About a year ago, my now-boyfriend Curtis and I started spending an awful lot of time together – and an awful lot of time ordering take-out from our favorite Chinese place in nearby Princeton. We tended to gravitate toward the same dishes – I got eggplant in garlic sauce, while Curt was fond of the General Tso’s Tofu. We would bring our big paper bag back to Curt’s apartment, where we would watch episodes of Scrubs and eat our food on separate couches.

  Since then, a few things have changed (we sit on the same couch now!), but one thing has stayed constant – Curtis almost always goes for General Tso’s.

  I had always sort of been turned off (read: afraid) of General Tso’s because of the spice – even with a generous helping of sweetness, that sauce packs a serious chili punch. But they say that your taste buds evolve as you get older, and these days I find myself boldly incorporating ingredients like jalapeños and cayenne peppers into my meals. I’d say that my taste for sweet is changing too, but Curt would probably point to the three Splendas in my morning coffee and politely disagree.

  I adapted this dish from a General Tso’s Chicken recipe in Men’s Health Magazine. The baked tofu is a great vehicle for the spicy-sweet sauce. Serve it over brown rice and tons of bright green steamed broccoli.

  Make this the next time you’re jonesing for take-out – or when you want a certain someone to join you on your couch.

The General’s Tofu

Adapted from Men’s Health Magazine

Serves 2

12 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed

1 tbsp corn starch

 2 tsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 inches grated ginger

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp sriracha

1 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water

4 cups steamed broccoli florets 

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Toss tofu cubes with 1 tbsp corn starch and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until slightly brown.

2. While the tofu bakes, cook garlic and ginger in a medium saucepan for about two minutes. Add water, vegetable oil, hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sriracha and cook for about 3 minutes. Add corn starch and water mixture slowly, stirring constantly, until sauce reaches desired consistency.

3. Toss baked tofu with sauce. Serve over brown rice or quinoa with piles of freshly steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

Nutrition per Serving: 282 calories, 13g fat, 22g carbohydrates, 22g protein.