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black sesame tofu and peppers

Here’s an easy vegetarian dish that’s great for lunches or dinner for two. It’s like your favorite Chinese takeout, but better! It’s sweet, a little tangy, and filling while still being lower in fat without sacrificing flavor. This tofu is pre-baked to have great texture, so if you’ve had bad luck in the past cooking tofu, this will solve your problem. The best part of this dish? It’s easy. Like, really easy, and doesn’t use too many ingredients. If you don’t have or like bell peppers, use broccoli, onions, or another veggie that tastes great sautéed!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Level: Easy

Ingredients - serves 2

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu

  • 1 large or 2 small green bell peppers

  • 1/2 cup hoisin sauce

  • 3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided

  • 1 tbsp. lime juice

  • Optional: crushed red pepper

  • Black sesame seeds

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • Rice or rice noodles for serving

 

  1. Prep tofu: remove from packaging, drain water, and gently press. To do this, put some paper towel down on the clean surface, lay the tofu on it, and place more paper towel on top of the tofu. Place a heavy skillet, cutting board, or book on top for at least 30 minutes. Don’t press so hard that it gets “squished”.

  2. Pre-heat oven to 400. Grease a baking sheet, and when the tofu is done being drained of water, cut it into cubes. The cubes should be about 1”, and one block of tofu should produce 32 cubes. Place spaced out on the baking sheet and season lightly with salt and pepper.

  3. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, and at the halfway point, flip each cube to the other side.

  4. While baking, make the sauce: combine the hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp. of the sesame oil, the lime juice, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper if you wish to spice it up a bit. Whisk together. Julienne the peppers (cut into long thin strips). Set aside the sauce and peppers. Now’s a good time to make the rice or rice noodles to pair with the meal.

  5. When the tofu is done baking, heat up a skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tbsp. of the sesame oil. Let that oil heat up for about a minute before adding the peppers first. Sprinkle with some Kosher salt, and sauté for a little bit to let them blister.

  6. Once the peppers begin to brown, add the baked tofu and the sauce. Stir until everything is coated, bubbling, and the sauce thickens around the tofu and peppers. Let cook on the heat for at least two minutes, and turn to the lowest heat until you’re ready to serve.

    Plating: Serve over rice or rice noodles, and sprinkle generously with black sesame seeds.