Recipe: Wu Qi Tofu

Serves 3

This recipe was jointly inspired by my late grandfather (an avid drinker of Five Alive) and the fact that citrus is in season now. For those of you unfamiliar with Five Alive, it combines grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine juices. When I was at the store yesterday, I already had a tangerine and a grapefruit at home, and I knew it was time to go nuts on this thing.

“Nuts” might be the best descriptor, because this recipe is fairly labor-intensive, especially if you (like me) don’t have a citrus reamer or a zester. It is, however, quite delicious. And if you like your martinis with a twist, it could wind up being a fun night at your house.

For the Sauce:
half a grapefruit, squeezed and “zested” (you can’t really zest a grapefruit; cut off some peel with a paring knife and then mince it)
half a lemon, squeezed and zested
half a lime, squeezed and zested
half an orange, squeezed and zested
half a tangerine, squeezed and zested
1 T cornstarch
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T vegetarian oyster sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 t brown sugar
1 t citrus zests
a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes

For the Tofu:
1 lb firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
a 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 T canola oil
half an onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 green bell pepper, trimmed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, trimmed and sliced
(or just substitute your favorite vegetables)

Making the Sauce:
Measure your citrus juices; if you don’t have ¾ of a cup, you can pad it out with water.
Put the cornstarch in a bowl and stir in the juice until well blended. Add the other ingredients, stir to mix, and set aside.

Making the Tofu:
Cut the tofu in your favorite shapes and saute in the oil until browned. Turn the heat down a little and add the ginger and garlic; saute for a couple of minutes. Add the onion and carrot and saute for a few minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low (3 out of 10) and add the peppers. Pour the sauce over the tofu and vegetables, sprinkle a few pinches of citrus over it, stir, and cook until the sauce has thickened.

Per serving:
Calories: 328
Protein: 11 g
Fiber: 2 g