Crispy Hot Red Chile Tofu Over Baby Greens

I have to tell you that this is my very favorite of ALL the tofu recipes I have come up with--it's absolutely delicious. You can control the heat by using more of less of the chile paste, but if you can tolerate spicy food, I find it far more flavorful with the full amount of chile paste. Served over a bed of  baby greens with a simple rice vinegar dressing, this dish is healthy, colorful, and divine! I have won over many a tofu dissenter with this recipe.

What You'll Need:

• 2 Tbsp. white cooking wine
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
• 3/4 tsp. brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 pound extra-firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cut into thin 2-inch strips
• 4-5 Tbsp. canola oil, and 1 tbsp. canola oil, divided
• 1/2 cup minced green onions
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1-3 Tbsp. hot chile paste (depending on how hot you want it)
• 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
• 10 cups organic baby greens
• brown rice vinegar
• toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

What to do:

Cut the tofu into thin, 2 inch rectangles and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the wine, tomato paste, water, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir well and set aside.

Heat the canola oil over medium-low heat in a large frying pan. Mix the cornstarch with the salt, and dredge each tofu slice until thoroughly covered. Spread tofu slices evenly in oiled pan and brown until crispy (roughly 15-20 minutes on each side). Set aside.

Add 1 tbsp. of canola oil to the same frying pan and add the green onions, chile paste, ginger, and garlic and quickly saute for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Immediately add the reserved tomato paste mixture and stir until well mixed. Quickly add cooked tofu slices and cook until thoroughly heated and coated with the sauce (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat.

Divide the baby greens equally among four bowls and drizzle with brown rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil. Top with several slices of the crispy, spicy tofu. Sprinkle each salad with toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!