Cherry Coke and Hoisin BBQ Tofu

Okay I didn't really grill these but these flavors remind me of BBQ. . . 

I did it all in a Frying Pan

Fried Tofu Bites with a Final Sauce in the Skillet

I was getting ready to start a pot roast today and found a little pack of tofu that was going to go bad. You might wonder what the pot roast has to do with the tofu, it might even seem contradictory to put a meat dish and a vegetarian dish in the same sentence. But as I contemplated what to to do with this little package of tofu that had a flashing red expiration day (earlier this week), I thought that the Cherry Coke and the hoisin that I was planning on using in my pot roast would also be delicious. Sometimes it's all on the fly and I was hungry for a quick lunch!

First I cubed the tofu. Super firm tofu (well all tofu actually) is really a blank canvas, pretty boring and plain without a little help. We are going to add some pizzazz with color and flavor to this stuff.

First I made a coating for the tofu, I mixed about 2 parts Panko crumbs to 1 part corn starch, adding some ground rainbow colored peppercorns and some sea salt. I gave this a light little stir.

I took an egg and gave it a quick little beating to make an egg wash. I think placed half of the cubed tofu in that bowl and gave it a quick dunk. I then transferred those cubes to the coating we made above and tossed them around. I hate dipping each piece individually - it gets old. I repeated this until all the tofu was coated.

In two batches, I fried the tofu in a skillet with canola oil, flipping them ocassionaly so they were evenly golden brown.

I drained the tofu on a paper lined plate and rinsed out the pan. Now these tofu are really good just like this but for more of a barbeque feel you would want to complete the next step.

Mix equal parts Cherry Coke and Hoisin. Add a little corn starch to thicken. Place in the rinsed out pan and add the tofu, tossing on a medium heat. The sauce will thicken onto the cubes and make them extra delicious.

Now, I could have plated them on a bed of arugala but honestly this wasn't planned and I just dumped them in a bowl. Good stuff!

Cherry Coke and Hoisin BBQ Tofu

Ingredients

1 15 oz. pack of super firm tofu, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/2 cup of Panko crumbs
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup Cherry Coke
1 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

Cut tofu into cubes, set aside.

Beat egg in bowl for wash, set aside.

Mix Panko, cornstarch and seasonings.

Dip cubes into egg and follow with toss in the crumb coating.

Fry in batches in a skillet with canola oil, heated to medium high heat. Toss to make sure the cubes are evenly browned.

Drain finished tofu on a paper lined plate. Rinse out pan.

Mix Hoisin and Cherry Coke with cornstarch, place in the rinsed out pan and heat on medium. Toss tofu into mixture until thickened.