Basic Baked Tofu
Makes 8 cutlets
| Baking tofu changes the textureâit becomes chewy and meaty and a blank canvas for just about any sauce. I like to smother baked tofu in Cranberry Sauce (pg. 267) or Southern-Style BBQ Sauce (pg. 256) and slap it into a sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard. Super Protein tofu is my favorite tofu to use here, but extra-firm tofu is a fine substitution and more readily available.
1 lb extra-firm tofu
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cut tofu into 8 to 10 strips and transfer to cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 minutes. Flip and bake for another 8 minutes, or until the tofu is golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. If you prefer a softer texture or are pressed for time, you can skip the second baking.
VARIATION
Marinated Tofu
Brush the front and back of tofu slices with soy sauce, Italian dressing, or any other marinade and let marinate for 30 minutes before baking.
CHEF'S NOTE:
For a larger cutlet, you can alternatively cut 4
1
â
4
-inch strips and bake for 30 minutes.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER PIECE
Calories 20.6; Calories from Fat 3.1; Total Fat 0.3g; Cholesterol 0mg; Total Carbohydrate 0.7g; Dietary Fiber 0g; Sugars 0g; Protein 3.4g
Baked Tofu Parmesan
Serves 4
| Like any good Italian, I love my pasta, but sometimes I want something a little heartier. Since I'm not a fan of eggplant, one day I substituted tofu in a Parmesan recipe. I've been in my blue tofu heaven ever since.
1 lb Super Protein tofu or
extra-firm tofu, pressed
1 c Breadcrumbs (pg. 284)
4 tbsp vegan Parmesan
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1
â
4
tsp fine salt
1
â
8
tsp pepper
1
â
2
non-dairy milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
128-oz jar marinara sauce
CHEF'S NOTE:
Working with
1
â
4
cup of the breadcrumb mixture at a time prevents the breading from becoming too wet. If the breading becomes too moist, it won't stick to the tofu.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Turn tofu on its side and cut 12 evenly sized cutlets; set aside.
Combine Breadcrumbs, Parmesan, spices, salt, and pepper, then finely grind in a food processor or mortar and pestle to a fine, sand-like consistency.
Pour crumb mixture into a shallow bowl.
Whisk non-dairy milk and cornstarch together, then pour into another shallow bowl.
Dip each tofu cutlet into the non-dairy milk mixture, briefly submerging it, then immediately into the Breadcrumbs.
Flip the tofu over and press into the Breadcrumbs again, repeating as necessary until the cutlet is well coated.
Repeat with remaining cutlets, placing the finished product on the cookie sheet.
Spray with cookie spray and bake for 12 minutes.
Flip and re-spray, baking for 10 minutes more.
Arrange cutlets on a plate and cover with marinara and garnish with vegan Parmesan.