General Tso's Tofu + Veggie Fried Rice

So. Flipping. AWESOME! 

What's in it?

Veggie Fried Rice [loosely adapted from these two recipes]

Veggie free for all! Choose your favorites! =) I used the following:

4oz peas
4-8oz sliced mushrooms

1 cup baby carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup mung bean sprouts

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 free range, organic eggs

4 cups brown or white rice

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for topping

Freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt (if desired)

Fabulous Fried Tofu [instructions provided by LO]

1 pkg extra firm tofu

1 whisked egg

1 shallow dish of corn starch for light dredging

General Tso's sauce of your choice (I gravitate towards the all natural ones!)

1-2 teaspoons of olive oil

Brontosaurus chefs LO uses vegan egg replacer instead of eggs.

T-rex chefs Pretty please use the tofu, but you have my permission to shrimp it up if desired!

Get Cooking!

Veggie Fried Rice

Cook rice as per usual (in a pot or rice cooker).  Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Saute onion, carrots, and mushrooms for 5 minutes or until tender.  If using frozen peas, cook along with onions and carrots, if using cooked peas, add after 5 minutes of cooking.  Next add your garlic into the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Add egg and bean sprouts if desired.  Then, add rice to the mix and stir constantly.  Mix in your soy sauce and seasonings, tasting as you go. Pour into a bowl and set aside as you get ready to chow down!

Fab Fried Tofu
Press extra moisture out by placing a heavy pot or pan on a paper towel wrapped brick of extra firm tofu.  Next, dip in egg wash and lightly dredge in corn starch.  Heat a frying pan with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and lightly fry tofu on all sides.  Once golden, pour in a light layer of General Tso's Sauce to coat.  Plate tofu with your delish fried rice and enjoy =)


So, How was it?
Amazing! Frying the tofu in egg and very little oil gave it this awesome french-toast-esque crust that had me running back to the store to buy more tofu.  Believe it or not -- this was my first time cooking tofu by myself!  And I love that it came out just as fabulous as my favorite restaurant's tofu!  The rice was super flavorful and had so many veggies in it that I felt super satisfied.  Color? CHECK! Variety? Check! Delish Flavorful Veggies? DOUBLE CHECK! This one's going to wind up on the weekly menu again super soon.
  

This recipe makes 4 servings.  You know what that means...

Leftovers!!!

ps: What's your favorite type of fried rice?