Tofu Bites Food

CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Drain the tofu on a wire rack for at least one hour.
• Set the tofu on a few layers of paper towels and cut it into 9 cubes. Sprinkle them evenly on all sides with the salt.
• Grate the ginger into a pan and then gather up the pulp and squeeze out as much juice as you can into the pan. Discard the pulp.
• Add the grated garlic, mirin, soy sauce, and black pepper to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue boiling until the sauce just starts to thicken and it no longer smells like alcohol (about a minute after it comes to a full boil). Transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside.
• To fry the tofu, heat 2-inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 360 degrees F (180 C). Be sure to use a deep pot and don't fill it more than 1/2 way as the the moisture in the tofu will make the oil bubble a lot.
• Pat the tofu dry on all sides with fresh paper towels and carefully lower the tofu into the hot oil using tongs.
• Fry the tofu undisturbed for about 5-6 minutes or until you're able to pull the tofu away from the bottom of the pot without breaking it. Flip the tofu over and let it continue frying for another 5-6 minutes or until it's golden brown on all sides.
• Transfer the hot tofu straight into the bowl with the sauce and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Toss to coat the tofu with glaze and then transfer the tofu to a serving plate.
• Garnish with more sesame seeds, black pepper, and chopped scallion greens.

BAKED TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly spray a non-stick baking sheet with oil.
• Slice tofu into 1/2-inch slices, and gently press excess water out of tofu. Cut sliced tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.
• In a bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, ketchup, vinegar, and hot sauce. Stir in sesame seeds, garlic powder, black pepper, and liquid smoke. Gently stir tofu cubes into sauce. Cover, and marinate at least 5 minutes.
• Place the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Turn tofu, and bake until the tofu turns golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Drain tofu, place on a plate, and stack heavy plates on top of it to drain any extra moisture, at least 15 minutes. Slice into 24 bite-size pieces.
• Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Toss tofu into bag, seal completely, and shake to coat. Transfer tofu pieces to a plate, shaking off any excess flour.
• Pour vegetable oil into a skillet; heat on medium-high until just smoking. Cook tofu, turning often, until golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side.

CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Arrange tofu between two pieces of paper towel and place a heavy book or skillet on top. Press tofu for one hour to expel any extra moisture.
• Cut the pressed tofu into ½"-1" cubes. In a bowl add all of the cubed tofu and 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock. Let the tofu marinate in the stock for 30 minutes. Drain off any excess stock and set tofu aside.
• To make the batter mixture, in a small bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, milk, ¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock, dijon mustard, granulated garlic, parsley, and paprika. Stir well to combine.
• In a separate small bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Set aside.
• Working in small batches, place a few cubes of the tofu into the batter mixture and coat on all sides.
• Move the batter dipped tofu cubes to the breadcrumbs and coat on all sides.
• Place the breaded tofu on a plate and repeat this process until all of the tofu has been breaded.
• In a large fry pan, add enough grapeseed oil to make it about ¼" deep. Heat the oil over medium heat and add in the breaded tofu. Make sure to not crowd the pan, fry the tofu in batches if necessary.
• Fry the tofu for 2-3 minutes on each side until all sides are golden brown. Remove tofu from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
• Toss the tofu bites with preferred topping and serve. Some great options are Honey Hot Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, Salt and Pepper, Honey GarlicSauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, etc.

FIRECRACKER TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Rinse the tofu, squeeze it to remove excess water and then dice it into cubes.
• Add all the sauce ingredients to a food processor. Then, blitz them until smooth.
• Bring the mixture to a boil in a pot and then whisk it for a minute until thickened.
• Roll each tofu bite first in the starch and then in the sauce until it's well coated. Then, arrange the glazed cubes onto a tray lined with baking paper.
• Bake the tofu for 15 minutes at 200°C (390°F).

CRISPY BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Drain the tofu and slice into thirds lengthwise so you have 3 even slabs. Lay 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 video).
• Gently move the tofu to the side and line cutting board with a lint-free towel or paper towels. Lay the tofu in an even layer on the towel and then top with another towel ad some heavy things (I like to stack my cast iron skillet on top of a baking sheet but anything heavy will do).
• Let the tofu sit for 15-30 minutes allowing the liquid to be squeezed out.
• In a medium bowl combine tamari, avocado oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add tofu to the bowl and gently toss until all of the tofu is lightly coated with the seasoning.
• Sprinkle corn starch over the top of seasoned tofu and gently toss together.
• Lat tofu out on your prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through.
• Once your tofu is done it will be crispy and golden brown on the edges. Serve as desired and enjoy!

KID FRIENDLY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Using your tofu press, press the tofu.
• While tofu is pressing, put your crackers into a baggie. Use a rolling pin or your hands to smash/crush the crackers into small crumbs.
• Keep crumbs in the baggie. In a shallow bowl, add the maple syrup.
• Remove tofu from press, cut into bite size pieces.
• Place tofu in maple syrup. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
• Gently spoon tofu bites into baggie with crumbs. Gently turn baggie to help coat the tofu bites with crumbs.
• When crumbs are well covered, stop and warm your skillet over medium heat.
• Add 1 T of oil to start. Gently fry the tofu bites on each side until golden brown.
• Serve immediately. ENJOY! :)

BUFFALO TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Cut the pressed tofu block into bite sized cubes, place in a bowl, and cover with the hot sauce.
• Let marinate in the fridge at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• For the breading: In a blender or food processor, mix together the panko, crackers and flax seeds.
• Season to taste with the garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
• Remove tofu cubes from the hot sauce and place in the breading mixture, coating all sides evenly.
• Place the breaded cubes on a sprayed sheet pan and cook in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 18-20 minutes, or until crispy. Serve hot with some cucumbers, carrots, and celery sticks.

BAKED SEASONED TOFU FINGER FOOD NUGGETS

Steps:

• Drain tofu and pat dry with a towel.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degree F and spray a baking sheet.
• Cut the tofu into cubes, strips or triangles and place into a medium bowl.
• Drizzle with olive oil and gently toss to coat. Then sprinkle with the arrowroot powder and the remaining spices and gently toss to coat.
• Place tofu onto a baking sheet and bake. For babies, 6-12 months bake for 10-12 mintes and for toddlers you can bake for 15-20 minutes(see notes), flipping halfway through baking time.
• Let cool and serve.

THE BEST SPICY & CRISPY TOFU BITES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk the ½ cup tamari or soy sauce, ¼ cup water, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce (see note), and 2 tsp maple syrup together until fully combined.
• Place the tofu in a tofu press, or on a plate between paper towels with something heavy on top, and press for at least 15 minutes to remove the excess water. The less water in the tofu the better the texture.
• Slice the tofu into cubes. See the photos in the content above.
• In a large bowl, toss the cubed tofu with the 1 cup of tapioca starch until all sides are coated in the starch.
• In a wok or a cast-iron skillet, heat the ¼ cup of vegetable oil on high heat. When the oil is hot (add a bit of extra starch from the bowl to the pan, if it sizzles, it's ready), add the tofu evenly in the pan. Use a metal spatula to turn the tofu often. You want all sided to get crispy and brown. Add a tablespoon of extra oil if needed.
• After about 10 minutes, the tofu should have a lightly browned and crispy crust. Now add half of the chili garlic sauce and use the spatula to gently toss the tofu to coat all sides in the sauce. If you're not stir-frying vegetables, use all of the sauce for the tofu, otherwise, use half of the sauce for the vegetables.
• If you're going to stir fry vegetables, remove the tofu from the pan and add another tablespoon of oil and cook the veggies. When they're done, coat them in the other half of the sauce and add the tofu back to the pan to heat it.
• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (218˚C)
• In a large bowl, toss the cubed tofu with the 1 cup of tapioca starch until coated on all sides.
• Spread the tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray a light layer of oil on top.
• Bake for 10 minutes and turn the tofu. Bake for another 10 minutes and evenly drizzle half of the chili sauce on the tofu and carefully toss to coat all sides. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the tofu is crispy.
• Use the other half of the sauce to coat stir-fried vegetables or for dipping the tofu bites.
• ENJOY!

AIR FRYER TOFU BITES - CRISPY!

Steps:

• Preheat air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
• Gently squeeze or press-out excess water from the tofu block. Cut tofu into 1" cubes.
• Add tofu cubes to bowl. Spray evenly with oil around all sides. Sprinkle half the amount of spices: lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt evenly around all the tofu cubes. Gently stir or toss. Repeat with another layer of light oil spray and remainder of spices.
• Air Fry at 400°F for 10 minutes. Gently flip over the tofu cubes or shake the basket so tofu can tumble and turn. Continue to Air Fry for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Check the texture of the tofu. If you want it more crispy, then Air Fry for additional 5-10 minutes OR until the tofu is to your liking. We like our tofu extra crispy with an outside crust so we'll cook it for an extra 7 minutes.
• Allow to slightly cool and dip in your favorite sauce.

AIR FRIED TOFU BITES WITH VEGAN RANCH

Steps:

• Press the tofu if you would like to remove excess water and thus, make a more crisp tofu nugget as a result. The tofu, not matter whether or not pressed, should be cut into 1/2 inch bite sized squares.
• To make the vegan eggs, simply whisk together the chickpea flour with the water.
• I suggest using two shallow bowls to make this recipe. In the first bowl, place the vegan egg. The second bowl should have almond flour that has been whisked or mixed with the seasonings (paprika etc).
• Preheat the air fryer to 375.
• Use a fork to pick up the first tofu square and dip it into the vegan egg. Then hold it over the bowl with the dry ingredients and use a spoon to scoop up the dry ingredients to sprinkle over the tofu until covered. Place the nugget into the basket of the air fryer. Repeat this until you have filled the basket, keeping the the nuggets in a single layer (you may need to make this recipe in batches depending on the size of your basket).
• Air fry for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown, shaking the basket every five minutes.
• Serve immediately.

CRISPY TOFU

Steps:

• Drain the tofu, wrap in 4-5 sheets of kitchen paper, put on a plate and put something heavy over the top, like a wooden chopping board, or a tray with a few tins on it. Leave for 20 mins to drain the excess moisture from the tofu.
• Mix the cornflour, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Unravel the tofu from the paper, cut in half through the centre, then cut into triangles, cubes or strips.
• Toss the tofu pieces in the spiced cornflour to coat all over. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the tofu for 2-4 mins on each side until golden, crunchy and browned at the edges. Smaller cubes will take 2 mins each side, larger triangles will take 4 mins. Cook in batches if you need to, adding a little more oil if the pan gets dry.
• Drain the cooked tofu on kitchen paper and season with a pinch more salt before serving.

BAKED TOFU BITES FOR AGES 6-18

Steps:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Preheat oven to 400 °F.
• Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• To make marinade: In a 1-gallon plastic bag, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and water. Seal the bag tightly. Squeeze and release the bag several times to mix ingredients together.
• Add tofu cubes to marinade. Seal the bag tightly. Lightly toss tofu by turning the bag over repeatedly on a flat surface to prevent tofu from breaking apart. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour at 40 °F or lower. Turn bag over every 15 minutes.
• In a separate 1-gallon plastic bag, combine whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, dry mustard, and garlic powder. Seal the bag tightly. Shake to mix.
• Carefully remove tofu from marinade a few cubes at a time. Place tofu cubes in the 1-gallon plastic bag with the seasoned flour-cornmeal mixture. Carefully turn the bag over to coat the tofu with breading. Remove coated tofu cubes and place on baking sheet in a single layer. Repeat until all tofu cubes are coated. Discard any remaining marinade. (See chef tips)
• Bake for 15 minutes or until tofu is lightly crisp. Heat to an internal temperature of 140 °F or higher for at least 15 seconds. Remove from the oven.
• Serve 1 cup. Serve immediately, or keep warm at 140 °F or higher.

TOFU BUFFALO BITES

Steps:

• Squeeze the liquid from the tofu by pressing between your hands.Cut into rectangles.
• In a skillet heat EVOO and add the Tofu pieces along with salt and pepper.
• Brown on both sides.
• In a saucepan heat the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Add the Tofu pieces and mix evenly, very gently.
• Arrange Tofu pieces in a platter and pour the remaining sauce all over.
• Serve with your favorite dressing.

OVEN-BAKED TOFU BITES WITH BANG BANG SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
• Spritz the tofu with some spray oil (or simply dip in some nondairy milk for a lower fat option). Dip each piece of tofu in the mixture to coat all sides. Place on the baking tray. Repeat with all the tofu.
• Spritz the tofu with spray oil, then bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the tofu bites and spritz the other side with a bit more oil. Bake another 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together bang bang sauce ingredients.
• Remove tofu from oven and serve immediately with bang bang sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days or freezer up to 3 months.

CRISP BAKED TOFU BITES

Steps:

• In a food processor blend garlic, ginger and tamari or soy sauce until mixed. This does not need to be smooth. or use knife to chop. Add this mixture to tofu and combine together with onions.
• Mix in chickpea flour slowly and make sure it is well combined in order to form into shapes. Set aside. In the meantime in a baking pan lay a backing paper and begin to shape the mixture into desired shapes. I used a round food server or use a round cookie cutter. 1 inch thickness. Bake in the oven @180º for 20-25 minutes.
• Serve with a creamy dip. I made this dip using tamari, sesame oil. garlic and honey. Chillies optional.

TERIYAKI SESAME TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the sesame tofu bites: In a food processor, add the tofu, almonds, pumpkin seeds, ground flaxseed, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and sundried tomatoes. Pulse until the mixture comes together, but still has some texture, 8 or 9 pulses. Be careful not to over process.
• Roll the mixture into 1-teaspoon balls using clean hands.
• On a small plate, roll each ball in the sesame seeds to coat and then place on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
• For the teriyaki sauce: Place the finely grated ginger, sesame oil and garlic in a small saucepan and warm through over a low heat for about 1 minute. Then add the soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar and rice vinegar. When the sugar has dissolved, pour in the cornstarch slurry and continue to stir over low heat for a couple of minutes until thickened and glossy.
• When the tofu balls are cooked, remove them from the oven. Pour the sauce onto a serving platter.
• Arrange the sesame tofu bites on top of the teriyaki sauce.
• Sprinkle over the cilantro and scallions.
• Serve with cocktail sticks on the side.

TOFU BITES

Steps:

• Place tofu on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels. Cover tofu with additional paper towels, and let stand 5 minutes, pressing occasionally.
• Heat oils in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sauté 7 minutes or until browned.
• Place in a bowl. Drizzle with soy sauce and vinegar; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.