Recipes for Free: Sweet & Sour Tofu w/Broccoli and Peppers

By Calvin Eaton @glutenfreechef5

I have a confession. I am an obsessed foodie blogger and enjoy spending excessive amounts of time on food blogs and sites like Food Gawker and Tastespotting. A few weeks ago I came across this A+mazing slow cooker recipe for Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken. This recipe was a must try as it combines two of my favorite things in the food world 1). A slow cooker and 2). An asian inspired meal. I never need an excuse to bust out the slow cooker and with the temperatures rising slaving over a hot stove for endless hours isn’t always appealing. Not to mention this recipe was too simple not to try. The end result was A+mazing and I would have created a entire post featuring the meal but unfortunately I accidentally forgot to turn my cooker off fully and ended up slow cooking the chicken about an hour longer than I had planned. It was still great but not quite as photo worthy as it would have been had I not misplaced my mind. Fortunately this recipe sparked the idea for the Sweet and Sour Tofu recipe that you’ll find below. Since my copycat version uses tofu a slow cooker is unnecessary and you’ll have it ready in less than 30 minutes. The key to the perfect tofu is pressing the water out of it before sauteing. It keeps firm and holds it’s shape much better. Whether you try my meatless version or use chicken; with or without a slow cooker this recipe is simply A+mazing.

Sweet and Sour Tofu w/ Broccoli and Peppers
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (see below)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat skillet
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
To taste: onion powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder,and onion powder

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons cup of ketchup
¼ cup of gluten free soy sauce
¼ cup of water
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Pressing Tofu
Drain tofu and place on a paper towel lined plate or cookie sheet. Place more paper towel on top of tofu and set a large cast iron skillet filled with bags of beans or something heavy. The paper towel will absorb the water. Allow tofu to press for 3 hours prior to cooking or overnight in the fridge.

  1. Coat a medium cast iron skillet with olive oil. Cut pressed tofu into chunks and add to skillet to sauté and brown for 8 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli and water. Season with spices and continue to sauté on medium heat for an additional 5-6 minutes.
  2. Combine sauce ingredients into a small bowl whisk together and pour over tofu stir fry. Reduce heat to simmer and cover for 8 more minutes or until veggies are just tender. Tapioca starch is used to thicken the sauce, additional water may be needed to thin out the sauce.
  3. Turn off heat and let stir fry sit covered for an additional 3 minutes before serving.