Crispy orange tofu

Orange tofu. Yum:) This recipe comes from Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook Chloe's Kitchen. I planned our weekly menu around her book and everything we've made has turned out wonderfully! I highly recommend buying this book- it's great for vegans and non-vegans alike. It's also great if you're on a budget or would like to plan weekly meals without wasting a lot of food. For example: we bought a bunch of cilantro and used it for 3 different recipes this week! More to come on the other foods we made, but right now I'm sharing the dish(es) we made tonight for dinner: crispy orange tofu and garlicky greens with brown rice. Soo good.

I usually shy away from dishes that are fried because I'm slightly afraid of the hot oil. Do be sure to wear an apron- don't make the same mistake I did. The shirt I was wearing is now spotted with oil and I'm working on getting those stains out sigh. Good thing my mom is coming to visit in a few weeks! Anyways, the only thing I'd do differently than I did tonight was put more oil in the pan and actually let the tofu cook until it was crispy. Even thought I took it out when it was only slightly browned it was still really tasty. The only complaint I have about the recipe is the texture of the cornstarch between my fingers when I was coating the tofu- it elicited a nail-on-chalkboard type of reaction from me. But I'm kind of weird so it was probably just me. Don't let this deter you from making the dish!

Oh and can I talk about the sauce? It is so tasty and much healthier than what you get in the bottle at the store. All natural sugars are a better choice any day over the processed stuff. OK so go make this dish and buy the cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 cup orange juice
peel from 1/4 orange, cu tinto 1/4-inch strips
2 Tbs agave nectar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander*
canola oil for frying
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked rice, for serving

1. After pressing the tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. In a small bowl, mix orange juice, orange peel, agave, soy sauce, ginger garlic and coriander. Set aside.

2. Fill a large heavy-bottomed skillet with 1/2 inch oil and heat over medium-high heat. While oil is heating whisk together cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Dredge tofu in the flour mixture by tossing a few cubes at a time in the bowl and removing them onto a plate. Be sure to shake off excess before frying.

3. The oil is hot enough when bubbles form around a wooden spoon inserted in the oil. Carefully place tofu in the oil and let fry until the bottom is golden and crisp. Flip tofu using a spatula or tongs and fry until the other side is golden and crisp. Remove tofu from oil and drain on paper towels.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add fried tofu and orange juice mixture. Let cook until the sauce bubbles down to a thick syrup. Turn off heat and mix in cilantro. Serve over rice.

Our main dish over rice, with a side of garlicky greens.

Since there's coriander in this dish I decided to complement it with a Trippel from New Belgium Brewery. Wonderful choice on such a warm spring-like evening!