Orange Peel Tofu

What do you do when life hands you a bunch of oranges? Well, I guess you make Orange Peel Tofu, and orange vinegar, and roasted orange peel, and anything else you can come up with.

Orange Peel Tofu. Besides being super tasty, the colors of this dish are gorgeous!

My neighbor gave me a whole bag full of beautiful oranges from her tree. So, I’ve been busily figuring out what to do with them all. I mean besides simply drinking gallons of OJ.

First, I decided to make some orange vinegar. Really easy, you just take the peels, place them in a jar, cover with vinegar, and wait 2 weeks for it to seep. Strain out the peels and you have a nice smelling cleaning solution (or so I hear).

Orange Peel Vinegar… seep the peels in vinegar to get a nice smelling cleaner

Next, I decided to try some Orange Peel Tofu. Spicy? Yum, I’m all over that! And, boy howdy! Was it ever spicy. It’s the kind of spice that sneaks up on you. “Oh, this isn’t so bad. Oh, wait, there’s the spice. Oh, hmmm, do you have a napkin to wipe the sweat off my brow? Oh, I need a glass of milk!”

Anyway, you get the picture, it was spicy! But, oh so delish! I’ll make this one again (at the same level of spice even!). The sauce can be made on its own and used as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers (which I’ll do on Super Bowl).

And, even with all that heat, you can still taste and smell the sweet orange in this dish.

I still have a bunch of oranges, so I’ll be looking for other things to do with them. How do you like to use oranges?

Orange Peel Sauce before being cooked to thicken it

Orange Peel Tofu Recipe

Print

Orange Peel Tofu

Servings 4

Author Debi

Ingredients

For Sauce

• 1 orange zested and juiced
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons chili-garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon Sriracha rooster sauce
• a few drops of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Everything else

• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 block extra firm tofu cut into 1" cubes
• 2 cups assorted chopped vegetables
• ¼ cup frozen peas optional

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, juice, broth, marmalade, chili-garlic paste, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha , and sesame oil.
2. In a small bowl, using a fork, whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Add cornstarch mixture to the orange sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add tofu, and fry until golden. Add vegetables and cook until bright and crisp-tender, just a few minutes depending on what vegetables you use. Pour orange sauce over vegetables and tofu, stir in frozen peas (if using), and bring to a boil for a minute or two until thickened.
4. Serve over rice, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Poppy Talk