Black Pepper Tofu

There are probably as many versions of black pepper tofu as there are people who cook it so my version is just one of many. Unlike many versions I've seen though, I've added green veggies in mine. Can never miss an opportunity to get your green vegetables in your meals. This version I made with green beans but I have made this with broccoli and it tasted just as great. I'm sure even a more Asian choice (like bok choy?) would be great as well. 

Black Pepper Tofu

Ingredients:
1/2 Block of frozen extra firm tofu, thawed
about 3 tbsp. crushed black peppercorns (or coarse-ground black pepper)
cornstarch or all purpose flour
about 1/2 cup of soy sauce
about 1/4 cup of sugar
about 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1/2 small onion chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a splash of balsamic vinegar*
a splash of chili oil (purely optional)
green beans, rinsed and chopped in thirds
oil for frying

Freezing tofu changes the texture making it more spongy.

Directions:
Cover the bottom of a shallow pan with oil and place over medium high heat.
Combine the cornstarch and black pepper.
Cut the tofu in 1/2" cubes. Dredge the tofu in the cornstarch mixture and fry in the heated oil.
Do not crowd the pan with the tofu (but even I don't follow this rule in a rush so don't take it as gospel).
Cook the tofu until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, ground ginger, and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Heat a small amount of oil over high heat in a non-stick or cast iron skillet.
Combine the garlic and onions and fry in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until the onions just begin to caramelize.
Add green beans and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the chili oil and cook for 30 more seconds
Add the soy sauce mixture. When the soy sauce mixture reduces a little (shouldn't take more than 2 minutes), turn off the heat.
Combine the cooled tofu and serve with rice.

*Foodie Trick #2930: If ever you over-salt your food, adding a little vinegar will trick your taste buds and your food will taste less salty (though your sodium content will still be high. Too much salt is still a bad thing). Because the sauce for this recipe is made majorly of soy sauce, I thought adding a splash of balsamic would add depth of flavor and take some of the saltiness of the soy sauce away as well. If you'd like, you could use less soy sauce and add water but then your sauce might be a little runny and thin. And runny sauce is just tragic.