Spicy Garlic Tofu: Meatless Monday

     Have I ever shared about how I first came to eat tofu?  Ten years ago when my husband and I first met he introduced me to tofu.  He told me about it and told me how great it was when he grilled it and put buffalo sauce on it.  The way he explained it, tofu doesn't really have any taste and would only taste like the buffalo sauce.  I was game so I gave it a try.

     That first time I tasted it I absolutely hated it.  I ate several bites to be polite but I couldn't get over the texture of the tofu.  I'm not sure what it was about it but I couldn't handle it.  Several weeks later we had it in a salad and I had the same reaction.  It wasn't the flavor that was bothering me because really there wasn't any flavor.  After several times of eating the tofu I began getting used to the texture and probably close to a year later I actually ended up enjoying it and cooking with it.  It's funny because now I cook it for us once a week and General Tso's Tofu is my preferred dish at Chinese restaurants.  Funny how something I totally couldn't imagine enjoying, let alone eating, has become a staple in our house.

     With that being said, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it.  There really aren't that many tofu recipes out there and many of them are Asian.  This spicy garlic tofu is a simple dish with broccoli and red peppers, a little bit of spice, a hint of sweetness, and a lot of garlic.  It's delicious over steamed jasmine rice.

Spicy Garlic Tofu (adapted from My San Francisco Kitchen)
1 T. olive oil
1 brick extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. brown sugar
1 T. paprika
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t. Sriracha sauce
1 c. broccoli florets

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the tofu and cook for 5 minutes per side or until it is lightly browned.

2.  Add in the red pepper, green pepper, and onion.  Saute for 5 minutes.

3.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, paprika, red pepper flakes, Sriracha, and broccoli.

4.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot over top of rice.

     Have I ever shared about how I first came to eat tofu?  Ten years ago when my husband and I first met he introduced me to tofu.  He told me about it and told me how great it was when he grilled it and put buffalo sauce on it.  The way he explained it, tofu doesn't really have any taste and would only taste like the buffalo sauce.  I was game so I gave it a try.

     That first time I tasted it I absolutely hated it.  I ate several bites to be polite but I couldn't get over the texture of the tofu.  I'm not sure what it was about it but I couldn't handle it.  Several weeks later we had it in a salad and I had the same reaction.  It wasn't the flavor that was bothering me because really there wasn't any flavor.  After several times of eating the tofu I began getting used to the texture and probably close to a year later I actually ended up enjoying it and cooking with it.  It's funny because now I cook it for us once a week and General Tso's Tofu is my preferred dish at Chinese restaurants.  Funny how something I totally couldn't imagine enjoying, let alone eating, has become a staple in our house.

     With that being said, I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it.  There really aren't that many tofu recipes out there and many of them are Asian.  This spicy garlic tofu is a simple dish with broccoli and red peppers, a little bit of spice, a hint of sweetness, and a lot of garlic.  It's delicious over steamed jasmine rice.

Spicy Garlic Tofu (adapted from My San Francisco Kitchen)
1 T. olive oil
1 brick extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. brown sugar
1 T. paprika
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t. Sriracha sauce
1 c. broccoli florets

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the tofu and cook for 5 minutes per side or until it is lightly browned.

2.  Add in the red pepper, green pepper, and onion.  Saute for 5 minutes.

3.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, paprika, red pepper flakes, Sriracha, and broccoli.

4.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot over top of rice.