Vegan Month-of-Blogging; Tofu-Mom's Month Of Tofu

Once again, October rolls around, and with it, vegan bloggers everywhere gear up for that semi-famous event known as "VEGAN MOFO". What does that mean? It means "A Whole Month Of Vegan Blogging".
And for you, my two or three readers, it means  "I'm going to attempt to write a blog post almost every day in October (or until I run out of ideas or steam)."
Not to fear, I don't easily run out of ideas (for those of you who remember, the last two years, I wrote thirty-one posts on GRAVY alone!) though running out of steam is another story...
Yes, two years of gravy. And while gravy is my first love (in the kitchen), I thought I'd focus on an ingredient after which this blog is named, and one which I get asked about almost. every. day.

What is this not-so-mysterious ingredient?
TOFU!!
Yep, how original is that?
Tofu Mom is blogging about tofu.
A vegan blogger blogging about tofu.
Because that's all we vegans eat, right?
Try not to fall asleep, I'll try to throw in a few interesting tidbits along the way!

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By special request from my kids, I'm starting "Tofu Mom's Month Of Tofu" with this recipe - because, according to them, it's a favorite and I don't make it often enough. Hopefully you'll make it more often than I do!!

We'll go back and start with the basics of tofu tomorrow!

Mandarin-Ginger Tofu

• 1 block extra firm tofu, patted dry and pressed for a while, if needed, to make it VERY firm and almost "dry" - cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
• 2 tsp. peanut (or canola) oil
• 1+ Tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger - use a microplane grater if you have it (Can I just interject here, YAY for microplane graters!!)
• 1 Tbsp. pressed (or minced) garlic
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 cup agave syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup or even plain old CORN syrup
• 3 small satsuma or mandarin oranges, peel zested with microplane grater, and juiced (you should have 1/4 cup or more, of juice and about 2 T zest)
• 1/4 cup rice wine or apple juice
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce or to taste
• 2 T lemon juice

To make the glaze: Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add oil, and when hot, add the garlic and the ginger.
Cook another minute.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir until heated through.

Toss tofu cubes in sauce, pour into glass baking pan and bake at 350° for 30 - 50 min. (Depending on how moist tofu was) turning several times until sauce is thick and bubbly and reduced and sticky).
Watch carefully the last few minutes, it can harden into a burnt-sugar glaze quite quickly.

Remove from oven, Make sure to scoop out of pan while still hot, the sauce tends to get very solid and candy-like. Serve with veggies and/or rice.