Spicy Lemongrass & Ginger Tofu

As always, I have plenty of tofu and tempeh on hand as they freeze well and can be cooked in a multitude of ways. I was at the grocery store recently--where oddly enough, I didn't purchase more tofu--and in the vegetable aisle they had tubes of things like chile paste, lemongrass paste, and ginger paste, to name a few. I have seen these tubes many times, but hadn't thought much about getting any before. Now that I'm a vegan though, I stared at the lemongrass & ginger pastes long and hard, imagining them marinating some tofu pieces, and so I bought them. If you'd like to make this delectable recipe, grab those and a bottle of sweet & sour dipping sauce. Here we go!

Spicy Lemongrass & Ginger Tofu

Ingredients:

Soy sauce, Tamari, or Bragg's Aminos

1 block of tofu, drained (not pressed)

2/3 c. sweet & sour dipping sauce

3 T. lemongrass paste

3 T. ginger paste

2 t. red pepper flakes

oil, for frying

4 c. of vegetables of choice, steamed and set aside

1 c. rice

2 c. water

Instructions:

1. Mix 1/4 c. soy sauce with 1 tablespoon each of the lemongrass and ginger paste in a large bowl.

2. Cut the drained tofu into desired shapes and add to the soy sauce mixture. Toss to coat well all pieces.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until ripples start to form. Add half of the tofu pieces. Brown each side, approx 3-5 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

4. Transfer cooked tofu pieces to a paper towel-lined plate and cook the other half of the tofu. 

5. In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then add the rice. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes or until tender.

6. In a large bowl (I used the same one I marinated the tofu in) mix the dipping sauce, a few tablespoons of soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and the other two tablespoons each of lemongrass & ginger paste.

7. Add the cooked tofu and steamed vegetables to the sauce and toss well, making sure everything is coated well.

8. Serve over rice.

9. Enjoy!