Vegan Chicken Francese. Bite-sized pieces of delicious vegan buttermilk battered tofu, lightly fried and tossed in a creamy and tart lemon-butter sauce.
Press the moisture out of the tofu block with a tofu press for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together almond milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes to create a buttermilk.
Drain and slice tofu into one-inch chunks. Add tofu chunks to buttermilk and gently coat. Marinade for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Drain excess buttermilk from the tofu. Add tofu into flour mixture and stir gently to coat.
In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add tofu chunks in one layer without overcrowding the pan. Gently fry and turn each side of the tofu chunks until browned around each side. Line a plate with paper towels and transfer each tofu piece once ready to absorb any excess oil.
In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium-high heat. Mince 3 cloves garlic and add to oil, sautéing until browned. Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir for a minute. Add vegetable broth and whisk to combine, breaking up any chunky flour pieces.
Add lemon juice and whisk to combine. Turn up the heat until the sauce starts bubbling and comes to a low boil. Stir for about 2 minutes, until the sauce starts getting thicker.
Remove saucepan from heat and add 2 tablespoons vegan butter. Mix to melt the butter. Add tofu chunks into the sauce to warm up before serving. Serve over pasta or rice and garnish with fresh parsley.
www.pastabased.com