Vegan "Bulgogi"

Ok. So "Bulgogi" in it's direct translation can't actually be vegan since it involves meat. But Tofu in the style of Bulgogi - as it turns out - is completely delicious! For those of you who aren't familiar with it Bulgogi is a korean beef dish of quickly cooked beef that's been marinated in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce.

I saw this recipe on Manifest Vegan and I knew I had to make it ASAP.

I set it up in the AM and just made a portion for lunch and it was fabulous. I didn't have green onions, but it was excellent nonetheless. I also didn't have a pear, so I substituted an apple instead. Plus, I used 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup trader joe's "soyaki" because I didn't have enough straight soy sauce.

Ingredients:

1 block superfirm tofu (I used TJ's high protein extrafirm tofu) sliced into 1/4 inch "steaks"

4 green onions, chopped - use the whole bits

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, sliced

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

2/3 cup soy sauce

4 tbsp sesame oil

6 tbsp sugar

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flake

1 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 medium apple, grated (skin and all - none of the core)

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Olive oil (for pan)

1. In a smallish dish (I used an 8x8 square pan) layer the tofu. Next, sprinkle on top the green onion, onion, garlic, and ginger.

2. In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients (except the olive oil). Make sure they are well combined.

3. Pour the liquid mixture over the tofu and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.

4. When read to cook, heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fish out the tofu from the sauce and place a layer of tofu on the bottom of the skillet. Next, add enough sauce and veggies just to cover the tofu and allow to cook for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened and the bottom of the tofu begins to caramelize. Flip the tofu pieces and cook for another minute or so.

5. Serve immediately. I chose to serve it over brown rice which absorbed some of the delicious remaining sauce. I also chose to add an additional sprinkle of red pepper flake, but this is up to you.