T is for Tofu.

With this being the inaugural post of my blog, I thought I would attempt something especially challenging. I had never worked with tofu before, so I knew this was going to be a [CRAZY] kitchen adventure. And, to make things more difficult, I would be cooking the one cuisine I had never quite mastered--Asian cooking.

So, the challenge: Panko-crusted orange tofu. Tofu is one of those weird, weird foods--it doesn't really taste like anything, but takes on whatever flavors you cook it with. I bought a block of tofu at the store, pulled it out of the box, and patted it down to drain the excess moisture. Then, I prepared my breading station--flour, egg and panko. I cubed the tofu, rolled it in each mixture, and put it in the oven to bake.

While the tofu was baking, I set out to make the sauce--vinegar, sugar, OJ, soy sauce and a heaping spoonful of chili garlic paste for that extra kick. I threw the ingredients in a pan, turned up the heat, and let the sauce simmer, with the hope that it would begin to thicken.

My gamble paid off...I was totally thrilled to see the bubbling in the pan! With the sauce quickly getting thicker and turning into somewhat of a glaze, and the tofu browning and getting crispy, I felt it was time to advance my plan to the next level. I pulled the tofu out of the oven and dumped it in the pan, stirring the mixture until everything was coated evenly.

Being the somewhat healthy lunatic that I am, I served it over brown rice. The end result? Success! The tofu was cooked well and had really taken on the flavor of the sauce, which had a nice sweet, orange taste with a strong, spicy kick. I refuse to say I've mastered Asian cooking, but this is certainly a huge step in the right direction. Onward!