Spicy Baked Tofu Food

SPICY BAKED MARINATED TOFU

Steps:

• Mix vinegar, ketchup, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ground ginger, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in a small, microwave-safe bowl.
• Heat vinegar mixture in microwave oven until the peanut butter is softened, 10 to 15 seconds; stir mixture until smooth.
• Put tofu into a large bowl. Pour sauce over the tofu and stir to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to a full day, stirring occasionally to assure tofu remains coated in sauce.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Spread tofu onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Bake in preheated oven until slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

SPICY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Lay the tofu on a plate lined with a couple sheets of paper towel. Layer more paper towel atop tofu and place another plate atop the stack to press water from the tofu. Let sit at least 5 minutes.
• Cut tofu into 1/2-inch strips and put into a large, sealable plastic bag; add soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and hoisin sauce. Squeeze bag to remove excess air and seal. Marinate tofu in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Remove tofu from the marinade, shake to remove excess moisture, and arrange onto the prepared baking sheet. Discard the remaining marinade.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, flip, and continue baking until firm, 15 to 20 minutes more.

SPICY BRAISED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Weigh down with a heavy object (a couple of heavy cans works well) and let sit 10 minutes. Unwrap tofu and slice in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 6 sections to create 12 squares.
• Whisk soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, gochugaru, and 3 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine; set sauce aside.
• Trim dark green top from scallion and thinly slice; set aside. Thinly slice remaining white and pale green parts of scallion. Heat 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Carefully add tofu in a single layer and lightly season with salt. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn over and cook until golden brown on other side, about 5 minutes. Transfer tofu to a plate; reserve skillet (no need to wipe out).
• Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil in reserved skillet over medium. Cook scallion white and pale green parts, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 1 minute.
• Return tofu to skillet. Pour in reserved sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, turning tofu once or twice and occasionally spooning sauce over, until sauce is reduced by about half, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer tofu to a large plate, spoon sauce over, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and reserved scallion top. Serve with rice alongside.

SPICY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
• 2. Wrap the block to tofu in paper towels, set on a deep plate, and place a grill press on top of the block. This is to press the liquid out of the tofu. If you don't have a grill press, place another plate on top of the tofu block, along with 2-3 cans of soda. Press the tofu for 15 minutes, then remove the paper towels and discard the liquid. Slice the tofu into cubes.
• 3. Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, garlic, and ginger in a bowl, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. (I always recommend doubling the marinade, however, because it's nice to have extra to pour on top of your rice for dinner!)
• 4. Toss the tofu in this marinade and let it absorb for 15-20 minutes. Toss a few times in between.
• 5. Carefully remove the tofu and spread it out on a baking sheet. Make sure there isn't a lot of liquid on the pan, or it will burn. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the outside starts to brown and crisp. If you're worried about sticking, spray the pan with canola spray.