Have you tried making your own tofu yet? When I went meat-free a few years back, tofu seemed like a foreign concept to me, but now, when cooked right and tossed in a mouth-watering marinade, I’m obsessed!
💡 Pro tip: always be sure to buy organic tofu to avoid gmos, toxic pesticides, and unsustainable farming techniques.
🌱 Fun fact: tofu is a great plant-based source of non-heme iron (heme iron comes from animal products while non-heme iron comes from plant-based foods).
🩸 Did you know that iron is an essential mineral found within red blood cells that’s necessary for the delivery of oxygen to every cell in our bodies?
🌱 Other sources of plant-based iron that we enjoy are lentils, beans, quinoa, dark green leafy vegetables, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. It’s important to always pair your plant-based iron source with Vitamin C so that the body can absorb it well. We love pairing our iron sources with oranges, strawberries, or broccoli!
Preheat oven to 400F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Take your tofu, wrap it in a cheese cloth or towel, and place it on a cutting board with a heavy pot on top for 10-30 minutes. This is my easy way to drain the tofu of its excess water (or if you have a tofu press, use that instead!)
Cut your tofu into cubes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl, drizzle with avocado oil and coconut aminos. Toss gently. Then sprinkle with cornstarch and toss gently until well combined.
Place tofu in an even layer on your baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
In a small saucepan, whisk together your coconut aminos, minced garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, orange juice, and coconut sugar until the mixture starts to bubble. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and cook for another minute so the mixture thickens.
Add the crispy tofu to the saucepan and coat with your marinade. Serve over quinoa and top with sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!