Sesame Tofu on a Stick

Several days ago I decided to make some sesame tofu. I went to the Asian market and got a gigantic block of fresh firm tofu for 99 cents! I was thrilled with the score and got even more motivated. With the savings I grabbed up some portobello mushrooms and brussel sprouts. When I got home I cubed the tofu and mushrooms and made a quick marinade. The marinade was simply sesame oil, soy sauce, chile oil and a bit of sugar. I tossed it all together and put it into the fridge. That night, Jamie wanted to go see Coraline 3D so the dinner plans were canceled.

Coraline 3D was decent, the story was interesting for a kids film and the imagery made the film intreging to watch however, overall it was very slow. Oh well...I guess it was worth the watch.

Two days later I was finally given the opportunity to make my sesame tofu! After a qucik check to make sure it had not gone bad, I began the process. I decided to fry the tofu and mushrooms, make some brown rice and add some brussel sprout. To top it all off I steamed some chinese brocoli! The presentation was great.

Sesame Sauce

1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup water or not chicken broth
1/8 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chile paste
1 clove garlic, chopped

Heat the oil on med heat. Add all liquid bring to a simmer. Add the sugar and cornstarch and simmer for 5 minutes.

While making the sauce, I fried the tofu and mushrooms in sesame oil until the tofu got a little crunchy and the mushrooms were soft. I also steamed the chinese brocoli and in a seperate pan I fried the brussel sprouts that I had halved. When the tofu was done, I added the sesame sauce to the tofu and mushrooms and brought it to a simmer, stirring occacionally to fully coat everything. While the sesame sauce was simmering with e tofu, I set up my plate.

Rice down the middle and 4 chinese brocoli, 2 on either side (almost a sa garnish). Then I took some bamboo sticks I had and put one piece of tofu, follwed by 1 piece of mushroom, then one half of 1 brussel sprout, and finally 1 last piece of tofu. Gently, I set the stick on the rice bed and sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds over the top. Repeat and serve!