Simple Oven Roasted Tofu Food

OVEN ROASTED TOFU

Steps:

• Drain tofu and place on a plate.
• Cover with another plate and weight the top with a food can or other object of about 1 pound.
• Let stand 20 to 30 minutes to extract excess liquid.
• Pour off liquid and cut tofu into 3/4 -inch-thick slices.
• Place slices in a single layer in a shallow dish.
• In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and herbs.
• Pour mixture over the tofu and let marinate 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Remove tofu from the marinade and place on the baking sheet.
• Bake until firm and lightly browned, about 1 hour.

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!

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the tofu from sticking.
• To prepare the tofu: Drain the tofu and use your palms to gently squeeze out some of the water. Slice the tofu into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice through them lengthwise to make 3 even columns, then slice across to make 5 even rows (see photos).
• Line a cutting board with a lint-free tea towel or paper towels, then arrange the tofu in an even layer on the towel(s). Fold the towel(s) over the cubed tofu, then place something heavy on top (like another cutting board, topped with a cast iron pan or large cans of tomatoes) to help the tofu drain. Let the tofu rest for at least 10 minutes (preferably more like 30 minutes, if you have the time).
• Transfer the pressed tofu to a medium mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the starch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining.
• Tip the bowl of tofu over onto your prepared baking sheet and arrange the tofu in an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the tofu halfway, until the tofu is deeply golden on the edges. Use as desired.

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.

CRISPY TOFU WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Put a large baking sheet on the middle or lower oven rack and preheat to 500 ̊ F. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then halve each piece lengthwise to make 4 long wedges.
• Slice the wedges crosswise and combine in a large bowl with the green beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of pepper; toss well. Spread on the hot baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until tender and browned in spots, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the tofu into twelve 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch cubes. Press with paper towels to absorb some of the moisture; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes.
• Combine the parsley, chives, lemon zest and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a mini food processor; pulse until chopped (or finely chop by hand). Add the remaining 3 tablespoons
• olive oil and pulse to combine. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons water to make the sauce loose enough to drizzle. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the vegetables and tofu among plates. Drizzle with the herb sauce and top with the almonds and more chives.

HOMEMADE BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Drain the tofu and cut into 8 slabs crosswise. Blot well between paper towels or clean kitchen towels (or use a tofu press). Cut each slab into strips.
• Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Arrange the tofu slices in a single layer in a shallow container or baking dish and pour enough marinade over them to cover. Let stand for an hour or two-the longer the better.
• Shortly before you'd like to bake the tofu, preheat the oven to 400°F. If this is the only thing you're making, use a toaster oven-it's the perfect size. Remove the tofu slices from the marinade and transfer to a parchment-lined baking pan in a single layer. If you're using the full-size oven, roast some veggies at the same time (I like to use the excess marinade to roast eggplant or green beans).
• Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the strips and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the tofu is firm and starting to turn light brown along the edges.
• Variations:
• Add 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (or more to taste) to the marinade for a subtle smoky flavor.
• Instead of baking, cook these tofu slices on a grill. About 5 minutes per side should do-make sure there are nice grill marks on each side.

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Blot tofu dry. Cut into 3/4-in. cubes. Place on a clean kitchen towel; cover with another towel. Place a cutting board on top; gently place a large cast iron skillet on top. Let stand 10 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, whisk together soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Place cornstarch in a separate shallow dish. Add tofu to soy mixture; turn to coat. Add tofu, a few pieces at a time, to the cornstarch; toss to coat. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until cubes are golden brown and crispy, 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through. Garnish with green onions, if desired.