Baked Tofu With Braised Peppers And Onions Food

BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Slice your block of tofu into 2 or 3 even slabs (depending on the shape of your tofu block, each slab should be about 3/4 to 1-inch thick). Lay some paper towels or a clean tea towel on a flat surface, and place the slabs side by side on top of the paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels. Then place a cutting board on top of the tofu, and stack a bunch of heavy cans or pots or whatever you can safely balance on the cutting board. The idea is to put a lot of pressure/weight on the tofu, which will help the excess water to press out into the paper towels. Let the tofu drain for at least 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 400°F.
• Once the tofu has drained, remove the weights and paper towels. And use a knife to cut the tofu into your desired shapes. I typically just make little cubes (about 3/4-inch each), but you can cut any size of triangles, rectangles, or other shapes that you'd like.
• Add your tofu to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle evenly with cornstarch, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Gently toss until the tofu is evenly coated.
• Turn the tofu out onto a parchment-covered baking sheet, and arrange it so that the tofu is in an even layer (not touching).
• Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the baking sheet from the oven, and flip each of the tofu bites so that they can cook evenly on the other side. Return to the oven for 15-20 more minutes, or until the tofu reaches your desired level of crispiness. Remove baking sheet from the oven.
• And enjoy!

TOFU WITH ONIONS, PEPPERS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Drain the tofu, blot with a paper towel and cut into bite sized cubes.
• Mix the curry powder and half the lime juice in a large bowl. Add the tofu cubes and toss. Let marinate for a least an hour.
• Heat 2 oz of the oil in a skillet, add the tofu and cook over medium-high heat until brown. Then turn off heat, add the remaining lime juice and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil in a skillet with the cumin seeds. When hot, add the onions and saute over high heat until they're lightly brown. Add the green peppers, garlic, ginger, cayenne, coriander and turmeric. Cook some more minutes until the peppers have softened somewhat.
• Add the tofu and tomatoes and cook until the tofu is heated through. Add the cilantro and serve.

BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a large baking sheet.
• Gently press tofu pieces to release as much water as possible. Arrange tofu on the prepared baking sheet.
• Whisk soy sauce, agave nectar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger together in a bowl until marinade is evenly combined. Brush half of the marinade over tofu pieces.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip tofu and brush remaining marinade over tofu. Sprinkle sesame seeds over tofu. Continue baking until tofu is crisp, about 30 minutes more. Transfer tofu to a wire rack using a spatula; cool.

STIR-FRIED TOFU AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Optional step for firmer tofu: Blot the tofu dry, wrap in a clean kitchen towel and place a cutting board on top. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Whether weighted or not, slice the tofu about 1/2 inch thick into 1- x 2-inch dominoes.
• Mix together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium bowl. Toss with the tofu, and stir to make sure all of the pieces are coated. Let sit for five to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, stir together the remaining soy sauce and sugar, hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Set aside.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact. Add the oil, turn the heat to medium-high and add the peppers. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes, until the peppers begin to soften, and add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 20 seconds, until the garlic and ginger begin to smell fragrant, and add the tofu, dried red pepper flakes and green onions. Stir-fry two minutes, give the sauce a stir and add to the pan. Cover and cook for three minutes. Remove the lid, stir the ingredients in the pan, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with rice or noodles.

BRAISED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering. Add peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, bay leaves, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are completely tender and the mixture is not runny or watery, about 30 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent any browning.
• Allow mixture to cool, then store in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

BAKED TOFU WITH BRAISED PEPPERS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Drain tofu very well and cut into triangles or slabs about 11/2 inches wide. Place in ungreased pie plate and bake until slightly firm and liquid is released, about 20 minutes. Pour off any liquid. Set tofu aside; maintain oven temperature at 375°F
• In large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add bell peppers, mushrooms, 1 clove garlic, parsley, marjoram and thyme and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 6 minutes.
• Stir in wine, olives, salt and pepper and cook, until vegetables are tender and coated with syrupy sauce, about 8 minutes.
• Coat 8 x 8-inch square or 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. Add vegetable mixture, then gently arrange tofu pieces in mixture.
• Make sauce: In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, tomato paste, mustard, garlic, pepper and soy sauce or tamari.
• Pour sauce over vegetables and tofu.
• Cover and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.