Baked Tofu

Of course one can bake Tofu by simply giving it a good rub of oil and sticking it in the over for a spell. I also rather love bites of Tofu that have been marinated in Teriyaki or BBQ before baking. However this is my stand-by baked tofu, as I most often end up pairing tofu with Asian-themes and this works as well alongside rice as it does at the bottom of a soup bowl as a “dumpling” of sorts. If you want to get real creative, these are great split and stuffed with a mixture of nuts and herbs (try crunchy peanut butter, cilantro, and sesame oil!)

INGREDIENTS:

* 16 oz extra-firm Tofu, pressed and drained

* 4 tablespoons good olive oil

* ½ tablespoon Szechuan chili sauce

* 1 tablespoon chili powder

* ½ tablespoon nori, crushed to a powder

* ½ tablespoon raw sesame seeds

* 1 teaspoon dried, ground lemon peel or ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Cut Tofu in half both ways to make good sized cubes. Lay cubes out into glass baking dish.

3. Mix chili sauce and olive oil together. Brush cubes generously with mixture. Turn upside down so the oil part touches the dish.

4. Mix the remaining dry ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over cubes. Press down a bit.

5. Bake 30 minutes uncovered.

~ by Xia Neifion~Clark on August 12, 2008.