Baked Tofu

I have had many conversations with people new to cooking tofu that really just aren’t sure the best way to cook it. The biggest complaint either being lack of flavor or too squishy of a texture. I love tofu in all its ways, I’m not really affected by the texture a lot, but my family on the other hand prefer a more crisper texture. This recipe is my most commonly used recipe, and a family favorite. It is more firm and is full of flavor. First, the type of tofu you get is important. It is best to always have organic non gmo tofu, and extra firm is optimal. You can even get the high protein tofu, which is prepressed tofu and skip the pressing step, but not all stores carry this one. After you drain your tofu, this is the extra firm kind, you will then want to press as much liquid out as you can. I have a tofu press, but you can use a heavy plate on top of your tofu with a heavy pan if that’s all you have. Be sure to have the tofu on a plate to catch the extra water that will be pressed out. Do this for a few minutes, you will get quite a bit out, then dump the water and pat the tofu dry with a clean towel. The next stage is the seasoning. I typically use a large container with a lid so I can be sure the sauce and seasoning evenly coats all of the pieces. I cut my block of tofu into a variety of shapes depending on what I am making it with. Sometimes I do little strips or one inch cubes. If you cut them really thin just realize your cooking time will be different. For this case I cut my tofu into cubes. Placing them in the container I now begin to add my seasoning. I do about 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup of water, 1 tsp of garlic, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp turmeric, and a dash of cayenne, oh I also like to add some Cholula sauce! Place your lid on your container and roll it around making sure the sauce covers your tofu evenly. On a cookie sheet lightly oiled lay your tofu out. Place in a preheated oven at 420 flipping the tofu 10 min in and cooking for 20. When done you have a flavorful tofu, crispy on the outside with a nice soft center that is really amazing! If this is too crispy for you, you can cook on lower heat, or for less time, and play with the seasoning if you have your favorites. Remember tofu is pretty flavorless so it takes on the seasoning you give it. You can also do a yummy bbq tofu this way, just save some sauce to add to the end as well! Delicious! Have fun and enjoy!

#bakedtofu #vegandinners #veganrecipes #meatlessmondays