Baked Tofu with Three Marinades

Baking tofu gives it a more substantial texture. It can be eaten plain or put into other dishes. This is Terri's method for making baked tofu, which she is kind enough to share with us. Links to three of her favorite marinades. The marinades would work for other things, I think, including non-baked tofu. To save time, you can buy baked tofu and use the marinades. Although alternative is baked tempeh, which is simpler.

Ingredients:

• l lb firm or extra-firm tofu (or you can make a bunch at once and freeze some)

Preparation:

To prepare 1 lb firm or extra firm tofu (not silken) for baking, first drain the water off the tofu. Then cut the block into 4 to 6 slices (I do 5, and each slice is one serving). Spread the slices on one half of a clean, smooth (not terry cloth) kitchen towel, which is laid over a terry cloth towel. Fold the towels over the tofu. Place a cutting board over the towel-wrapped slices, and place something heavy (like a cast-iron skillet) over the top. Press the slices for about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the marinade (see separate recipes, or use your favorite). If you want to make baked slices, simply put the slices into the marinade. If you want to make bite-sized cubes, cut each slice into 12 pieces and put those into the marinade. The longer the tofu remains in the marinade, the more flavorful it will be, but half an hour is the minimum. I freeze the baked slices and thaw them later to add to salad, or to rice and stir-fried vegetables for a quick dinner. For dinner on the night I’m marinating, I do cubes. Usually I will double the recipe and do one pound of tofu in cubes for dinner and another pound of tofu in slices for the freezer. I stir fry vegetables in the marinade after removing the tofu. Of course, if you want to freeze cubes for future dinners, you can do that, too.

When the tofu is marinated, arrange the cubes or slices on oiled cookie sheets and bake in the oven. If you have time, do it at 275-300 degrees for a longer period of time. The slower the tofu bakes, the better the texture. If you don’t have time, do it at 350 degrees for a shorter period of time. When the tofu cubes begins to look dry on top and are browning, turn them over. You may have to turn slices over several times to make sure they are fully baked. The goal here is to bake out most of the moisture, leaving the flavor behind. I’ve never actually timed it, but I’d guess that at lower temperatures, the baking could take 1½ -2 hours. At the higher temperatures, maybe 30-45 minutes.

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