Spicy Szechuan Tofu & Eggplant

Recipe: GF Spicy Szechuan Tofu & Eggplant
 
1 pound firm tofu
1 yellow onion (thinly sliced)
1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant (the long, skinny kind)
1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced then cut into 1 inch pieces)
2 scallions (thinly sliced)
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
Crushed Chili flakes to taste (I use 1-2 tablespoons most folks would probably want 1-2 teaspoons 🙂 )
Optional: 1-2 SMALL zucchini
2-3 Tablespoons avocado oil plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil to saute
Optional Garnish: fresh cilantro and/or toasted sesame seeds
 
For the SAUCE and MARINADE:
4 cloves garlic finely grated or diced
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1 pack Trader Joe’s chicken broth concentrate (OR 1 tsp. vegetable or chicken bouillon+ 1 Tablespoon water)
4 Tablespoons GF Tamari
2 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons Tamarind paste (or 1 Tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate)
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
COMBINE ALL THE SAUCE INGREDIENTS THEN PUREE IN A BULLET BLENDER OR OTHER SMALL BLENDER. It will form a thin, paste. TASTE it to see if you want to add sugar, vinegar or oil before continuing. At this point it is very salty and very strong)
 
Cooking instructions:
Do all the prep work BEFORE you start to cook. The cooking is FAST. Prep time 10-15 minutes. Cooking time less than 10 minutes.
 
1.) rinse and dry the block of Tofu then slice into 3 large slices.
2.) spread one Tablespoon of marinade in the bottom of the tofu container then add the first slice of tofu (cut to cover the whole bottom). Top it with 1 T of marinade and then the second slice of Tofu. Add 1 T marinade then the third slice of tofu. Top with 1 T. marinade. Then cut into long rectangles and set aside. (I do 4 cuts in each direction)
You should use about half the marinade for this step.
3.) add 1/4 cup water + 1 teaspoon of corn starch to the remaining Marinade/sauce and set aside.
 
VEGGIES:
Slice the onions, garlic and green onions. Keep them SEPARATE.
Cut the Eggplant in fourths the long way then cut into 1 inch long pieces. Same cut for the zucchini if you are adding any.
 
TO COOK
 
Heat your largest frying pan on medium-high heat.
Add the avocado oil, sesame oil and chili flakes and cook for a 30 seconds.
Add the sliced YELLOW onion and saute for a minute or two till it just begins to soften.
Add the Eggplant and mix/ toss so that all pieces have a little oil.
Cook for 3-4 minutes till the eggplant is almost cooked and the skin is a bit charred.
Add the red bell pepper (and zucchini) then cook for 1-2 minutes.
Push the veggies to one side.
Add extra oil if needed then add the sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the marinated tofu and saute for a minute or two turning as needed to prevent it from burning.
Add the green onions and the sauce. Toss to coat the the veggies and cook till thick (1-2 minutes) If the sauce is too thick, add a little water.
 
Serve over steamed rice. Garnish with sesame seeds or cilantro if desired. SERVES 4.
 
Reheats well and tastes even better the second day!
 
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