tofu

one of the biggest changes to my diet is that i am pretty much making the transition into a meat-free-me! its not really a huge issue because never really loved meat and i absolutely haaaate to cook it! ew. because of this (and my quest to stay nutritious and still eat protein) one of my newest ingredients that i am in LOVE with is: TOFU!!! i used to say that i didnt like tofu...but really i didnt like the idea of tofu and never really gave it a fair chance. when i got into sushi in college, i started eating miso soup and then i ate some tofu in thai food...but just recently i started making it on my own and i am in love! some of you have asked what i do to my tofu that makes it so delightful, so i will share my recipe:

Asian Marinated Tofu (baked):

makes about 3 servings

-Ingredients-
1 block of firm tofu
soy sauce
white wine
olive oil
garlic powder
ginger powder
toasted sesame seeds
crushed red peppers (optional)

-Materials-
paper towels
cookie sheet or frying pan or both!
big bowl
spatula
knife

-directions-
1. preheat oven to ~350 degrees
2. cut the block of tofu in ~1/2 inch slabs and extract as much water as you can (to do this, pat with a paper towel or cover with paper towels and put something heavy on top like a pot with a can in it or a cutting board with a book on top--this helps squeeze out the extra moisture--do this anywhere from a couple of minutes to about 15 mins)
3. while you are waiting for the tofu to be ready, get your marinade together in a big bowl (big enough to fit the tofu slices). i mix all of the ingredients together with no real measurements. if i had to guess i would say about 4 or 5 tbls of soy sauce and 2 of white wine, a splash of olive oil, a couple tsp of sesame seeds, and a few shakes of the dry ingredients. play around with it and see what you like!

4. add the tofu and move the bowl around so it covers tofu (i dont stir it because the tofu might break...which is not bad, but not ideal). you can let it sit for a few minutes or up to an hour, if you like. i do only about 15 minutes or so because i dont like it to get too soggy or it won't crisp up enough. you can flip the pieces around half-way through.
5. spray the cookie sheet (or put some olive oil on a paper towel and rub it onto the pan) and arrange the tofu in an even layer without letting the pieces touch. cooking time will depend on how crispy you like your tofu and how well-done. this is something i have played around with (both in timing and in oven temperature), but have had the best results setting it at 350 and cooking the tofu for about 15 minutes flipping half-way through. again, use your judgement--if you see they are getting dark or crispy and you want to take them out...take them out! obvi :)
**option: you can also fry the tofu in a pan. once you take it out of the marinade, cut each slab in half and then in half diagnally (so it looks like when you order it in thai food, like a right triangle...like the pic). then put a little oil in a pan set to medium heat. toss in the pieces and cook for a few mins on each side.

well, there you have it! i have made this a few times and LOVE it!! its super easy and so delish. because its not meat, you can also save the marinade and use it again! for my side dish, i like to saute some broccoli in the same marinade. i just toss in a couple tbls of marinade into a pan, throw in about a cup of broccoli and saute on medium heat until it looks delish. you can also put this whole meal over white or brown (ew, not me) rice! ENJOY!!