Sweet and Sour Tofu

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      I love eating sweet and sour chicken and tofu at the Chinese restaurant near our house, but I know it’s deep fried and full of fat. When I found a recipe for Sweet and Sour tofu that didn’t use much oil and incorporated a ton of vegetables I knew I had to make it. It seemed as though the recipe for the sauce would make a ton so I cut it by 1/3 and there was still too much sauce.
   
      The sauce was very good; both sweet and tangy. I let it simmer on the stove to thicken it up and served the tofu over rice. It was tasty and so much lighter then what we get at the restaurant. I would make this again and I’d like to try the sauce with chicken as well.
Sweet and Sour Tofu (adapted from Alton Brown’s I’m Just Here for the Food Version 2.0)
2 pounds of extra firm tofu (2 blocks, 1 pound each)
1 c. light soy sauce

1 T. minced garlic
2 T. minced ginger
1 c. flour, divided in half
½ c. cornstarch
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
3 T. olive oil
2 c. ketchup
½ c. sugar
1 c. red wine vinegar
¼ c. honey
3 T. light soy sauce
2 T. vegetable oil
½ large onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped red and green peppers
1 c. broccoli florets
1 (12 oz) can pineapple (with ½ c. juice)

1. Slice the tofu bricks sideways into 4 pieces each. Place on paper towels then cover with paper towels. Place a heavy pan on top and let drain for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, ½ the flour, and cornstarch in a small bowl.

3. Put the drained tofu in a shallow dish and cover with soy marinade. Cover and allow to marinate 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.

4. Remove the tofu from the refrigerator and drain any extra liquid.

5. Heat 3 T. olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. In a shallow dish combine remaining flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge tofu through the flour and put into frying pan. Fry 2-3 minutes on all side or until golden brown all over. Remove to a cutting board and cut each strip into 4 pieces. Set aside.
6. In a small bowl combine ketchup, sugar, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and pineapple juice. Mix well and set aside.

7. In the same frying pan you cooked the tofu in heat the vegetable oil. Toss in the vegetables (except for broccoli) and pineapple. Sauté for 5 minutes then add in the tofu and half the sauce. Stir in the broccoli and heat until the sauce boils for 2 minutes.

8. Serve over rice with a side of the remaining sauce.

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