Saturday, May 11, 2013

Baked Tofu with Tamari

This tofu recipe is so easy and delicious, you will wonder why you've waited so long to try it! Tofu takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with and in this case we use tamari to flavor it. Tamari is a more concentrated version of soy sauce so you don't need to use very much to get a rich flavor. Make sure you buy organic because soy is one of the most genetically modified foods out there.

Tofu itself is also made of soy. I always buy organic extra firm Nasoya brand that is non-gmo. In this area, Big Y sells it the cheapest at $2.00 per package. One package usually lasts me about four meals. I use it in salads, omelets, and stir frys. It tastes like cheese to me.

For this recipe there are only four ingredients: tofu, tamari, organic canola oil, and pepper. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start by pressing some of the water out of your block of tofu. In a large dish place a couple of paper towels inside and set the tofu on top. Place another paper towel on top of the tofu and then top that with a piece of plastic wrap. Top that with a sauce pan with a can or jar of anything in your cupboard. This gives it some weight to help press the tofu. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes. You will be surprised how much water comes out!


The next step is to cut the tofu and season it. First, cut the tofu block in half as shown below. Then slice each half into four pieces. You will end up with eight slices of tofu. Pour enough tamari on the tofu to cover each piece and season with pepper. Let it marinate for about 5 minutes and you will notice the extra tamari liquid will be soaked up into the tofu! Keep turning the tofu pieces to make sure they are evenly seasoned.

Next, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and pour a small amount of oil on the foil. Spread the oil so it is evenly covering the foil. Then place your tofu pieces on the baking sheet. Put it in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip each tofu piece. Put back in the oven for 30 more minutes and leave it alone.
 
 
 
Presto!! Baked tofu!!
 
 
 
 
Just cut up the pieces any way you like and put in a salad as shown here. It is a great source of protein, and can help fulfill the body's needs if you are a vegetarian or just trying to cut down on animal meats. Some studies also show that eating tofu can even decrease your cholesterol. Since I gave up cheese, this tofu has really helped me deal with the loss of one of my favorite foods!
 
I hope you enjoy this tofu, especially if you've never tried it before. Give yourself an hour to make it and you can have it in a few meals ready to be made quickly and easily during the week.