Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Best Tofu

This is the way I cook tofu for people who are scared of tofu: I bake it.

I started doing it this way after reading Mark Bittman's "tofu croutons" recipe.  If you follow the recipe exactly, you will come out with super-crisp little squares of tofu that can function as croutons on salads.  If you bake it for less time, you will come out with a firm-textured tofu treat, which is good for people who haven't eaten much tofu and are nervous about the texture. 

Also, this really is one of the easiest ways to cook tofu.  The recipe calls for firm tofu, but I like to use extra-firm.

Tofu Croutons (adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

14 ounces firm tofu
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400F.
2. Cut the block of tofu in half lengthwise (so from a rectangle into two flatter rectangles). Use a kitchen towel to press the tofu dry (or dry-ish – you don’t need to put tons of effort into this).
3. Cut the slices into ½-inch cubes. Put the cubes on a parchment-lined baking mat and sprinkle with the salt and drizzle with the oil. Toss gently to coat.
4. Bake at 400F for about an hour, until evenly browned. There’s no need to rotate them; they’ll brown evenly. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.


Note: When I make it, I usually add more spices and flavor it up.  My favorite combination is soy sauce, seasoning salt, cumin, garlic powder, and turmeric.  (The turmeric makes the tofu a really nice shade of yellow.)

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