Toss that basic take-out order and whip yourself up something even tastier!
This dish blew my mind. I’ll admit, I had never tried tofu before. Not that I was weirded out by it, I simply try to not use too many meat alternatives. Well, well, let me tell you what – tofu is officially now my friend. I never knew the incredible crispy exterior you could achieve so quickly. How tofu can take on any flavor profile you wish, and just how delicious it truly is!
Today, I am bringing you a simple recipe that is packed with veggies and one that you will gladly skip the take out and make this instead!
Just look at the beauty on that plate! Sticky, crispy general tso’s tofu piled high onto a bed of quinoa fried rice. Come to mama.
There are two things you will need to do in advance to make this dish a total breeze to pull together. 1. Drain the tofu! Dry that baby out between a few paper towels or a kitchen towel, press it down with a heavy pan and remove the excess water. 2. Make the quinoa. It only takes 10 or so minutes, but once you have these two steps done the entire dish comes together in less than 20 minutes.
On you mark. Get set. Let’s Cook!
For the Quinoa:
1 cup Organic Quinoa
2 cup water
3 cloves Garlic
Quinoa Fried “Rice”
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped chive or green onion
1 cup frozen peas
3 eggs
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
Prepared Quinoa (recipe below)
General Tso’s Crispy Tofu
1 package Extra Firm Tofu
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
General Tso’s Sauce (1/2-1 cup)
**Prior to cooking, remove tofu from package and firmly press the tofu between a few sheets of paper towel or a kitchen towel to remove any excess water. You can place the tofu on a plate, place a kitchen towel on top, and set a heavy dish on top to do the work for you! **
Quinoa:
In a medium sauce pan, bring 1 cup organic quinoa, 2 cups of water and 3 cloves of garlic up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and place lid on. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
Tofu:
- Take dried tofu, and slice into any shape you desire. Strips or cubes –
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and spices.
- Coat the tofu evenly in the cornstarch mixture and shake off excess.
- In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, coat pan with a drizzle of olive oil and place tofu. Watch carefully, rotating the tofu as each side becomes golden brown.
- Once all sides are nice and golden, coat the tofu 1/2 cup General Tso’s sauce, toss to coat and remove from heat.
Quinoa Fried Rice:
- In a large sauté pan, over medium-high, add a few teaspoons of olive oil.
- Add the carrots and onions to the pan and sauté until onions are translucent (3 minutes).
- Next, add the prepared quinoa, chives, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce – give it a good stir for another 3 minutes.
- Push the quinoa to the side of the pan, and crack three eggs into the open side of the sauté pan. Whisk the eggs together to scramble. Once scrambled, stir into the fried rice –
- Remove from heat and stir in the frozen peas.
Serve this dish individually or family style. Quinoa fried “rice” with General Tso’s Tofu, topped with finely chopped chives, sriracha for added heat and sesame seeds for crunch!
