the egg, then the cornstarch mixture to coat.
• Heat the remaining oil in the skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the coated tofu 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in the peanut sauce and peanuts. Continue to cook and stir until sauce has thickened and tofu is well-coated. Serve with the vegetables.

TOFU WITH PEANUT-GINGER SAUCE

Steps:

• To prepare sauce: Whisk water, peanut butter, rice vinegar (or white vinegar), soy sauce, honey, ginger and garlic in a small bowl.
• To prepare tofu: Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Add spinach, mushrooms, scallions and the peanut sauce and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more.

PEANUT TOFU PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain.
• Stir water, peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, and ginger together in a bowl until smooth; set aside.
• Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tofu in oil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add leeks; cook and stir until the leeks soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir Thai chilies into the tofu mixture; toss to combine and cook until the chilies are hot, about 1 minute.
• Remove skillet from heat. Add spaghetti and peanut butter sauce to the tofu mixture; toss until everything is evenly coated in sauce. Season with chile-garlic sauce to serve.

BAKED TOFU IN THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• First, press your tofu .
• Once your tofu is well-pressed, cut it into your desired shapes. Thin slabs, triangles or even small bite-sized shapes will work.
• Once your tofu is ready to go, pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil if you can since baked tofu sometimes gets a bit sticky, and the foil makes clean up super easy.
• Next, prepare the sauce. Whisk together the peanut butter (melt it slightly in the microwave for just a few seconds to make this easier) with the ginger, lime juice or orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, and sweet chili sauce. Before you bake your tofu, give the sauce a quick taste. It should be delicious. If not, adjust the seasonings to taste.
• Coat the tofu with the peanut sauce on all sides. You can transfer the sauce to a wide shallow bowl or dish and dip it in, or use a pastry brush to coat each piece by hand if you're working with larger pieces of tofu. We like to dip it, then brush on extra sauce.
• Bake the tofu in the oven for about 15 to 17 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Turn pieces over, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: The sauce on the aluminum foil will burn a bit, don't worry. You just don't want to see the coated tofu burn.)
• Serve and enjoy!

SPICY PEANUT TOFU (PAN-FRIED)

Steps:

• Slice the tofu into ten slices, width-wise. Cut each slice in half so that you have 20 squares of tofu. To remove excess moisture, pat each side lightly with a clean dish towel or paper towel.
• In a large saucepan, heat peanut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and ginger. Saute until aromatic, about 1 minute.
• Add the tofu to the pan in a single layer; depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in batches. Cook each side for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, making the spicy peanut sauce by mixing together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable broth, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, and sriracha. It should be smooth and creamy, like a thick sauce.
• Use a basting or pastry brush to brush the peanut sauce lightly onto the exposed side of the tofu. Flip over, cooking another 1-2 minutes, until browned. Repeat with the other side of the tofu.
• Remove the tofu from the pan once browned on both sides. Enjoy with additional spicy peanut sauce, rice, and veggies.