I’m glad you asked. I’m a big fan of baked tofu. It’s tasty cold on its own or in something and therefore is good for either rapid on-the-go snacking or for proper cooking, it’s nutritious (I think), and it’s vegetarian. It’s a bit pricey though, bought pre-packaged. So I’ve started to try making it. Here’s what I do.
Preparing the tofu:
Use extra firm tofu. Open the package, drain it. I put the tofu block (usually two blocks, actually) in a baking pan. I set a plate on top of the block. I set two phone books on top of the plate. Then I go read or do some other chore or write or play music or play Kingdom Of Loathing (I’m a level 7 Seal Clubber named Fnord Fridgid) or watch TV. I come back 20 or 30 minutes later and drain the water off. Then I go away again, come back 20-30 later and drain again. Then I cut the tofu block into strips about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, with the height and width the same as the block. I lay the strips out in the baking pan and apply the marinade. So far I’ve tried two or three marinades. One is about 1/2 cup pasta sauce, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of oregano and basil, with some chopped onion and tomato. (I don’t really measure, just eyeball it.) Another is 1/3 cup soy sauce, a table spoon of sesamee and olive oil (half tbsp each), a teaspoon of lemon grass, a teaspoon of ginger. Curry powder or tumeric or garam masala or red pepper flakes can be nice too. I apply the marinade evenly to the tofu, covering it all lightly. The I bake it for an hour or so at 400 degrees. It gets a nice chewy texture and tastes like the marinade. I’ve kept it in the fridge for 5 days or so with no trouble, I don’t know if it lasts longer than that because I tend to eat it pretty fast. It’s not any more work to make two vs one block of tofu into baked tofu strips. The grocery store near my house sells a block of tofu for about a buck fifty, which is two dollars less than the pre-made baked tofu, and one block’s worth is definitely the equivalent of a meal, a bit more than a meal really, for lunch or travel snack purposes.
What I want to try making is a baked tofu with a spicey peanut marinade and one with a sort of barbeque marinade. (Any suggestions?)
On the peanut marinade - I would probably start with peanut oil, which usually has that very strong, nutty, rich taste. Heat that in a pan, pour some curry paste in and roast it (you should be able to get that in an Asian food store - you know, that stuff you use as a starter for curry meals, and it usually comes in varying degrees of pungency), add some coconut milk, balance oil, paste, and milk so you have a wholesome sludge, add some herbs (basil?) and rub it over the tofu block. I’ve used something like it on falafel balls before, and the results were promising. In any case, I survived just fine.
As for barbecue style - I would start with a liberal dose of whatever chili paste is available, to have a mean, acid, burning foundation. Then add some oil, maybe something sweet (orange juice?), and some spice/herbs to give it a little more depth, in addition to that burning routine(garlic maybe)? Or alternatively, wrap some baked bacon around that tofu block.
Comment by Daniel J. Gall — August 21, 2007 @ 10:37 am
Hey I tried the pasta sauce version and it was great. I did it a little differently, though, just chucking all the marinade in the dish, stirring, and cooking it all together. So it turned out less chewy and more stewy. But good. Cheers.
Comment by Mike B — September 2, 2007 @ 8:10 pm