How To...Bake Tofu

My friend Dana reminded me that tofu is a very under-appreciated food. She and I are very used to using it in stir-fry, but tofu a very flexible ingredient and can be tossed into a variety of vegetarian meals. If you don't really know the first thing about tofu, you may want to check out this earlier post for the basics.

More specifically, baking tofu is a great way to push a variety of flavors/marinades into the soy product, so it can then be used in a variety of recipes. Tofu is famous for taking on whatever flavors it is surrounded by, so you really can use whatever marinades and tastes that would match your meal.

Baking Tofu:

1. Follow my earlier post to press your tofu (you're essentially draining all the water from the tofu)


2. Slice, chop, cube, crumble your tofu as you like. Marinate it in your favorite marinade for at least 30 minutes.


3. Now, simply assemble the marinated tofu on a cookie sheet (which you should spray with cooking spray), and bake in the oven, low and slow, at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, turning or tossing the tofu every 20 minutes or so, to allow for browning on all sides. (When we bake the tofu we are trying to take the moisture out of it, leaving the flavor behind). If you do not have 1 1/2 hours to bake the tofu, then turn the oven up to a higher temperature and cook for less time (remembering to turn it more often).

Now, check out my tofu recipes for a few new ways to use this baking method. Together we can demolish the rumors that tofu is yucky and tasteless!!!