The tofu cooking after being seasoned. Photo by Baili BighamBaili Bigham - Head Entertainment Columnistbbigham@uab.edu
Wanting to try something new to eat but easy to prepare? This sweet sriracha tofu will give your inner vegetarian a chance to shine and a way to impress your guests with a new dish. With prep time included, you can have this meal warm and ready in as little as 20 minutes. Fair warning: this meal is as spicy as it is delicious.
For this recipe you will need:
1 block extra firm tofu (I prefer Trader Joe’s brand, both cheap and organic)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup Sriracha hot chili sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
Directions:
First, you will want to drain your tofu. If you’re like me, you may find it unpleasant to deal with the way tofu is packaged, as it sits in water to maintain its freshness. Once you have removed it from the package, grab a plate and loosely wrap the block of tofu in a paper towel.
Once you have done this, I find it most effective to take a flat object like a cutting board to set on top of the block and apply pressure. This will help release the moisture from within the tofu. Be careful not to press too hard or the block may break or crumble. Now you may cut your block into cubes.
In a separate bowl, mix together the two tablespoons of soy sauce with the one teaspoon of Sriracha, then pour in with your tofu so that the block can absorb the flavor. Once the tofu has been soaked evenly in the sauces, warm a skillet over your stove top and set to medium high heat with your coconut oil. This gives tofu more flavor while allowing the edges to become brown and crispy. Optionally, for those with more patience than me, it is ideal to let the tofu marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This allows for more flavor to soak in.
After you pour the tofu cubes in the skillet, periodically stir and let cook for around 15 minutes or until brown. While that’s cooking, turn to preparing the garnishing sauce. You will want to mix together equal parts brown sugar and Sriracha hot chili sauce; I used one-fourth cups of each. Once your tofu is ready, drizzle the sweet and spicy sauce on top!
Be sure to fix up fresh veggies to go along with your protein and you’ve got yourself a wholesome, cruelty-free meal with a flavorful kick.
