This is one of my favorites! Although this recipe is time-consuming, it’s an easy meal with lots of juice and flavor. It’s similar to an orange chicken flavor, but meat is not used in this recipe. The four important components of this recipe are the tofu, sauce, vegetables, and rice. All four will create an amazing meal. My recipe aims for a spicy flavor while still using lots of leaves and other flavors, but you can substitute and replace these if you want to. I hope you enjoy! – Lily
Sweer and Sour Tofu with Veggies and Rice
(important note: I usually wing the amount of ingredients. Don't interpret them strictly! They could be wrong. Also, most spices can be substituted if you want to use a different flavor or if you don't have an exact spice.)
Yield: 4
Equipment
- 1 oven for cooking tofu
- 2 large bowls 1 for mixing tofu, 1 for sauce
- 1 large tray for tofu
- 1 large pan for cooking vegetables
- 1 pot (any size) for rice
Materials
tofu
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce – preferably low sodium
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil – any vegetable oil also works
- 1-1/2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp pepper
- 2 tbsp paprika – optional
- 1 tbsp cayenne – optional
- 1 tsp dill leaves – rough estimation
- 1 tsp oregano
sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup tomato paste – spicy tomato paste is optional but works really well!
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp turmeric – optional
- extra pineapple juice (if you have any) – optional
veggies (most can be substituted)
- 1 red pepper
- 1 orange pepper
- 1 broccoli
- 1 cup sliced pineapple – important!
- 1/2 bag of spinach
- 1 large tomato
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp dill leaves
- 2 tbsp pepper
- 1 tbsp oregano
Instructions
Tofu
- Open your tofu container and drain all excess water.
- Cut the tofu block horizontally and further cut each tofu piece vertically into smaller strips (preferably 4 or 5 for each piece)
- Place a towel underneath and over the tofu. Fill a large pot of water and press it over the tofu.
- Wait for 15 minutes as the tofu slowly dries. Flip after 15 minutes and repeat until both sides become dry.
- Further cut the tofu into squares; there should be 4 or 5 squares for every strip
- Place the tofu in a large bowl and add spices. Add cornstarch and mix well without breaking each tofu piece.
- Set the oven to 400°F. Place aluminum foil over a large tray and separate each tofu piece without any touching each other.
- When the oven finished heating up, place the tofu on one of the oven trays and wait 15 minutes. Flip the tofu in-between cooking so both sides are cooked.
- Wait for 10 minutes for the tofu to cool and add the tofu to the rest of your dish.
Sauce
- Add apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and soy sauce and mix moderately well. Add cornstarch, spices, and extra pineapple juice. Stir with added ingredients until saucy.
- Add with tofu.
Veggies
- Slice all veggies and pineapple into small pieces without dicing.
- Add olive oil into a large pan and turn stove to high heat. Add veggies and cook until ready.
- Add sliced pineapple 5 minutes after veggies.
- After the veggies and pineapple slices are cooked, turn stove to low heat. Add spices and wait for 15 minutes.
- Serve with other ingredients.
Rice
- Wash rice in small bowl. Pour 4 cups of water into large pot.
- Add 2 cups of rice when boiling. After adding rice, turn to lower heat. Make sure to add salt!
- Stir occasionally until all water is absorbed.
- Serve with everything else!
