Roasted Tofu – #thegirleats

Roasted tofu has been a lifesaver on many occasions when surprise guests turn up, when I need an extra side, or when I need to get the meal on the table as soon as possible.

[recipe title=”Roasted Tofu” difficulty=”easy”] [recipe-ingredients] – 350g extra-firm tofu – 3 Tbsp. soy sauce* – 1 Tbsp. oil – juice of 1/2 large lime – 1/2 tsp salt (to taste) – 2-3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast** – red pepper flakes to taste – sesame seed oil (to taste) [/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Slice tofu into 1⁄4″ slices. Arrange slices on a glass baking dish (I used a 28x18cm [11x7in]) slightly overlapping each other. 3. Pour the soy sauce over the tofu slices 1 Tbsp. at a time. Drizzle the oil, then the lime juice. Sprinkle the salt. You most likely will not use all of it. Please see soy sauce note! 4. Tilt your dish and swish the liquid seasoning so it covers any tofu missed. 5. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast, then the pepper flakes if using. 6. Bake at 400° for approximately 25-30 minutes. The first time you make it, keep checking oven during the last 10 minutes. Remove from oven when seasoning has been absorbed and tofu is golden. 7. (Very)Lightly drizzle with sesame seed oil if desired. [/recipe-directions] [recipe-notes] *It’s important to know your soy sauce. There’s a lot to consider when choosing a soy sauce, but what I mean here is its sodium content. If your soy sauce is really salty, please adjust the amount of salt accordingly, and vice versa! **Nutritional yeast in your grocery store might be expensive in small quantities. Check out the bulk section, health food stores, Adventist book centers/bakeries (Sprouted Oven in Abbotsford, for example), or good ol’ Amazon! It adds a special flavor (cheesy), and you’ll be adding it to everything from salad dressing, to macaroni, to tofu, to popcorn. Make it a pantry staple. [/recipe-notes] [/recipe]

One of the reasons I love tofu is because of how versatile it is. Tofu on its own can be pretty bland and unpleasant in texture. Most protein is that way. But prepared correctly it can be a star. You can roast it, fry it, grill it, shred, mash, marinate… Add your favorite seasoning and it will absorb it. Tofu can be a creamy salad dressing, a well-marinated sandwich filling, a roasted side, a stir-fry protein, or a scrambled breakfast.

Roasted tofu has been a lifesaver on many occasions at home when surprise guests turn up, when I need an extra side, or when I need to get the meal on the table as soon as possible.

BUT tofu has also been my downfall. Don’t season it enough and you’ll be hard pressed to get anyone to give tofu another chance. That’s why I’m putting this recipe down. So we have a better chance of getting it right every time. Use it as a filling for sandwiches, wraps, pita pockets, or serve it on its own. The number of servings will depends on how it will be served and with what.

Experiment with your own favorite seasonings and flavor. I’ll bet tofu won’t disappoint!