TOFU BITES: Savory Treat

This tofu is lip-smackin' good!

I got really into this recipe when I cooked for a school lunch program. Many of the kids who I cooked for had never tried tofu before. They were hesitant at first, but after a taste, they ate it up! After that, tofu became one of the kids' favorites!

I also like to cook this for my loved ones and myself to eat as a part of meals or as snacks. It's great to have in the fridge as leftovers, either to throw in with whatever you got, or to just eat on its own. But it's hard to keep it around very long, because it's kind of addictive.

The recipe is from the Moosewood Collective's Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics. I often veer from the recipe, trying out different seasonings and spice combos. The trick is to be sure to have enough oil to coat the tofu, along with something in there to give it a nice kick of flavor. The following is the original recipe called, "Simple Baked Tofu."

3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cake firm tofu (16 ounces), pressed

(To press the tofu, put it between 2 plates, and place a heavy book on the top plate. Let it sit with the weight on it for 15 minutes, and then drain the liquid.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oil, and garlic. Cut the pressed tofu into 3/4 inch cubes. Toss the cubes in the soy sauce marinade. Spread the tofu in the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until brown and chewy.

I recommend pressing the tofu as the recipe says, because it tastes noticeably better when pressed before cooking. However, I have also made this recipe without pressing the tofu, both when time hasn't allowed for this step as well as when I have made quantities too great to deal with pressing, and the results have been just fine.

Mmm, makes me wish I had some tofu in the fridge!

Recipe © 2001 by Moosewood, Inc.