Healthier Orange Tofu

Finished orange tofu with a side of steamed broccoli and orange segments.

Healthier Orange Tofu

Orange tofu or orange chicken in a American Chinese restaurants are usually breaded, deep fried, and smothered in a thick syrupy sauce.  Not exactly the kind of meal I want to eat on a regular basis.  This version has all of that great citrus flavor, thanks to the zest of the orange in the sauce without all of the unnecessary extras.

This recipe is somewhat different from the Sesame-Ginger-Tofu that I posted about in a couple of ways.  In addition to the difference in flavor from the fresh orange zest, the tofu is quickly stir fried, not baked.  If you prefer a less tofu-y texture you may want to follow the instructions for baking the tofu outlined in that recipe.  Personally, I enjoy the natural texture of tofu.

Serve this with steamed broccoli and orange segments (you have to buy an orange for the zest anyway) or alongside some fried rice.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP hot water
• zest of 1 orange (I use a microplane, however you can also just use a vegetable peeler to scrape off the zest and mince with a knife)
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 TBSP canola oil
• 1/2 onion, julienne
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 block tofu: drained, pressed, and cut into triangles
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In a small bowl mix, water, orange zest, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and sesame oil.  Set aside.
2. Warm oil over high heat in your wok or frying pan.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add garlic, stirring constantly cook another minute.
4. Mix the tofu into the hot pan, stirring for another two minutes.
5. Stir in the rest of your veggies and cook until just tender (about four minutes).  Add small amounts of water to prevent sticking, if necessary.
6. Pour sauce over contents of pan and remove from heat.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Tofu and veggies in the frying pan.

Yum