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Sweet Chili Tofu Rice Bowl
I usually create half of a week’s meals in one day for my family. This means I’m preparing around three dishes at the same time. One of them is a vegan or vegetarian dish. The second dish I’ll create with some form of meat, and the third with wild-caught fish. For this recipe, I decided to find a tasty but easy way to use tofu for my vegan meal.
A lot of times the quickest way to cook sources of protein is by using the air fryer. So for this Sweet Chili Tofu Rice Bowl, that’s what I decided to use. However, feel free to use your oven if you don’t have an air fryer.
Mixed views on soy
There are a lot of mixed views on soy products. At one point in my life, I tried to stay clear of soy, but after doing more research I found that it is a healthy source of protein. Dr. William Lee says eating soy products regularly can reduce your risk of cancer.
I choose to do everything in moderation, so if I do eat tofu it’s usually a couple of times a month. One thing I do make sure of is that I purchase organic tofu. The organic brands are fairly inexpensive.
Tofu prep: Draining water from Tofu
The quick and easy way is to squeeze it out gently, so it won’t break apart. I usually stand by the sink, wrap it with a paper towel and squeeze it until it releases a good amount of liquid. The second way I do it is I get two plates around the same size.
I place the first plate down and lay 2 sheets of paper towels on top. Then I place the tofu on top of the paper towels. I add 2 more layers of paper towels on top of tofu and add the 2nd plate on top of the paper towels.
If you have a cast iron skillet or something with weight on it that will balance well, add that to the top of the plate and let it sit for 15 or more minutes.
Tips for making the Sweet Chili Tofu Rice Bowl
Tip 1: If you’re using extra firm tofu you can marinate it overnight with soy sauce or tamari, and seasonings. If you’re using firm tofu or don’t have the time you can add the soy sauce and seasonings and let it marinate for 15 – 30 minutes while preparing your dish.
It’s completely fine to season it right before you place it in the air fryer. You may miss out on good flavor but the sweet chili sauce will provide added flavor.
Tip 2: If you want your tofu to have more of a chicken texture freeze it once then thaw it out, then freeze it again and thaw it out again. This is perfect for air-fried tofu as well as regularly fried tofu.
Sweet Chili Tofu Rice Bowl
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
Tofu
- 14 oz Extra Firm/ Firm Tofu
- 4 tbsp Tamari/Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Sriracha/hot sauce
- 1/4 cup Minced Onion (white)
- 2 tbsp Light Sesame Oil or Avocado Oil
Cauliflower Rice
- 10 oz Cauliflower Rice
- 3 tbsp Avocado Oil
- 2 tbsp Seasoning (salt/pepper/garlic/onion powder)
Sweet Chili Sauce
- 1/3 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Sugar-free sweetener
- 2-3 cloves Minced Garlic
- 1 dash Salt
- 1/2 tbsp Chili Powder or Red Chili flakes
- 1 tbsp Corn starch mixed in 2tbsp of water
- 1/2 tsp Xanthum gum (corn starch substitute)
Instructions
Tofu
- Cut the tofu into cubes about an inch thick
- Mix together the tamari, sriracha, sesame oil and onions in a medium sized bowl. Add the tofu and let it sit over night in the fridge or marinate for 15 minutes before placing it in the air fryer.
- Spray the air fryer tray with oil. Place tofu chunks in the tray and spray tofu chunks with more oil
- Air fry the tofu on 380F for 15 minutes.
Cauliflower Rice
- Heat up large pan with oil on high heat.
- Add the frozen cauliflower rice and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until moisture is cooked out and tips have browned.
Sweet Chili Sauce
- Add water, sugar, and minced garlic into a pot on Medium heat
- Stir until the sugar dissolves
- Then add the salt, chili powder
- If using corn starch mix it in a separate cup with 2 tbsp of warm water and slowly whisk it in the pot.
- If using xanthum gum slowly add it to the pot while whisking
- Let it simmer while whisking until the sauce thickens to the consistency you want. Then let it sit for 10 minutes.
This recipe turned out well. I would suggest making extra sauce in case you need more for the dish or for other recipes. It will work good with your eggs in the morning or a burger for lunch. You can even drizzle it over top of a chicken dish. This sweet chili sauce goes amazingly well with savory foods.
How did this recipe turn out for you? Did you use any substitutes? If so let me know in the comments below.
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