Sticky Orange Glazed Tofu (Vegan, GF)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Crispy oven-baked tofu finished in a scrumptious orange ginger glaze; a little Szechuan-style deliciousness in the comfort of home.
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • For the Tofu:
  • 1 block (about 14 oz) extra-firm tofu
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 rounded Tbsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • a few cracks black pepper to taste
  • For the Orange Ginger Glaze:
  • 1+1/2 cups orange juice (fresh squeezed or otherwise)
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar (or granulated sugar of choice)
  • 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp tamari sauce (or soy or liquid aminos)
  • 1 Tbsp ish grated fresh ginger (peel ginger first with veg peeler, then grate)
  • 1 round tsp chili garlic sauce, or to taste (or skip if you prefer no heat)
  • Topping suggestions: sesame seeds, green onion, orange zest, etc.
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. In a small bowl, combine: cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper and set aside.
  3. Drain tofu and slice block into bite sized cubes (about ¾"-1" thick).
  4. Place cubes between two dish towels and press down gently to release excess moisture.
  5. Place tofu cubes in a large resealable bag -- drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cornstarch mixture, seal the bag and toss gently to coat (you could also do this in a bowl but I find the bag method works best).
  6. Lay coated tofu cubes on a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure there is space between them, and cook in oven for 15-20 minutes or longer (until tofu begins to sizzle and acquires some color) - remove from oven, flip tofu and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes to finish. The tofu will have texturized (some crispness) and some color (though not brown, see photo).
  7. While the tofu is cooking, prepare glaze.
  8. In a small/medium sized saucepan, heat orange juice, tamari (or sub), sugar, ginger and chili garlic sauce if using. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce has reduced to about ½ cup, stirring as you go along (the sauce will darken and thicken as it turns into a sticky glaze). Be careful not to let it go too long (when it's bubbling, it may look like there's more volume than what's actually left, so be sure to check in on it continuously).
  9. Place cooked tofu in skillet with glaze (or use a roomier skillet and transfer glaze over top), and mix to combine over low-medium heat as necessary to warm through.
  10. Divide orange glazed tofu between two plates and top, as desired, with sesame seeds/green onion, orange zest, etc. and accompany with sides of choice (served here with wild mushroom couscous and broccoli).
Notes
The Heat: the chili garlic sauce adds some heat to the dish but nothing overwhelming in the proposed quantity -- as always though, adjust the heat level to suit your own preferences or omit it all together if spicy is not your thing.
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2019/03/sticky-orange-glazed-tofu.html