Take Out Made In

Hi guys! I'm back!

Life-in-a-box!

Phew. These past two weeks have really taken the life out of me. First a week of finals, a weekend of packing, then a week of working 10 hour waitressing shifts during my school's commencement. Summer break has never been such a relief. 

Because of my long and exhausting work shifts plus the road trip home, I have been eating out a lot lately. Take out food tends to make me feel gross when I eat it for too many days straight, but it does taste pretty great (thank you, sugar and sodium). When I finally made it home, I decided to try to create a slightly healthier version of one of my all-time favorite chinese carry-out dishes: General Tso's Tofu. I'd say it turned out just as delicious as the real deal!

General Tso's Tofu (adapted from The Vegan Kitchen)

makes 2 servings

12 oz extra firm tofu
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp siracha (or to taste)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

1. Preheat your oven to 400º and grease a baking sheet. Press the tofu between paper towels to get rid of excess water and cut into small cubes. Toss the cubes with a tablespoon of cornstarch and place them on the sheet to bake for about 20-25 minutes.
2. Prepare the sauce by heating the garlic over low heat in a small saucepan. After a minute, add in the other ingredients (except for the cornstarch mixture) and stir for about 3 minutes. Mix in the cornstarch and whisk until thickened. Remove from heat. 
3. Once the tofu is cooked, place the cubes in a bowl and carefully mix in the sauce. Serve with brown rice and broccoli. All you're missing is the fortune cookie!

This meal is super quick to whip up and perfect for a lazy summer movie night. Do you have a go-to take-out meal?