Saucy Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu
Crispy cubes of tofu and sauteed vegetables and pineapple are tossed with a tangy sweet and sour sauce for an incredibly delicious vegan and gluten-free meal that is better than take out in every way!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 16-oz block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
Vegan Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14-oz can juice from canned pineapple chunks about ¾ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ cup water
Vegetables
- 1 red onion roughly chopped into cubes
- 1 red bell pepper roughly chopped into cubes
- 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped into cubes
- 1 cup pineapple chunks separated from the juice in a 14-oz can of pineapple chunks used above in the sauce.
Instructions
Press Tofu
- Remove tofu from package. Drain. Double up a clean dish towel, place block of tofu onto it, fold it over and then place something heavy (large wooden cutting board, cast iron skillet or a heavy cookbook) on top. The goal is to facilitate the removal of excess moisture and "dry" the tofu out a bit.
Sweet and Sour Tofu Sauce
- Separate juice from pineapple chunks with small strainer. The pineapple chunks will be sauteed with the veggies in the next step. Whisk the arrowroot powder into ¼ cup of the pineapple juice and set aside. Put the remaining ½ cup juice into a small saucepan.
- Set the small saucepan over medium heat and add to the pineapple juice the tomato paste, maple syrup and vinegar. Whisk until everything is well mixed and then our in the arrowroot mixture, whisking continuously as the sauce slowly thickens.
- Continue to cook and whisk until thick but still pourable. About 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Vegetables
- Cut onion and peppers into bite sized pieces. Heat heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook the veggies plus pineapple chunks, tossing once in awhile. Continue for 3-5 minutes, until starting to soften. Transfer to a bowl. There will be some "juice" that comes out of the pineapple chunks that will provide moisture in the pan. You can also add 1 tablespoon oil or water or broth if the pan becomes dry.
- When veggies are tender, transfer into a bowl so you can use the same pan to make the tofu.
Make Tofu
- Cut the pressed tofu into cubes. First make three vertical sections, then stack those. Cut across lengthwise, the widthwise into bite sized chunks.
- In a small bowl, mix together arrowroot, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss the tofu cubes into the powder until evenly coated.
- Swirl 2 tablespoons oil into the pan that cooked the vegetables. Place tofu cubes into the hot pan and leave undisturbed for about 3 minutes, until it naturally releases and turn over to crisp on other sides.
- Turn heat off.
- Add the cooked vegetables back into the pan and toss gently with the tofu.
- Whisk 1-2 tablespoons water into the sweet and sour sauce, or more, until it's a pourable consistency. Pour half of it onto the tofu and vegetables and stir well.
- Use more sauce, if needed, or put it in a pitcher and pass it around for those who like an even more saucy dish.
- Garnish with fresh herbs or thinly sliced scallions, a sprinkle of sesame seeds or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if you like a bit of heat.
Notes
Serve warm.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Reheat in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to re-crisp. You can also reheat in a 375 oven for about 15 minutes until heated through.