Some nights you just crave Chinese take-out, and when we crave it, nothing else will satisfy us. But most Chinese take-out is greasy and filled with enough sodium to meet your requirements for the month. Feeling guilty and bloated after eating isn't something you should ever feel. Happy and full-filled is what we're aiming for, and that's exactly how this meal will leave you feeling.
I used tofu as the protein source here and it's amazing in this crispy form. If you aren't familiar with using tofu, the only thing you need to know is that it comes sitting in water and you'll need to dry it off and soak up as much moisture as possible. I do this by wrapping several sheets of paper towel around the block and just gently squeezing the liquid out. This meal tastes best the day of, as tofu doesn't retain the crispiness when sitting overnight or reheated.
Most takeout sweet & sour dishes are also served with pineapple chunks, however, I use pineapple juice to sweeten the sauce so the extra sugar isn't really necessary. Ketchup is also used, which has sugar in it, so there's enough sweetness in the dish without the actual fruit pieces.
Alright, enough chatter, let's get to it!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Pineapple Juice
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or Sodium Free Soy Sauce
Red Pepper
Green Pepper
Firm Tofu
Corn Starch
Coconut Oil
Process:
Starting with the sauce, combine the first five ingredients together. Whisk until fully combined. Set aside. Additional note, this sauce does keep well in the fridge so any leftovers can be reserved and stored there.
Next, chop the green pepper and red pepper into small pieces and set that aside. I made just a single serving so I used half of each pepper.
Now it's time to prepare the tofu. Because I was only making a single serving, I only used a quarter of the block. Using a sharp knife, cut off with you need, and remove from the water. To keep the tofu fresh, either place the container in a ziplock bag, or transfer it to a covered bowl. Either way, you want it sitting in the liquid. For the tofu you're using, you need to remove as much moisture as possible. Wrap 2-3 paper towels around it and just gently squeeze the piece on all sides drying it up as much as possible. Next, cut the tofu into one inch blocks.
Next, you want to coat each tofu piece with cornstarch. This is what helps it get that crispy texture. I do this by putting a few spoonfuls of cornstarch into a bowl, adding the tofu pieces, and gently mixing the pieces around until they're all covered.
On the stovetop, set a pan with 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil on high heat. Once heated up, add the tofu pieces. Cook these until browned. You will need to flip them around to brown all sides. This browning takes about 8 minutes to get everything cooked and crispy.
Once those are browned, remove them from the pan and set aside. Add the red and green peppers to the pan and cook until tender. I cover the pan to make them cook faster. This doesn't take long at all.
Once tender, add sauce to the pan. I only used about 1/3 of the sauce for my single serving. Once the sauce is warmed up, add the tofu and stir it around so the pieces are all coated in sauce.
Turn heat off. I use a slotted spoon to first remove the peppers and tofu and then pour the sauce over my plate. That way I can control how much sauce I want on my plate. You don't want the tofu soaking in the sauce, this will make it lose it texture. Serve with brown rice. There you go - your own Chinese take-out. Healthier, but delicious! Enjoy!
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