Holy Delicious Tofu

I had never worked with tofu before, but had always wanted to try cooking with it. Coming off a weekend where all I ate was chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster ravioli and ice cream cake, I was ready to cleanse and get back to eating healthy. (Ok so being in a bikini after not seeing the inside of a gym in the last few months might also be a reason.) I had had tofu a few times in college and wasn't really a fan, I always thought it was too mushy and spongy. I did my research and chose my first attempt tofu recipe well; this is amazing!!!! I thought I was going to take a few bites, gag, and blog about hating tofu, but just the opposite. The tofu was cooked very well (crispier outside with a softer center), and the sauce is delicious. I served this over brown rice, but I think I'd stick to bok choy or another green next time. I think I'd actually pay for this if I went to a vegan restaurant.

Ingredients

1 lb firm firm tofu, cut into cubes (I read that you should always press your tofu, so I put mine between two plates and put a 3lb. weight on top of it to take some of the water out. This helps it crisp better.)
2 tbsp olive oil (Note: you can also use a nonstick pan and just put the tofu directly on the hot pan. This too helps the tofu to crisp on the outside and have a more soft inside. I used the oil, which was soaked up quickly.)
8 Shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated (I'm not sure this would taste as good if you didn't use fresh ginger!)
1 T Asian chili paste
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup soy sauce
2 T lemon juice
1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped (garnish)
3 scallions, chopped
Directions

In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the tofu and mushrooms in oil until the tofu is browned and the mushrooms are a bit wilted. (This took me about 15 minutes. I really watched the tofu and kept "flipping" the pan because I didn't want it to over crisp.) Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger, and chili paste. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Cover and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Garnish with almonds and scallions.

In the future, I think I'd save a little of the sauce if I put this over rice again. It was just a tiny bit dry.

Adapted from: http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2007/06/tofu-magic.html.