GF Vegan Orange-Glazed Tofu Stir Fry w/ Asparagus!

The house just got a little more exciting! My niece-dog is staying with us for the weekend while my bro and his wife are at a wedding. Annie’s a gorgeous Weimaraner with quite the spirit! So Roxy and Annie are having fun teasing each other and trying to be “top dog.” :)

so delicious!

Anyhoo, tonight for dinner, we had another exotic flavor explosion in the form of a Chinese take-out classic: Orange Glazed Tofu Stir Fry! This wassuper tasty!

check out that gorgeous caramelization on the tofu!

Chinese take-out is notoriously unhealthy — with skyrocketing sodium and fat, and the toxic additive MSG. Well, I took this unhealthy dish, and transformed it to be Happy Tummy Approved — gluten-free, vegan, and healthy!

sweet and zesty orange glaze!

Here’s what you need:

1 bunch of asparagus — ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 leek — cleaned and diced
3 garlic cloves — minced
1 block of tofu — drained, pressed and cut into triangles
green onion — sliced – for garnish
healthy splash of white wine
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water

Sauce:
juice of 2 oranges — preferably fresh pressed
zest of 1/2 orange
5 Tbsp low sodium Tamari (GF soy sauce)
1 garlic clove – minced
3 green onions – sliced
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp water

Start out by pressing your tofu.

Cut your tofu into 6 slices, and then place them on a clean-kitchen-towel-lined plate, and press with a heavy pan. While they’re pressing, make your sauce. After about 15 minutes, cut the slabs into squares, and then the squares into triangles. Season with salt and pepper.

OK. Take a big, non-stick pan, and spray it with EVOO. Then, place your tofu triangles in a single layer in the pan, and let them form a crust — read: don’t touch them for 5-6 minutes. It was really surprising to me, that when they were searing, they were popping and sizzling! This is a good thing! While they’re searing, sprinkle them with 1 Tbsp organic sugar! Also, combine your sauce ingredients and set aside. Then, flip them, and let the other side sear for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Then add 1 tsp EVOO, your asparagus and leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Stir those around and let them cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Then, add your garlic; give it a stir, and deglaze with the white wine. Let that evaporate for a minute, and then add your sauce. Coat all the tofu. Then stir in your cornstarch slurry. Let it thicken for about 2 minutes. Toss with your cooked pasta, and garnish with green onion!

mmm!

This meal was SO yummy! The flavor was unlike anything I’ve made before! It was sweet, it was salty, it had a little tang, and a savory garlic undertone! Fantastic! The flavor of the sweet orange was just outstanding with the lemony, earthy asparagus. The sauce luxuriously coated the noodles, making them slurpy and delicious.

sweet, tangy, and 100% delicious!

And the tofu was just fantastic! It caramelized gorgeously, and had a crunchy-chewy crust with a pillowy center. I love this preparation of tofu!

so healthy and delicious!

Overall, this meal really stood out as a decadent, exotically-flavored noodle extravaganza! It was super healthy, with low-fat, high-flavor ingredients! You got a big dose of vitamin C from the fresh orange juice, and anti-oxidants, folate, B vitamins, and fiber from the asparagus! So fresh and so scrumptious!

no MSG here!! only organic goodness!

Tomorrow’s Friday! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Annie...sleeping after a long day playing outside!