My Orange Tofu recipe is a hit, and here is a similar-but-different take on that recipe that is super yummy and satisfying!
I won’t claim this idea as my own. I follow Pinch of Yum and have for years. Lindsey is one of my heroes. We have so much in common in our interests and journey to motherhood. I started my blog by taking the course she and her husband have, Food Blogger Pro, which helped this blog come to be. Anyway, this recipe is from her blog, but with my own edits. It was so yummy that I wanted to remember it and capture my tweaks. We wanted a little more sauce and the cumin ended up being distracting, and I also wanted options to not fry the tofu. So, credit to Pinch of Yum for this delicious idea!
It was perfect because I have three jars of homemade apricot jam in my freezer that I need to use. Now I have the ideal way to use that jam. I picked apricots from a friend’s tree this summer, blended them up and added just enough sugar and simmered it. If you are buying apricot jam or preserves for this that are not low-sugar, yours will be sweeter (use 1/2 cup to lower sweetness if desired).
If you have questions about tofu—how do you press it, are you sure it’s healthy, how much is too much, what about the estrogen, do you have to buy organic, etc.–or if you just want more delicious tofu recipes, check out my Tofu Mini Course! It’s super fun and really delicious. You’ll get 10 short videos answering literally every question you could have about tofu, and 15 exclusive recipes. It’s a great buy if you just want more variety in your plant based diet and have questions about tofu.
Although I avoid oil as much as I can, I have to admit that I love a little bit of sesame oil for flavor. That one-tablespoon drizzle at the end adds a lot of richness to this meal. I feel like a tablespoon here and there isn’t going to affect my health much. I have made this with and without the sesame oil, though, and both are delicious of course.
Although most of my tofu recipes are in my tofu course, here are the few others on the blog. Try some out!
A quick, well-balanced and delicious meal!
- 1 16-oz block extra firm tofu
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1 TBSP cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 2/3 cup low-sugar apricot preserves
- 2 TBSP soy sauce (or alternative like tamari or liquid aminos)
- 2 TBSP rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp each paprika and onion powder
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 TBSP sesame oil (optional)
- cooked rice
- green beans
- chopped cilantro
- sliced green onions
- red pepper flakes
- sesame seeds
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Start cooking rice if needed.
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Press tofu.
Drain the tofu and either use a tofu press, or wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and place a heavy pan on top. Let it sit for a few minutes (or as long as you can). I often skip this step if using really firm tofu (like Trader Joe's super firm, or Walmart's Nasoya Super firm).
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Tear the tofu into bite-size pieces and place into a bowl. Pour the soy sauce and cornstarch over, and toss until well-coated.
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Bake, air-fry, or pan-fry the tofu. While it cooks, prepare the sauce, green beans and toppings.
To bake, place tofu on a lined baking sheet and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes.
To air-fry, put in air fryer at 370 degrees for 5 minutes, shake, then 5 minutes again until golden.
To pan-fry, in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat up 1-2 tablespoons of olive or avocado oil. Pour in the tofu and let it sit for a few minutes on each side until golden. You'll add the sauce directly to the same pan.
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To make the sauce, simply stir all together except the sesame oil. When the tofu is ready, pour the sauce into a large skillet and heat until bubbly. This cooks the garlic briefly so it's not too sharp. Add the tofu, toss well, and watch it get coated and sticky. Drizzle on a tablespoon of sesame oil if you'd like for added flavor.
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Serve with rice and steamed green beans. Sprinkle with cilantro, sesame seeds, etc. on top.
I think it would be fun to try other types of fruit preserves....orange marmelade, fig preserves, etc.
