Tofu often gets a bad rap. People hear the word "tofu" and mental images of squidgy, watery blocks of blandness are conjured up. Fair point. Tofu is essential tasteless and takes on the flavor of whatever seasoning is used. It's also a high-protein, low-fat and low-cost soy product that's an excellent substitute for chicken in salads.
Don't skip the nutritional yeast (or "nootch" as it's affectionately known) in this recipe because the flakes have a lovely cheesy flavor that really elevates the tofu.
I love mine super spicy, so I often add an extra half-teaspoon of a favorite hot sauce to the marinade to give it additional kick. I've left that out of this recipe because not everyone appreciates having their mouth on fire for an entire meal. If you are the daring sort, add a little of your favorite hot sauce, too.
Spicy Tofu
8 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
Marinade
4 Tbsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos, or tamari, or low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Sriracha
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
Coating mix
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. panko
Instructions:
1. Drain and press tofu until no more liquid comes out (about 30 minutes). Wrap in paper towels until ready to use.
2. Whisk together marinade ingredients.
3. Cut tofu into one-inch cubes and put into a shallow dish. (an 8x8 baking dish works perfect)
4. Pour marinade over cubes and toss to coat. Let marinate 15 minutes then carefully turn/stir cubes and continue to marinate. After 30 minutes, the cubes should have absorbed most of the marinade.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat oven to 400 degrees.
6. Put coating mix into a large Ziploc bag or large lidded container, add marinated cubes and gently shake to coat.
7. Dump coated cubes onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread out so none of the cubes touch each other.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn cubes and bake another 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. They can be refrigerated for up to one week.
Note: I use these cubes chilled in salads in place of chicken, but you can use them pretty much anywhere you’d normally use cubed chicken. If you want to use them in sandwiches, you can cut the tofu into thick slices instead of cubes and then continue recipe as instructed.
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