I have been making this well-loved tofu dish for years, however due to my hypothyroid issues (click HERE for more details) I have avoided soy for a while now. If it weren’t for my thyroid issues, I would include tofu, tempeh, and edamame in my diet…I don’t think there is any harm (actually there are benefits) to including unprocessed soy items in your diet rotation. Having said that, I would avoid the processed soy foods that are über plentiful in the market today.
The creator of the EZ Tofu Press ($26.99) recently contacted me and offered to send me a free sample of his product to test and review. I own the TofuXpress which retails for $39.95 now, but I paid nearly $50 for it when I purchased it…ouch!!!
I was curious to see how the two tofu presses compared. While I like the fact that the TofuXpress I already own and use is a completely self-contained unit, it takes a hours for the tofu to drain completely which is a drag and means that you absolutely have to plan ahead. The new EZ Tofu Press seriously drained completely within 7 minutes! I put the tofu in the press, prepared the rest of the ingredients for my meal, and the tofu was ready to go. Major bonus.
The EZ Tofu Press was also easy to clean…all I needed to do was rinse it off. Make sure you go to the bottom of the post and learn how you can enter to win your very own EZ Tofu Press.
The traditional way to prepare this tofu dish is to fry it in a bit of oil. I thought I would try “frying” the tofu in a dry pan (I used my ceramic pan) and I was happy with the results.
The sauce I always served this dish with is Black Bean Garlic Sauce, which is NOT gluten-free. If you would like to serve the tofu with a gluten-free sauce, SAN J has some really tasty ones (their Szechuan sauce rocks). Keep in mind that you want the sauce to be a bit overflavored, oversalty, etc. since you are serving it with absolutely plain tofu.
INGREDIENTS
block of tofu, pressed 1 Tbs. black bean garlic sauce (or sauce of your choosing) 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced chilies, finely minced (optional) green onions, minced .Slice the tofu into 1/4″ thick slices. Now slice the slices into thirds (See image above).
If using black bean garlic sauce, mix the sauce, the ginger, chilies if using, and 1-2 Tbs. water (depending on your personal taste) to a bowl and mix to incorporate.
Heat your pan on HI. Place the tofu slices in the pan and dry-fry them for 2-3 minutes per side until browned. If you insist on using oil, use it sparingly.
Serve immediately topped with a drizzle of sauce and garnished with the minced green onions.
For a printable version of this recipe click here.
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GIVEAWAY *** GIVEAWAY *** GIVEAWAY
We have a winner…
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Jessica
I emailed my best friend!!
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