Spicy Tofu and Broccoli (Vegan)

It is a new year and time for a new post! This past holiday season, I bought myself a new deep fryer. Although I hope not to be too much of a fried cook, I think it is a fun and fast way to cook some appetizers or parts of a meal that would normally take three times the cook time without the fryer. Take tofu for instance. Usually when I make a tofu stir-fry, it takes about 30 minutes of watching and flipping the tofu until it reaches a nice brown. This recipe, with the help of my deep fryer, took 5-7 minutes. Sure the deep fryer is not the best for the waist line, but in moderation, I think it will be a welcome time saver in my kitchen! Now that my defense of the fryer is over, I will move on to the dish. This is a simple broccoli and tofu stir-fry, with the main ingredient in the sauce being soybean paste. You can find soybean paste in the Asian section of most grocery stores, or online. It added a nice, but not overwhelming taste to the dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Seasoned Soybean Paste
1 tsp. Chopped green onion
1 tsp. Chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. Chopped fresh garlic
1 pkg. of tofu drained and patted dry
1 head of broccoli
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. of water

For the Sauce:
Mix the soybean paste, green onion, ginger, and garlic in small bowl and cover. Set aside. (may be refrigerated up to 24 hours)

For the Tofu:
Cut the tofu into one inch cubes. Fry in a deep fryer at 340 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until browned (this may take longer if frying with 1/2 c. oil in a deep frying pan.) Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

For the Stir-Fry:
Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat. Sautee broccoli in oil until tender. Add fried tofu and reduce to simmer. Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp. of water to the sauce, and stir until well combined. Add sauce to tofu and broccoli and stir until everything is well coated. Cook until heated through.
 Remove from heat and serve over rice.