Orange Chicken Style Tofu
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
hot cooked rice, to serve
1. Saute tofu in 2 tablespoons oil until browned. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, saute garlic and green onions in remaining 1 tablespoon oil until garlic is golden.
2. Add water, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
3. In a small cup or dish, mix together cornstarch and water until thoroughly blended. Pour cornstarch mixture into sauce, stirring constantly.
4. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sauce thickens to your liking. Remove from heat and combine with tofu until completely coated. Serve over rice.
Use more or less cornstarch mixture depending on how thick you like your sauce. You can also add ginger if you like that flavor. Or orange peel or orange juice concentrate for more orange flavor. Enjoy!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
This is really good stuff. I added the zest of one tangerine & it really pumped up the flavour. Also put in tons of veggies that I had....celery, mushrooms, baby corn, snow peas, carrots, sweet pepper, water chestnuts. And of course, doubled the sauce to accommodate all the extra vegetables
Thank you for this one. It's a keeper.
I did it right!!! It was yummy :) didn't make it with any vegetables, only used water for the corn starch mixture, and used 3X the orange juice. Still wasn't quite orangey enough for me so Imma add more next time :) I also used some chicken-less chicken strips from Trader Joe's instead of tofu. Yummmmmy ;)b
I made this recipe twice, without vegetables, and using Morning Star "Chicken" meal starters... and both times the sauce has been very soupy. I took everyone's advice and I donno what I'm doin wrong. When I look at the pictures of other peoples mine never looks that thick. I even double the cornstarch mixture and it doesn't make it thicken at all. I'm brand new to cooking... so could someone tell me if their sauce is like this too? I got the impression it was soppose to be very similar to the thick coating that we find on regular orange chicken. Mine isn't even close to that! Please help!
Are you heating the sauce enough to where it gets bubbly, almost a low boil? That might sound silly, but cornstarch doesn't thicken anything very much until heat is applied... Sometimes I have to let something bubble for longer than the recipe calls for, until it reaches my desired thickness.
Thanks! I'll make sure it's like that next time I make it! ^_^
My boyfriend and I love this recipe! I just tried it tonight, and it was amazing! I used frozen (thawed and pressed) tofu for a good chewy consistency, and added a cup or two or finely chopped broccoli while the onions were cooking. I doubled the sauce recipe, but only used three tablespoons of raw sugar and added lots of extra ground red pepper. I didn't have any cornstarch, so I threw in some milled flaxseed instead. It was delicious. We've dubbed it Happy Belly Tofu. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
P.S. My carnivore friend gave it a try and didn't look up or speak until his bowl was empty. I consider that a success.
mmmmmm...very good! If you like "General Tao's" then you'll like this, too. I doubled the sauce, sauteed some broccoli and carrots and served over brown basmati rice.
admittedly i haven't tried it yet... but it's been printed and will be tried soon - very soon. I've been vegetarian for about 8 months now... and i got pregnant a couple months ago - it's amazing what you crave when the body experiences all those changes... i was really craving meat - and that orange chicken from Panda Express... i'm really looking forward to trying this (by the way, i didn't and have'nt eaten meat - i'm so proud of myself!)
yes, i also find that if the sauce isn't hot enough the cornstarch doesn't thicken it as well. it might also help if you mix the cornstarch with cold water. and sometimes i'll pour the cornstarch/water mixture in, and let it sit in the sauce for a minute or two before stirring.
I made this recipe twice, without vegetables, and using Morning Star "Chicken" meal starters... and both times the sauce has been very soupy. I took everyone's advice and I donno what I'm doin wrong. When I look at the pictures of other peoples mine never looks that thick. I even double the cornstarch mixture and it doesn't make it thicken at all. I'm brand new to cooking... so could someone tell me if their sauce is like this too? I got the impression it was soppose to be very similar to the thick coating that we find on regular orange chicken. Mine isn't even close to that! Please help!
Are you heating the sauce enough to where it gets bubbly, almost a low boil? That might sound silly, but cornstarch doesn't thicken anything very much until heat is applied... Sometimes I have to let something bubble for longer than the recipe calls for, until it reaches my desired thickness.
I made this recipe twice, without vegetables, and using Morning Star "Chicken" meal starters... and both times the sauce has been very soupy. I took everyone's advice and I donno what I'm doin wrong. When I look at the pictures of other peoples mine never looks that thick. I even double the cornstarch mixture and it doesn't make it thicken at all. I'm brand new to cooking... so could someone tell me if their sauce is like this too? I got the impression it was soppose to be very similar to the thick coating that we find on regular orange chicken. Mine isn't even close to that! Please help!
Here is a tip that may help: "Always mix a slurry of cornstarch and a small amount (1/4 cup) of cold liquid (water, stock, wine, etc.) until smooth, then add this mixture to the food that you want thickened. Do not mix with liquids that are acid such as citrus juice or apple juice or it's thickening power is cut in half. Do not boil a cornstarch thickened sauce or it will thin out."
I found this on missvickie.com.
And no, your not stupid (your choices in food prove that!). I've been cooking for 35 years and still am lump-challenged. I have horror stories of my misadventures in attempted fudge making! Cooking is an adventure sometimes, just have fun and we'll all help each other.
(*_*)
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