1. Drain the tofu by pressing it to remove excess liquid. Wrap the tofu in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and set a baking sheet pan or cutting board on top. Place something heavy on top to weigh it down (such as cans, a heavy skillet or even books!). Press the tofu for 10 to 15 minutes. See notes for additional information.
2. Meanwhile make the marinade/sauce. In a small bowl mix together the marinade ingredients - soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, grated garlic, ginger and sweetener of choice.
3. Unwrap the tofu and cut it into small cubes (about ¾ inch). Place the tofu cubes in a shallow bowl or on a medium sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Add about half of the marinade over the tofu (it doesn’t have to be exact), gently tossing to coat.
4. Marinade for 20 minutes or up to an hour at room temperature. You can marinate the tofu longer (overnight), covered in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful the tofu will be. Reserve the remaining marinade to use as a sauce. The marinade will keep for 3 days covered in the fridge.
5. When ready to cook, dust the tofu with the cornstarch and toss gently to coat. Any remaining marinade will be used as part of the sauce.
6. For the sauce, add 1 tablespoon of water to the reserved marinade, any marinade leftover from marinating the tofu can be used as part of the sauce as well.
7. To cook the tofu on the stove-top, heat about 1-2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, cook the tofu until light golden brown, flipping the tofu as needed to cook on all sides. If the tofu is browning too quickly, lower the heat to medium. Transfer the cooked tofu to a plate and if needed, add additional oil to the skillet to saute the remaining tofu.
8. Cook the tofu until golden brown, tossing as needed to cook all sides evenly. Once all the tofu is golden brown, return the first batch of tofu to the skillet. Pour over the marinade/sauce and toss gently to combine. Remove from the heat and serve warm over rice with sauteed veggies such as broccoli, carrots, bok choy etc. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions (optional) This tofu can also be served cold as extra protein for salads.

If baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Place the cornstarch coated tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping the tofu once after 20 minutes of baking.
4. Pour the sauce over the baked tofu, tossing gently to coat and return to the oven for 5 additional minutes. Serve.
5. Alternatively, you can warm up the sauce in a small skillet and use it as dipping sauce.