Peanut tofu

I've been in a longstanding battle with tofu. I have shied away from it because of its bland taste, mushy texture (the "extra-firm" label is hardly accurate), and my inexperience in cooking it in such a way that it became palatable. For most of my vegetarian years, I stuck with marinating it in a soy sauce-based marinade (often whisked with garlic and garlic), but nothing hardly noteworthy. But I always ate tofu anyways because I needed my dose of protein. All I can say is, I wish I had found this recipe earlier because if I had, I would have been eating - and adoring - tofu every day. The preparation of this tofu adds an incredible amount of texture to the tofu and the sauce is so flavorful, you'll hardly realize you're eating tofu.

1. Drain 1 carton of extra-firm tofu. The easiest way to get as much moisture out of the tofu as you can is to put the block of tofu on a plate, then place another plate on top of the tofu, and place something relatively heavy on top of the top plate for at least 15 minutes; this will extract a lot of water and your tofu will be firmer and absorb the sauce's flavor better.
2. Once the tofu has drained, slice the block in half so you have two sheets of tofu that are half the width of the original block, then slice each square into 2 triangles so you end up with 4 big triangles of equal size.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame or peanut oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, bring the tofu triangles to the pan. Fry one side until that side becomes golden brown, then flip each triangle and fry until the other side becomes crispy too.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a bowl or food processor, whisk/blend together:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup nut butter (I used peanut butter, but you can use sesame paste or cashew butter instead)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white, raw, or light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or chili oil
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup water or stock
• a pinch of salt, if desired

5. When the tofu has finished frying, add the sauce to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbling and has reduced a bit.
6. Serve topped with finely chopped scallions and some toasted sesame seeds.