Teriyaki Tofu

One question vegans always get is, "where do you get your protein?" Of course, for many of us, our answer will contain the term, "tofu." This teriyaki tofu recipe (with home made teriyaki sauce) is comforting, nourishing, inexpensive, and easy to make. 

Teriyaki tofu served on a bed of brown rice topped with green onions

Serves: 3 people 

1 block super firm tofu
1 yellow onion

2 stalks scallions

1 bell pepper (I used orange) 

1/2 cup corn starch 

3/4 cup soy sauce 

1/4 maple syrup 

2 tbsp pineapple juice 

1 tbsp sriracha (optional)

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 tbsp rice vinegar (I ran out so I used apple cider vinegar)

 

Roughly dice your tofu into small cubes. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add half of your corn starch and the cubes. Toss and mix until the tofu is coated. Then bring a flat pan to heat and add 1-2 tbsp of oil (I used canola oil). Add your tofu cubes and let them cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on each side in medium heat. As your tofu cubes cook, begin cutting the vegetables. Chop the yellow onions and peppers into large pieces. Then dice your scallion stalks, setting aside the green part (this will be used for garnish). Once the tofu cubes have been cooked, set them aside in a separate plate. 

We will now begin to create the sauce and veggie mix. In the same pan, add more oil pour in the yellow onions, the lighter part of the scallions, and bell pepper. Set the pan to low heat (lowest possible). As the vegetables slowly cook, we can begin to make our teriyaki sauce. In the same mixing bowl you used to coat the tofu, add your soy sauce, pineapple juice, maple syrup, sriracha, garlic powder, and vinegar. Using the same mixing bowl will allow you to utilize the remaining corn starch that may have stuck to it. Once you have mixed your sauce ingredients, add the other half of your corn starch and whisk well into a slurry to ensure that all clumps are gone. 

Set your attention back to the onions and peppers. Increase the heat and sautee until the onions are translucent. Then pour your sauce and let it boil. Once the sauce has slightly thickened, add your tofu pieces back in and ensure that they have all been coated. Once they are mixed and all the sauce has stuck to the tofu, it is ready serve! Serve yours by itself or on a bed of rice and garnish with the green part of the green onions.