Tofu Tips to Tempt the Tongue

Tofu is an excellent protein source, but if you didn't grow up eating it the squishy texture and bland white color isn't appealing. Here are some tips to make your own creations. 

Tips from Jane Smith

The secret here is to choose other ingredients that you enjoy and let the tofu blend into the background. This style of tofu cooking also works well if you are serving a mixed crowd - some folks can eat tofu and some can eat a meat or fish. Leftover baked tofu can be kept in the fridge for a few days either to eat with leftover veggies or to make something else. I think the small squares work on a hearty salad and are a good protein boost. 

Let's talk layers - literally. I generally go for 5: 

Grain 

Veggies with a sauce 

Tofu 

Crunchies 

Squirt 

How to prepare the layers 

Buy extra firm tofu. One box works for 2 people for dinner with a little for lunch leftovers for 1. 

Tofu has more chew and absorbs marinades better when it is dryer. At least 15 minutes before serving, put the block of tofu in a colander and stack a small pile of bowls on top to squeeze out some of the moisture. Remember to put a dish under the colander to catch the liquid so you don't make a mess. If you want a dryer tofu (better for absorbing marinades), start draining a few hours ahead, putting it in the refrigerator to drain. 

Cut the tofu into the desired shape. I generally start by cutting it into six 1" planks (half, then the halves into thirds). From there I can make 1" cubes or cut each plank diagonally into triangles. 

Now is the time to marinate if you want. Put the pieces in a dish and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, or a marinade of your choosing. The drier your tofu is to start, the more the marinade will soak in and the color will change from that alarming white. Flip the tofu after it marinates for a while. Marinate for at least an hour but you can go all day. 

Whether or not your marinate, to bake the tofu place pieces on a cookie sheet (with or without silpat). If you didn't marinate with oil, spray a little oil on the pieces (top and bottom) to get a golden brown and to keep the tofu from sticking. Stick tray in the oven at 400. In 15 minutes, turn the pieces (I use tongs) then return to the oven for an other 5-15 minutes depending on how golden and dry you want the pieces to be. If the tofu is sticking to your tray, bake it a bit longer before flipping so it has time to make a bottom crust. The longer you bake it, the dryer and more chewy the tofu will be. 

I use the oven time to cook whatever starch base and veggie layer the tofu will garnish. For your starch consider white/brown/wild rice, bulgar, couscous. Roast some root vegetables (ex. carrots, turnips, sweet or white potatoes, beets, onion) or saute veggies (ex. green beans, peas, sugar snaps, carrots, summer squashes, onion). 

 Add a sauce or a drizzle. Mix up an Indian-inspired coconut milk sauce (choose from aromatics cardamom, ginger, curry, cumin, turmeric, basil) or an eastern Asian sauce (choose from garlic, soy, balsamic vinegar or sherry, sesame oil made saucier with vegetable stock or white wine). For a drizzle, go simple with balsamic vinegar. 

For crunchies, top your dish with a sprinkling of toasted seeds - sesame, pumpkin, sunflower - or nuts (cashew, peanut, walnut, pecan). 

Finally, if my sauce doesn't have a "tart," I add a squirt of an acid - half of a lemon or lime. I find the tart balances the whole dish and covers any lingering "tofu after taste." 

I hope you will comment, recommending your favorite marinades and sauces.