Whenever I post a tofu recipe on Instagram, at least a dozen people direct message me and say “what does tofu taste like?”
Um, it tastes like nothing really. That’s why you need to marinate it or add a sauce. But there are a couple things about tofu, you need to pick the right one for the recipe you are making.
My buddy Justin from Crow Moon Kitchen and I have a whole YouTube video on the subject – you can check it out here.
For this recipe you need to use extra firm tofu, and you also need to press the liquid out to get the right texture. I just wrap it up in several paper towels, put it on a plate and put something heavy on it like a big can of tomatoes and let if sit overnight.
I made orange tofu a couple weeks ago, and doing my fridge clean up, realized I had tofu to use up, and I didn’t have any oranges, so thought “what about lemon?”
Best decision evah! I tossed the tofu in corn starch and lemon pepper seasoning to start.
Don’t skip this pan frying step – it literally makes the dish and will make someone who is on the fence to try tofu, to actually try it and love it.
This sauce though – it’s so bright because of the lemon – so tangy!
I plated it with zucchini and brown rice. I literally took pictures and ate it right out of the pan until I ate it all.
Lemon Pepper Tofu with Lemon Sauce
Print Recipe
Serves: 1 Cooking Time: 10
Ingredients
- For the lemon sauce:
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (I used fresh)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon water (if needed)
- For the tofu:
- 6 ounces of pressed, extra firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
- avocado oil spray
Instructions
Mix the lemon sauce ingredients together. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour the sauce in the pan and stir, two minutes, until thickened. If too thick, add the tablespoon of water to thin it out a bit.
Slice the pressed tofu in half, then into cubes. In a bowl mix the cornstarch, salt and pepper, and toss the tofu to coat on all sides.
Heat a skillet with the coconut oil and avocado oil spray. In two batches, pan fry the tofu for about 5 minutes for each batch or until crispy on all sides.
Toss in the prepared lemon sauce, and garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions. Serve with fresh veggies (I did zucchini) and brown rice if you want make a complete meal.
Notes
This whole recipe on #teampurple or #teamblue is 3 points, on #teamgreen it’s 7 points, because you have to count the tofu.
Let me know if you make this. Are you a fan of tofu??
