Raw.....yum

I've been checking out the dishes offered this new raw restaurant called Nzyme.  http://nzyme.ca/menu
I'm totally in love with  The Pond Scum Pie! It is so delish!  So are the Kale chips. The chef is a self-taught young man who is oh-so-very passionate about raw food and very very knowledgeable and engaging... He will wax poetic about the health benefits of a raw diet.  I wonder if he feels this strongly about how this diet benefits animals and the earth also.  Regardless, he inspired me to try incorporating more raw foods into my diet.  I'm trying to perfect Kale chips...Mr Nzyme suggested I cut out the stem of the kale leaf...(he called it the heart of the leaf!), toss  the leaves in marinade and dehydrate in a dehydrator for 10 hours...The first marinade I tried was powerful and just an itsy bitsy too bold...It pretty much knocked me on my rear!!! I like bold and spicy flavours but I do like to be conscious and coherent as I eat... I'll keep trying and when I'm happy with the final result, I'll publish it ...

This recipe was given to me by my beautiful daughter...She got it from VebWeb (a great site!). http://vegweb.com/   It tastes like it's not good for you...like vegan junk food...Yum! I really love the textures in the dish....Tofu with a crispy coating and a soft chewy interior smothered in a smooth sauce...Yumx2.  I pressed the tofu first for about 1/2 hour to get rid of excess moisture....Enjoy...


General Tao's Tofu

Ingredients:

    1 (12 ounce) box firm tofu, in 1" cubes (frozen and thawed, if desired)
    1 egg equivalent (e.g., EnerG Egg Replacer), prepared
    3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons water, divided
    3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
    vegetable oil for frying + 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
    3 green onions, chopped
    1 tablespoon minced ginger
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    2/3 cup vegetable stock
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    1 tablespoon white vinegar
    1 tablespoon sherry, optional
    red pepper, to taste
    steamed broccoli, to serve

Directions:

1. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water.  Dip tofu in egg replacer mixture and coat completely.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely.  Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat.  Add green onions, ginger, and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes.  Be careful not to burn garlic. 

3. Add vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, and red pepper. 

4. Mix 2 tablespoons water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well.  Add fried tofu and coat evenly.

Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.

Serves: 4, Preparation time: 30 Minutes