Me, eating something other than pasta? Could it be true?

It is true – and it’s delicious! Don’t be scared of tofu, babes. Because it really doesn’t take much to make it taste good and it’s something that will consistently surprise you with how versatile it is. This honey garlic tofu recipe is no exception!

I recently made crispy and spicy tofu in a honey garlic glaze and served it over basmati coconut rice and it was a home run, and not very challenging either.

IMPORTANT: Use extra-firm tofu for this recipe. It’s a lot easier to work with and it keeps it shape and has less moisture in it. When you’re making a tofu dish with solid pieces, you’ll always want to use firm or extra-firm or it will end up looking like scrambled eggs.

You likely know that tofu, or more accurately, soy (which it’s made from) has a slightly controversial reputation. After doing lots of research, I am totally comfortable with eating it occasionally. I make sure to buy good quality, non-GMO tofu. If you’re unsure, I encourage you to do your research and I think you’ll find that like most things, tofu is great in moderation.

Let’s get started!

Here’s a recipe for super-easy basmati coconut rice: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/coconut-basmati-rice-238281

Ingredients

one block of extra-firm tofu (14 oz)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp. sriracha or preferred hot sauce
1 tbsp. of soy sauce
2 tbsp. of honey
1 tbsp. of rice vinegar
2-3 tbsp. of vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 tbsp. of sesame seeds
approx. 1 tsp. of sesame oil
chopped scallions for garnishing
4 tablespoons of corn starch

Directions

To prepare the tofu: wrap it in paper towel and place between two heavy-ish items (like plates) to get more moisture out of it. Leave it like this for at least 15-minutes.
If you haven’t cooked with tofu before, please check this beginner’s guide out first: https://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/prep-tofu-properly-beginners-guide-for-tofu-haters-0156444/
While your tofu is getting prepped, mix the garlic, honey, sriracha, soy sauce, and the rice vinegar in a bowl and set it aside.
When your tofu is ready, cut it into approx. 1-inch cubes. Then coat each side with corn starch (this is what gives it that crispy, breaded look and taste). This gets kinda messy. Embrace it.
Now, in a large pan with a heavy bottom (I used a skillet), add your vegetable oil and turn the heat to high. Add the tofu cubes. Because the oil is so hot, BE CAREFUL and look out for oil splatters.
It will likely take at least two minutes per side until the tofu is ready. It will start to get a beautiful crispy, light-brown color. Toss it gently so it doesn’t fall apart.
When all side of the tofu are cooked, turn the heat down to medium-low, (don’t add the sauce when the pan is still crazy hot or it will burn really fast – I made this mistake the first time!) and add the sauce mixture that you set aside.
Make sure all of the pieces are coated in the sauce and let it all cook for about three more minutes.
Finally, remove the tofu from heat, and serve it over coconut rice, or on its own!
Also: I topped mine with just a touch of sesame oil, about a teaspoon of sesame seeds, and some chopped green onions. You can get creative here and choose how much/if any of these you want to add.