American teriyaki sauce is usually loaded with sugar or corn syrup. In this delicious, healthier alternative, you get all the same yummy teriyaki flavors in the sauce, the familiar sweetness from the pineapple, and a satisfying crunch from the roasted cashews.
While I was living in Japan this year, I learned that there’s no such thing as store bought teriyaki sauce in Japan. Bottled teriyaki sauce is a joke there. Why buy bottled when making your own takes literally seconds?
Similar to my feelings about westerners and tofu, Americans have betrayed the original simplicity of teriyaki sauce by making it thick, overly sweet, and syrupy (and gross, in my opinion). While even the authentic stuff traditionally has a little sugar, it actually doesn’t need to have any sweetener to be delicious and flavorful, especially with pineapple in the mix.
Ok, let’s get cooking.
Ingredients*
Veggies
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 red onion chopped
Fruit
- 1 cup pineapple, cubed 8 oz
Fat
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/8 cup roasted cashews 1/2 oz
Protein
- 12 oz medium or firm tofu drained
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gf
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch acts as a thickener
- 1 tsp honey or agave optional
Garnishes
- Green onions sliced
- Sprinkle of sesame seeds sliced
Grain (Optional)
- Brown or white rice to serve
Suggested Equipment*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F and begin cooking the rice according to your preferred method.
- Dice the wet, unpressed tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until they have a thin crust and are lightly browned.
- Combine Teriyaki Sauce ingredients in a small cup or bowl with a fork.
- In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, stir fry the veggies in the sesame oil for 5-8 minutes.
- Stir in the baked tofu and sauce. Add soy sauce or tamari as needed if too dry or sticking.
- Add pineapple and cashews. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Serve alongside a scoop of rice.
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Made this for the first time today…subbed maple syrup for the sweetener because that’s what I had on hand (and I wasn’t worried about the little bit in this recipe)! I was nervous about the tofu cuz I have never had it come out right, but it did this time! I also subbed cauliflower rice for the rice because I’m still in the weight-loss phase of BLE. I LOVE it!
So glad you loved it Deb! Isn’t this way of cooking tofu great??