Sweet and Spicy Chili Glazed Tofu with Sesame Brocoli and Brown Rice

As vegans, we tend to consume a lot of soy in our day to day life.  Even non-vegans find themselves eating products with soy in them all the time.  I don't buy into that whole 'soy is actually bad for you!' however I do believe too much of any one item can't be great.  Thus, when I can, I try to use almond or rice milk for a week or try to cut back on my tofu consumption. But boy is it hard! I love tofu, so versatile and such a great blank canvas to absorb so many flavors.  Today, I bring you one of my favorite tofu dishes, sweet and spicy tofu!


Sweet and Spicy Chili Glazed Tofu

Ingredients:

7 oz (1/2 package) of extra firm tofu
1/4 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup of spicy garlic chili sauce
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/2 bell pepper sliced
1/4 onion thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients (except tofu, onion and bell pepper) into a shallow pan and set aside. Slice tofu into 1 inch triangles and place into marinade for at least 1 hour up until overnight.  After marinating, coat frying pan with non-stick spray and pan sear tofu on medium heat, turning every couple of minutes so that each side gets nice and golden brown. Once all sides are seared, set tofu aside.  Add bell peper and onion and cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent and peppers begin to soften slightly. Now add the remaining marinade and tofu back to the pan and cook on medium high heat for a minute or two until sauce thickens slightly.

Sesame Brocoli

Ingredients: 

8 brocoli florets
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of water

Rinse brocoli florets and place in baking dish with sesame oil, soy sauce, and water.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until brocoli becomes a bright green color.  I like to use this method when I want the taste and texture of steamed veggies but without using an actual steamer.  For a slightly healthier version skip the sesame oil, though it does give it that rich, tasty sesame flavor.

And that's it! Serve with some simple brown rice or some noodles and enjoy!