Did you know that improving your health can be as easy as cutting out meat and processed cold cuts one day a week? Doing so can reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

Enter Meatless Monday. This week's recipe is General Tao's Tofu, courtesy of  VegWeb.

Serves 4

—1 (12 ounce) box firm tofu, in 1" cubes (frozen and thawed, if desired)
—1 egg substitute, prepared
—3 tablespoons, plus two more tablespoons water, divided
—3/4 cup, plus one extra tablespoon cornstarch, divided
—vegetable oil for frying, plus 3 more tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
—3 green onions, chopped
—1 tablespoon minced ginger
—1 tablespoon minced garlic
—2/3 cup vegetable stock
—1/4 cup granulated sugar
—2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
—1 tablespoon white vinegar
—1 tablespoon sherry, optional
—red pepper, to taste
—steamed broccoli, to serve

Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional three tablespoons water.  Dip tofu in egg replacer mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.
Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil. Heat three tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic; cook for about two minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic. 

Add vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry and red pepper. 

Mix two tablespoons water with one tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly.

Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.

BET Health News - We go beyond the music and entertainment world to bring you important medical information and health-related tips of special relevance to Blacks in the U.S. and around the world.

(Photo: Courtesy meatlessmonday.com)