Broiled Black Pepper Tofu Recipes

BLACK PEPPER TOFU WITH BOK CHOY

Steps:

• Cut tofu into cubes and blot dry with paper towels, pressing down gently.
• Make the wok sauce, stirring ingredients together in a small until most of the sugar dissolves. Place it by the stove.
• Prep the shallots, garlic and bok choy.
• Dredge the tofu in a light coating of cornstarch (cornstarch is optional, but provides a crispier texture).
• Heat oil in a wok or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the salt and crushed peppercorns to the oil, swirling it around until fragrant, about one minute.
• Add the tofu to the seasoned oil, and sear on all sides until golden and crispy, turning the heat down if need be. Be patient and take your time, it will take about 5-6 minutes.
• Set the crispy tofu aside on a paper towel-lined plate, and wipe the pan out.
• Heat another teaspoon or two of oil over medium heat, and add shallots, garlic and bok choy. Stir continuously until bok choy begins to wilt and shallots become golden, about 3-4 minutes. It will smell amazing. Add the wok sauce to the pan, careful to get all the sugar that may have settled in the bowl.
• Simmer for a couple of minutes, or until bok choy is just tender.
• At the very very end, toss the tofu back into the pan with the bok choy and sauce ( just long enough to coat, only 5-10 seconds!) Cooking any longer will remove the amazing crispiness! Taste for salt and heat, adjusting to your preference.
• Serve immediately, diving between two bowls.

CRISPY TOFU WITH BLACK PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix first four ingredients. Mince white parts of green onions; thinly slice green parts., Cut tofu into 1/2-in. cubes; pat dry with paper towels. Toss tofu with cornstarch. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu; cook until crisp and golden brown, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels., In same pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add peas; stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan., In same pan, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add pepper; cook 30 seconds. Add garlic, ginger and minced green onions; stir-fry 30-45 seconds. Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in tofu and peas. Sprinkle with sliced green onions.

BROILED BLACK-PEPPER TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices (about 3/4 inch thick each). Cut each slice diagonally into 2 triangles. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Place tofu on top, and cover with another double layer of paper towels. Place another baking sheet or a large plate on top. Weigh down with heavy objects (such as large cans of food); let stand 20 minutes.
• Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heat. Stir together tamari soy sauce, oil, and pepper in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pat tofu dry with paper towels; transfer to baking dish. Turn to coat both sides with marinade. Broil, flipping once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with dipping sauce.

GRILLED SMOKY TOFU TACOS WITH PEACH CUCUMBER SALSA

Steps:

• For the tofu: Sandwich each piece of tofu between 2 sheets of paper towels and place on a plate. Top with a second plate and weigh the plate down with a can or a heavy book to press any liquid out of the tofu. Set aside, changing the paper towels every 30 minutes, for 2 hours.
• For the lime sour cream: Whisk together the sour cream and lime zest and juice in a small bowl, then transfer to a squeeze bottle or container. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• For the salsa: Combine the peaches, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and onion in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• For the black beans: Saute the onion in the oil in a large skillet until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the beans and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to partially mash the beans. Cover to keep warm or reheat when ready to serve.
• Make the tofu: Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high.
• Cut the tofu into 1-inch-wide logs. Mix the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper together in a bowl, then sprinkle the tofu on both sides with the spice mix. Brush the tofu with a generous amount of olive oil. Oil the grill grates, then place the tofu on the grill and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• To build each taco, spoon some beans onto a tortilla. Top with the tofu and salsa. Drizzle with lime sour cream and serve immediately.
• Place the onions in a jar. Whisk the vinegars together with the sugar, salt and 1 cup water in a bowl until dissolved. Add the peppercorns. Pour over the onions and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours (see Cook's Note). Pickled onions keep about 2 weeks in the fridge.

BLACK PEPPER TOFU

Steps:

• Start with the tofu. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan or wok to come 1/4 inch up the sides and heat. Cut the tofu into large cubes, about 1 x 1 inch. Toss them in some cornstarch and shake off the excess, then add to the hot oil. (You'll need to fry the tofu pieces in a few batches so they don't stew in the pan.) Fry, turning them around as you go, until they are golden all over and have a thin crust. As they are cooked, transfer them onto paper towels.
• Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan, then put the butter inside and melt it. Add the shallots, chiles, garlic and ginger. Sauté on low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have turned shiny and are totally soft. Next, add the soy sauces and sugar and stir, then add the crushed black pepper.
• Add the tofu to warm it up in the sauce for about a minute. Finally, stir in the green onions. Serve hot, with steamed rice.

STIR-FRIED TOFU AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Optional step for firmer tofu: Blot the tofu dry, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place a cutting board on top. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Whether weighted or not, slice the tofu about 1/2 inch thick into 1- x 2-inch dominoes.
• Mix together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium bowl. Toss with the tofu, and stir to make sure all of the pieces are coated. Let sit for five to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining soy sauce and sugar, hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Add the oil, turn the heat to medium-high and add the peppers. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, until the peppers begin to soften, and add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 20 seconds, until the garlic and ginger begin to smell fragrant, and add the tofu, dried red pepper flakes and green onions. Stir-fry two minutes, give the sauce a stir and add to the pan. Cover and cook for three minutes. Remove the lid, stir the ingredients in the pan, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with rice or noodles.