Crispy Tofu Tacos with Bok Choy Slaw

Hey! I hope most of you had a great long weekend of adventure and/or relaxation on the couch. I was fortunate to have a 4 day weekend staying put in my apartment. I feel like I should feel a lot more rested after 4 whole days away from the office... but I. AM. SO. EXHAUSTED. It's 9pm on Monday night as I write this and I have completely melted into the couch and my eyes are half open. 

For the last 4 days I pretended that my real job was food blogging and watercoloring. Until I wrote this very sentence, I ignored the fact that I have an interior design presentation on Friday morning that needs a lot of work. Aaaaah! Ignore ignore ignore ignore., it's still Monday. Pretending I was working my dream job(s) was incredibly fulfilling and tiring in a great way. I feel so creative right now my heart could burst. I've read and researched recipes, walked to the Chinese market about 10 times, painted and printed some new cards, and got some new clients for some custom watercolor work! I did take a few breaks to be a real human by going to yoga class, going on a coffee and bahn mi date with Reuben, and participating in an SF Beer Week event at Richmond Republic. I've also watched a lot of Gilmore Girls, season 7! It's been kind of the perfect thing to play while painting because I already know what is going to happen. "Where you lead, I will follow..." has been imbedded deep into my dreams. One day I hope a constant cycle of painting, cooking, and photographing, with coffee in between, becomes the norm. I'd gladly be exhausted everyday if that were the case.

I'm going to savor my last few moments of dreamland and leave you with these dreamy tacos. I made these on Saturday for lunch and I'm ready for another round of crispy tofu tacos. Fried tofu might be one of the most perfect foods. Crunchy exterior with a silky smooth interior; the best textural combo. Reuben and I try to be vegetarian every once in a while. It helps to reset our diets and avoid the meat sweats. Did you guys know that Reuben was a vegetarian for 10 years??

You won't miss the meat in these tacos. The tofu steaks taste so good plain that you might accidentally eat them all before they make it into your taco. You can also chop up your tofu into smaller pieces and prepare them the same way for rice bowls or stir fries. The slaw also makes for a yummy side salad if you find yourself with way too much bok choy in the crisper.

Enjoy the tacos and I hope you all gracefully transition back into the real world! At least This Is Us is on Tuesdays... Why is that show so good?!

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Crispy Tofu Tacos with Bok Choy Slaw

makes 8 tacos

Materials:

3-4 Heads of Baby Bok Choy (about 2 cups shredded)

1 Small Asian Pear

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Sesame Oil

1 tsp Rice Vinegar

1 tsp Honey

1 Tbsp Tahini

Salt + Pepper

2 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

1 Package of Firm Tofu

1/2 C Cornstarch

1 tsp salt

1 C Vegetable Oil

8 Corn Tortillas

Hoisin Sauce (Optional)

Lime Wedges (Optional)

Your Favorite Hot Sauce (Optional)

Steps:

1. Drain your tofu from the package and wrap your tofu in a few layers of paper towels and set on a plate for 10 mins. To get a crispy piece of tofu you will need to extract some moisture from the tofu. While your tofu sits, prepare your slaw.
2. Chop your bok choy into thin ribbons, about 1/4" wide. Cut until 2-3" from the base, save that for a stir fry or soup. Rinse your greens under cold water and dry. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Slice your asian pear into match sticks. You'll need about half a cup. Snack on any leftover pear. Add the sliced asian pear to the bowl with bok choy.
4. Make the slaw dressing by whisking together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, tahini, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over bok choy and asian pear and mix well. Set in your fridge to chill until your tacos are ready to serve. Sprinkle with sesames seeds when taken out of the fridge.
5. Unwrap the tofu and discard the paper towels. Slice the block into 8 equal rectangular pieces.
6. Pour vegetable oil in a skillet and heat on medium high heat. If it starts to smoke it is too hot.
7. In a shallow bowl or dish, mix cornstarch with 1 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper. Evenly coat each tofu slice in the cornstarch and place on a plate.
8. Test your oil by dipping one end of a tofu slice in the oil. If it immediately starts to sizzle it is ready. If it doesn't sizzle wait a minute or 2.
9. Place tofu slices in the skillet with oil. You will need to work in batches if not all the tofu fits in the pan. Fry for 5 mins until side is evenly crispy, flip and fry the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove from oil and place on a plate with paper towels.
10. Char your tortillas on the stove top or warm in a skillet.
11. Assemble your tacos! I smear a little bit of hoisin sauce on each tortilla, place a piece of tofu, and then top with the bok choy slaw. Add some lime and hot sauce if you have it!