Crispy Garlic and Ginger Tofu

pancakes & tofu 189

Daniel told me again that I was chewing in my sleep again the other night.

Me: “But how do you know I was chewing and not mouthing secrets?”

Daniel: “Well, I guess because it looked a whole lot like how you eat a hamburger. Mouth open, bite down, upanddown, upanddown, upanddown, and then, smile.”

pancakes & tofu 183

 

Me: “How do you know I was smiling? And what are you trying to say about me and hamburgers?”

Daniel: “Because it was the opposite of a frown? And you always smile like that when you’re eating.”

Me: “Oh.”

Daniel: “I tried to take a picture with my phone but it was too dark.”

Me: “Yes and good thing because I’d rather not have a photo of me in my jammies, in my bed, mock-chewing.”

 

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Daniel: “No, trust me it was the cutest thing I’ve seen all year.”

Me: “It’s only April. What about the puppy that belongs to our neighbor downstairs?”

Daniel: “He doesn’t chew that sweetly. And he certainly doesn’t look as happy while he’s eating.”

Me: “Good point. I wish I knew what I was eating.”

Daniel: “Why?”

Me: “Because now I’m hungry.”

Daniel: “You’re always hungry.”

Me: “Good point. I wish I had something to eat.”

Daniel: “You always have something to eat.”

Me: “Good point. Can you make me something to eat?”

Daniel: “No.”

 

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Me: “If you could just make me a flatbread…”

Daniel: “No.”

Me: “Something saucy.”

Daniel: “No.”

Me: “Something with cheese.”

Daniel: “No.”

 

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Me: “But I’m starving.”

 

And then Daniel walked out the door and left me for good.

 

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And then, in his absence, I marinated tofu for hours in a sweet and salty soy-ginger-garlic sauce.

And fried thin slices of it to a deep brown crisp in a frying pan.

And rolled those wildly flavorful strips in a flatbread with soft, sauteed sweet peppers and red onions.

 

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And then Jesus called.

And the clouds parted.

And unicorns jumped over rainbows.

And then Daniel came back to me.

[He was hungry.]

 

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And we lived semi-happily ever after.

 

The end.

pancakes & tofu 175

Crispy Garlic and Ginger Tofu

Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 174kcal

Ingredients

For Marinade and Sauce:

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves minced

Remaining ingredients:

  • 16- ounce block extra firm tofu pressed, dried, and sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk all marinade ingredients. Lay the slices of tofu in a shallow pan and pour the marinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • In a large nonstick skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu in a single layer and let them cook for about 8 minutes per side. Check the underside of one of the pieces after 4 minutes to ensure they don't burn. The tofu should develop a dark, crisp crust. Remove the tofu from the pan, place it on a serving plate, and pour the remaining marinade in the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until it has thickened into a glossy syrup. Pour the thickened sauce over the tofu and serve.

Notes

Nutrition Information for 1/3 of Entire Recipe: Calories 174, Fat 14g, Carb 16g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 9g, Protein 20g

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Fat: 14g

 

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67 thoughts on “Crispy Garlic and Ginger Tofu

  1. Ashley

    Yum yummy!! Cant wait to try this one :) I need to know where you get your flatbreads. They look delicious and you seem to be enjoying them a lot lately.

    Reply
  2. NikNik

    I was missing the flatbreads there for a minute (sorry Daniel). Ever since the beginning of your flatbread period I’ve been searching for good flatbread, all over the Central Coast of California. So far to no avail.

    I lived in Melbourne (Australia) for many years, where great souvlaki is the local fast food – and these flatbreads look just like the ones I enjoyed there.

    I’m not giving up though….. There’s great flatbread in my future – I just know it, and when I find it, I’ll be wrapping it around this marinated tofu – and smiling while I eat it.

    Reply
  3. Frieda

    I want to see a play about you and Daniel. Guess it would be very entertaining :) or could you just write me a book? Would be a fun read. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Helena

    Can I move in with you? I love anything wrapped in flatbread! And I’m very tolerant about mock-chewing :D

    Reply
  5. johnny

    You are sooo cute! :) That first photo would have me chewing in my sleep as well! Love tofu, gona do that recipe for sure!

    Reply
  6. Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat

    Yummmm! I just made a very similar tofu marinade and sort of forgot about my tofu…. it was in the sauce for about 2 days and I finally cooked it yesterday – probably the most flavoured tofu I’ve ever had!!! However, I did not have one of your gorgeous flatbreads on hand so it had to go on a bowl of greens instead. Next time… I’ll be a little more prepared :)

    Reply
  7. sara

    Haaa, so fun :) I once woke up to hear my sister sleep-chewing. I could hear the little clicks when she bit down, it was hilarious. She didn’t remember what she’d been eating either.

    Reply
  8. brandi

    It’s too bad we don’t live closer – I think we’d all get along so well. My husband and I the same conversations, usually about the funny things I do or say in my sleep :)

    This looks so good.

    Reply
  9. Amanda R.

    Mmmmmm I love you more now. I’m a tofu addict on a high protein diet and I just started drooling. My Everything Bagel Thin with cream cheese didn’t taste as good. Admittedly it’s because there was no lox…BUT STILL.

    Reply
  10. Sarah (Running To Slow Things Down)

    This is stunning and looks mouthwateringly delicious!

    As an aside, I’m pretty sure that people who claim to have a strong dislike for all things tofu, just don’t have the right marinade or cooking technique. I still have some learning to do when it comes to cooking tofu, but I’ve also tasted what it’s capable of being, which is enough reason for me to keep it in my kitchen.

    I can’t *wait* to try your recipe! :D

    Reply
  11. Ellen Renee

    I am going to be adventurous and try this – have only had tofu in a lovely Hot and Sour soup from my favorite chinese restaurant. After we were 1st married (almost 23 years ago) my husband told me I sat up in bed and said “Do you know what Oprah said today?” – he told me he did not care what she said – can you imagine?!! I have no memory of it though – was just talking in my sleep. Supposedly I laugh a great deal too..and drool – I sound like a catch huh?

    Reply
  12. Lindsey @ trail to train

    I had a dream last night that I made these and I’m not even joking. lol I also had to yell at my boyfriend in the dream because he was complaining it wasn’t meat and I said “You know what? You can just deal with it OK?!” It was awesome. Just thought I would share.

    Reply
  13. Jinal

    Hi my next target is this tofu…. It looks really yummy… But can I ask you a question? One if the ingredient is brown sugar… So I was wondering if that tofu has sweet taste? Cuz I dont really like sweet n I was wondering if it sweet can you tell me any substitute to make it spicy… Thank you….sorry I really love your recipes but i don’t like sweet that’s why…

    Reply
  14. Nicole

    Looks delicious! I frequently make something very similar to this with the additional step of dredging the tofu in a mixture of all-purpose flour and sesame seeds (about 1/2 cup flour to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds) it adds a little extra crispiness and crunch, although I imagine that you would need to shorten the cooking time slightly to avoid burning the sesame seeds (I heat the oil to just below smoking and allow the tofu to brown for 1-2 minutes per side and it comes out deliciously crispy).

    Reply
  15. Jessica

    I recently found your blog and love everything about it- your photos, your mouth-watering recipes, and your voice.

    I made this recipe last night and it was amazing! My only question is if there would be some way to make it less-salty. I didn’t use low-sodium soy sauce, as I usually do, so maybe that would be all it would take. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  16. Pingback: Garlic and Ginger Tofu Flatbread (or not). « Hearty Herbivore

  17. Alicia

    Made it tonight…was so good! We used Lavash bread because we couldn’t find flat bread. I think flat bread is delish! Next time! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  18. Regina

    I made this and it came out GREAT… it was my first time making tofu…
    I just wondered if you would get the same result if you baked it?
    I’m trying to eat healthy and thought frying was bad for you =(

    Reply
  19. Jodie in MN

    I found your blog the other day and have been reading bits and pieces when I can. You have an amazing story and your recipes make me (the chef’s daughter who has never enjoyed cooking)want to cook. This tofu recipe looks delicious. I have never tried tofu, but I have a package of it in my frig right now. I bought it to try to sneak some protien into my 4 year old who won’t eat meat-she probably won’t eat this either, but it’s worth a shot! We’ll be eating it soon. Thanks!

    Reply
  20. Hayashi-san

    I wrapped this tofu with sushi rice, lightly sautéed zucchini and nori. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for the wonderful idea!

    Reply
  21. Kelly

    I tried this as written, and it was good — except way too salty. Next time I would consider watering down the soy sauce a bit, or using low-sodium soy sauce.

    Reply
  22. Pingback: Garlic and Ginger Marinated Tofu | Fast & Easy Vegetarian Recipes

  23. Sarah

    I really wanted this to turn out…but the tofu kept crumbling and everything just stuck to the pan and burnt over…how do you get it not to stick? I used the oil and extra firm tofu. It was ‘sprouted’ tofu, not sure if that makes a difference. Tried two different types of pans and it still stuck like crazy :( Defeated.

    Reply
  24. Donna

    This looks so good. I’m not a fan of tofu, (unless I use it to make an awesome egg salad type dish), so I’m going to marinate tempeh, instead. What a great website this is. This is my first visit and found so many wonderful recipes. Thank you.

    Reply

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