Orange Sesame Tofu

What? Don't look at me like that.

Tofu isn't gross. Seriously.

I know it's weird, but it's not that weird.

I've bought tofu before. Eventually, it goes in the trashcan, because I'm too scared to do anything with it or don't know what to do with it. But this time?

I went home with a plan. Picked it up along the way.

I tried this extra firm kind.

I drained it, cut it width-wise.

Then cut it in these triangles.

Then, I laid them 2-thick on 3 sheets of paper towels and 3 on top.

Then, press! Don't press down hard on it, or you'll squish the tofu, but if you apply pressure like this and let it sit for 5 minutes, it'll get rid of the extra moisture.

While this was sitting, I mixed up a little cornstarch slurry with orange juice!

Then, I added some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, sesame oil (if you have it), sesame seeds and sea salt.

Pour into a 9x13 pan and top with the tofu.

Shake the pan, or turn the tofu to coat.

Cover and refridgerate an hour.

Then, bake, still covered at 400 for 15 minutes.

Remove lid, sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Watch out for burning. The sugars will burn quickly, so keep an eye on it. The sauce will continue to thicken upon cooling.

While it was cooking, I steamed some stir fry veggies and cooked some of these noodles.

Then serve the tofu on the noodles and veggies.

I had mine just with the veggies.

My daughter had her veggies on the side.

She loved it!

The tofu is still a little moist, kind of like a very firm custard, but that's just because it's baked, if you fry it and then cook the sauce separately and top it after the fact, it'll be less moist, but the fat content will be higher.

Tofu is about 9 grams to 13 grams of protein per 3 oz. That's about 1/4 of the pack. That's huge! And only 2 grams net carbs per 3 oz, it's a healthy protein alternative and a great way to get kids to eat protein.

It was sweet and salty. You could taste the soy and the orange. We liked it quite a bit.

Be bold!

The Recipe:
Orange Sesame Tofu
Dissolve 1/2 tsp cornstarch and 1/2 cup orange juice, then add
3 Tbl soy sauce
2 Tbl maple syrup (I used sugar free)
2 Tbl rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbl sesame oil, or a handful of sesame seeds crushed to emit flavor.
1/8 tsp sea salt
Pour into a 9x13 pan.
Cut one package of extra firm tofu, sliced to 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes or trianges, press to drain for about 5 minutes.
After drained, coat in sauce, cover and let marinade for an hour.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, covered.
Uncover, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake another 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and thickened.
Broil for a few minutes to crisp up the top if desired, but watch to make sure it doesn't burn.
Garnish with green onions if desired.