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I hated tofu for many, many years. Tempeh, too. Then they started coming out with all sorts of meat analogs that are very good, but very highly processed. Also, they are getting more & more expensive every trip to the store! A one pound block of tofu is $1.59 and it freezes wonderfully! So, in an effort to return to more wholesome food, I have been experimenting with tofu & tempeh & after a few mishaps, have had some great success with both. So I will share some baked tofu basics, but first, a little anecdote:
A man was grocery shopping & saw a woman put a tub of tofu in her basket. He approached her. "Excuse me, but what are you going to do with that tofu?" She replied, "When I get home, I'll drain the tofu & put it in a plastic container with fresh water. Everyday for the next two weeks I change the water until the tofu goes bad. Then I throw it out. " He gave her a sad smile. "That's the same recipe my wife has. I hoped you had a better one."
Tofu is a great way to test out spices. Tofu has no flavor of it's own so you will really taste what you put on it. I think it's a myth that tofu soaks up whatever it is marinated in, unless you have sliced it extremely thin. Baking it, however, seems to 'set' the flavor better. Besides I like the texture of baked tofu better than grilled, steamed or fried. The key to good baked tofu is to bake it in a slow oven for a longer period of time, rather than a hotter oven for a shorter period. When you test the tofu, if you don't like the consistency, just bake it some more! The longer you bake it the chewier it gets.
BAKED TOFU
One block of White Wave tofu, drained. I used to press the water out, but not anymore - I just bake it longer. I use the green label stuff, but any kind will do.
...With the long edge horizontal, slice the block into six or seven equal slices. ...Spray a cookie sheet with oil & place the slices on the sheet. ...Season the tofu - see below for seasoning suggestions. ...Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes. ...Flip each of the tofu slices & season this side. ...Bake for another 35-40 minutes.
Test the tofu for consistency. If it is too soft, bake it for another 5-10 minutes. Test again. Continue to bake in 5-10 minute time frames until the tofu is the consistency you like.
Here are some various seasoning combos that I've tried & like:
Bragg's Amino Acids -- Bragg's Amino's has a really nice flavor, but is on the salty side, so use sparingly. In a pestle, I mix together vegan Parmesan cheeze with Italian herbs - usually basil & marjoram. I sprinkle this cheeze/herb mixture onto the tofu slices. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of the Amino's into a saucer. Brush the amino's on the tofu. (If you put the amino's on first & then the spices, most of the spices fall off when you flip the tofu.) Bake, flip, season the other side & bake some more.
Teriyaki -- Brush your fave teriyaki sauce on the tofu. Sprinkle some of the Penzeys Northwoods or Northwoods Fire on top. Bake, flip, season the other side & bake some more.
Tamari & Hot Mustard -- In a small bowl mix together your fave hot mustard & a low sodium tamari. Mix to taste. Brush on the tofu. Sprinkle with some Chinese Five Spice. Bake, flip, season the other side & bake some more. --This would be good crumbled & baked like I describe above, & then mixed into a cabbage mixture for eggrolls.
Citrus Tamari -- In a small bowl mix together about 1/4 cup of thawed orange juice concentrate, with 1/4 cup tamari. Adjust to taste. Brush on the tofu. Bake, flip, season the other side & bake some more.
BBQ -- Brush the tofu with your fave BBQ sauce. Sprinkle with Penzey's BBQ spice. Bake, flip, season the other side & bake some more.
One time, I got a real crumbly tofu block. When I went to press the water out half the block fell apart. So, I just crumbled the whole block, spread it out on the cookie sheet, seasoned it, baked it. After half an hour, I mixed it well, re-seasoned it & baked it some more. I ended up with a really delish, low-fat, chewy vegan 'crumble.' I've used this crumble for the bottom layer of a Shepard's Pie & it was wonderful! I think it would also be good seasoned with Mexican spices to use in tacos & tostadas. Baking tofu is definitely the way to go!
White Wave makes a baked tofu that is very good, but it is about $4 for 8 ounces. Baking it yourself is so much cheaper & tastes just as good!
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