What’s the best thing you ate in the past week? Can’t pick a favorite? I relate with you, having savored a plethora of good food, including:
- Freshly made espresso mochi donuts from MoDo Hawaii
- Paella and acedías (pan-fried sand dab fillets) from Iberia Restaurant
- Perfectly ripe peaches from Frog Hollow Farm
I also prepared this flavor-packed kung pao tofu with broccoli. The meatless main is quick and easy to assemble and will satisfy your hunger. For maximum enjoyment, serve kung pao tofu with broccoli alongside cooked brown rice or wheat noodles.
(Note: If you can get your hands on it, use Hodo Organic Firm Tofu to save yourself the hassle of pressing. It goes without saying that the product is delicious. And feel free to omit the dried red chiles if you’re unable to procure them.)
Recipe adapted from The Curious Chickpea.
Kung Pao Tofu with Broccoli
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan pepper
- ½ cup water
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 2 10-oz. packages firm tofu, cut into ¾” cubes (see notes)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil
- 6 dried red chiles
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced and separated into light and dark parts
- ½ pound broccoli, stems peeled and cut into thin matchsticks and florets cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup roasted, salted peanuts
- cooked brown rice, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the dark and low-sodium soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and Sichuan pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; add to soy sauce mixture and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Place tofu in a 9" pie plate. Add remaining 1½ tablespoons cornstarch and salt and toss to coat.
- Heat safflower or vegetable oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Arrange tofu in the pan in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same fry pan used to cook the tofu, add dried red chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 1 minute.
- Add garlic and light parts of green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green, about 3 minutes.
- Add peanuts and prepared sauce and tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Serve with brown rice and garnish with dark parts of green onions.
Notes
I used Hodo Organic Firm Tofu, which doesn't require pressing. If you can't find it, remove tofu from package and place on a double layer of paper towels. Place two more paper towels on top of tofu and gently press with a fry pan (or another weight) to remove excess liquid. Let stand for about 15 minutes. Cut tofu into small cubes (about ¾ inch).
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