Tofu General Tao De Ricardo Food

GENERAL TAO TOFU

Steps:

• Sauce: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Set aside.
• Stir-Fry: In a large bowl, dust the tofu with the cornstarch. Shake to remove any excess. Set aside on a plate.
• In a wok, heat the oil. Fry the tofu, half at a time, until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the tofu from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
• In the wok, fry the onions, ginger, and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add oil, if needed. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the tofu and cook, stirring to warm through, and coat thoroughly with the sauce. Serve immediately over rice. Serve with broccoli.

GENERAL TSO'S TOFU

Steps:

• Place tofu onto a plate lined with several paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and another plate. Set a 3- to 5-pound weight on top and press tofu for 30 minutes. Drain and discard any accumulated liquid.
• Place tofu cubes in a shallow bowl. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and sesame oil. Gently stir to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes or until tofu has absorbed most of the liquid.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking soy sauce, maple syrup, sambal oelek, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, cornstarch, and green onions together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Drain any remaining liquid from the tofu. Place cornstarch in a gallon-sized plastic resealable bag. Drop tofu cubes in the bag, seal, and gently shake until coated with cornstarch.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook tofu for 4 minutes. Flip with tongs and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes more. Transfer tofu to a plate and wipe the skillet clean.
• Pour sauce into the skillet and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Return tofu to the skillet and toss to combine.

GENERAL TSO'S TOFU

Steps:

• Drain, dry and cut tofu into one inch chunks-You can freeze the tofu the night before to get a more"chicken-like" texture, if desired.
• Mix egg with 3 Tbs of water.
• Dip tofu in mixture.
• Sprinkle cornstarch over tofu to completely cover.
• Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden brown and set aside.
• Drain oil.
• Heat 3 Tbs vegetable oil in pan on medium heat and add onions, ginger and garlic, cook for about two minutes (be careful not to burn garlic).
• Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes and vinegar.
• Mix 2 Tbs of water and 1 Tbs cornstarch and pour into mixture, stirring well.
• Add fried tofu and coat evenly.
• Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.