Sesame Tamari Tofu

So I've had this idea in my head of what a ton of different sauces should taste like for weeks now. Every time I make something, I'm comparing it to this phantom flavor that I've been jonesing for. That made it even more exciting when I finally created that exact flavor totally on accident. How awesome.

I had some tofu and some green onions leftover from making something else. It got me to thinking that I hadn't made any sort of asianish tofu in a while. Then I realized that I hadn't really ever tried to make a nice tamari-based sauce really. I know, how is that possible, right? I was just sort of randomly throwing things together and ended up with something that is now one of my favorite things. Seriously, this is fast, easy and freaking awesome.

Coating the tofu with flour before you saute it makes the tofu come out really crispy and yummy without doing any yucky deep frying.

Sesame Tamari Tofu

1 block of firm/extra firm tofu, drained
a few tablespoons of flour
2-3 Tablespoons oil for sauteeing the tofu. (Use whatever kind you want. I used olive oil then added a dash of toasted sesame oil towards the end.)
1/4 - 1/2 Cup sesame seeds (depending on how crazy you are and how much you have on hand)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil (toasted or regular, I used toasted sesame oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon powdered ginger or 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
3 Tablespoons tamari
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (you can totally use rice wine vinegar if you have it, though)
dash red chili flakes (or more depending on how hot you like things)
2-3 Tablespoons chopped green onions

Cut your tofu into little cute little cubes. Put the flour into a little bowl. Dump the tofu into the flour in batches, tossing to coat the tofu with the flour. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat for a minute or so. Add the flour-coated tofu and stir to get a little coating of oil on each of the tofu cubes. Saute for about 10 minutes or so, or until the outsides get browned.
Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir constantly for about a minute or so. You just want to toast the sesame seeds a little bit. Now add the sesame oil and garlic. Saute for about another minute or so. If you're using fresh ginger, add that now and saute for another minute before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you're using dried, go ahead and add everything else. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes. You really just want to let the sauce heat up and let the flavors blend together. Make sure that it's not boiling, though. If it starts to look like it's going to boil, turn the heat down a bit.

To serve, pour the sauce over the tofu on a plate. Serve with some steamed rice and bok choy or maybe some sauteed peppers. Or hell, just eat it by itself and let your tummy be happy by the yumminess all on it's own.