Tofu Jerky Food

SPICY TOFU JERKY

Steps:

• Slice tofu into thin strips (1/8 to 1/4-inch thick) and lay on a flat surface (such as parchment paper).
• Stir nutritional yeast (if using), paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper or chipotle powder, salt, and pepper until evenly mixed. Sprinkle half of the spice blend on top of the tofu strips and gently rub the spices into the tofu with your fingertips.
• Spread the tofu strips on dehydrator racks with the spiced sides facing down. (See note for oven preparation.)
• Sprinkle the remainder of the spices on the other side of the tofu strips and gently rub them in with your fingertips. Cover the dehydrator and turn it on to high. Dehydrate for 4 hours, or until the tofu reaches your desired level of dryness and chewiness. (Thicker strips will take longer to dry.)
• Store in an aitight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

TOFU JERKY II

Steps:

• Place tofu block between paper towels on a plate. Set another plate on top, and put a weight on top of the plate such as a can to press the water from the block of tofu while you prepare the sauce.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, garlic powder, black pepper, barbeque sauce and brown sugar until smooth.
• Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices, and dip them in the sauce to coat. Place in a tightly sealed container. Place in the refrigerator, and let marinate for one to two hours.
• Preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, around 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Line the oven rack with heavy duty aluminum foil, and place in the lowest position of the oven. Place the tofu slices on the foil.
• Bake for about 8 hours, checking and turning over tofu slices every few hours. Tofu jerky is done when it is hard and uniformly dark in color.

TOFU JERKY I

Steps:

• Combine garlic powder, salt, and pepper in small bowl.
• Slice tofu in thin strips. Rub spices into tofu strips. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 115 degrees F (45 degrees C), or lowest oven setting. Line oven rack with foil, and place rack in lowest oven position.
• Place tofu strips directly on foil. Bake for 6 to 8 hours.

TOFU JERKY

Steps:

• Cut the cube of tofu horizontally into four pieces, and then slice it into strips (I had a total of 12). The strips should be about 4 millimeters in thickness. They're going to shrink a lot in the oven, so they should start out pretty thick.
• Mix all the other ingredients together.
• Arrange the tofu in a single layer in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet and pour the marinade over it.
• Let it soak for several hours or overnight.
• Drain excess liquid and dry tofu in food dehydrator or 200 F oven. This will take 4 to 8 hours, depending on the weather (it took six hours for me in the oven).
• Flip the tofu over hourly so it dries evenly.
• Dry the jerky until it is very chewy, but not crispy.

CAJUN TOFU JERKY

Steps:

• Cut the drained tofu into long narrow strips(about 1/4" thickness). They may look big, but they will shrink during baking.
• In a bowl, whisk the Braggs(or soy sauce), liquid smoke, water, cajun spice, and honey.
• Place the tofu strips in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet and pour the marinade over them. Let marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight for best results.
• Cook the tofu in a food dehydrator, using directions, or bake in the oven for about 4-6 hours at 200*F.
• Turn the tofu over once every hour to bake it evenly. Continue until the texture is very chewy, but not crispy. This will keep indefinitely. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid.
• Enjoy!