General Tso's-Style Tofu

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Drain the tofu, then place on a paper towel-lined plate. Place several layers of paper towels on top, then place a separate heavy-bottomed pot (or pan) on top of the paper towels. Set aside to release the excess liquid at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh produce. Pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of each snap pea pod. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. In a bowl, combine the prepared peas, sliced white bottoms of the scallions, chopped ginger, and chopped garlic. Cut off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; roughly chop. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey (kneading the packet before opening), hoisin sauce, half the sesame oil, and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the rice to the pot of boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 17 to 19 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly. 

Meanwhile, transfer the drained tofu to a cutting board; medium dice. Transfer to a bowl. Add the cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high. Once the oil is hot enough that a pinch of cornstarch sizzles immediately when added, add the coated tofu in an even layer (discarding any excess cornstarch). Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season with salt. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat the remaining sesame oil on medium-high until hot. Add the prepared pea mixture; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the chopped bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. 

To the pan of cooked vegetables, add the cooked tofu and sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the tofu is coated and the sauce is slightly thickened. Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the cooked rice with the cooked vegetables and tofu (including any sauce from the pan). Garnish with the sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!