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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Spicy Baked Tofu

Tofu.  I don't really make it all that often, even though I like it.  In some instances, I even love it.  As in this instance.  I am now adding this recipe to my favorite tofu recipes.  I saw it over at Alyssa's place, Everyday Maven.  And I couldn't get it out of my head.  I kept coming back to it.  I pinned it so that I wouldn't forget about it.  I made a note of it on the "scratch pad" on my desktop.  I printed the recipe and (literally) pinned it to the bulletin board in front of my computer.  I added tofu to my shopping list.  And finally...I went shopping!

I have always loved the texture of baked tofu.  It's sort of meaty and chewy.  For some reason I find the texture hard to resist.  Especially when almost all of the "water" has been pressed from the block of tofu first.  I also love it fried...but that's a whole 'nother story.  Anyway.  Back to this Spicy Baked Tofu.  Alyssa mentioned that she uses and loves Thai Kitchen Spicy Thai Chili Sauce Marinade - so I added that to my shopping list, as well.  I was positive that my favorite market would have it.  They have so many amazing products.  Including Thai brand.  But after quadruple checking the shelves, I was proven wrong.  Shoot.  So I decided to use equal parts Sweet Chili Sauce and Hot Chili Paste in place of it.  It was SPICY!  And delicious.  You could definitely decrease the heat by using less (or none) of the chili paste and increasing the amount of sweet chili sauce.

Make it.  Turn it into a sandwich.  Or top salad greens with it.  Or just grab and nibble.  You may find a new addiction!

Spicy Baked Tofu
by Heather Schmitt-GonzƔlez
Prep Time: 2-6 hours, mostly unattended
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Keywords: bake appetizer entree snack vegan chiles
Ingredients (serves 3)
  • 1 (12-14 oz.) pkg. Extra Firm Tofu
  • 1½ Tbs. Sweet Chili Sauce (Maggi Taste of Asia)
  • 1½ Tbs. Fresh Chili Paste (Sambal Olek)
  • 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
  • 1 fat clove garlic
  • 1″ piece ginger root, peeled
Instructions
Take the block of tofu from it's package leaving any liquid behind. Press it using a tofu press or set in a pan and weigh down with some sort of weight. Press for at least 30 minutes, but up to a couple of hours in the fridge.

Remove tofu from fridge and drain off liquid. Slice into twelve equal slices that run "the short way" and are ~½" thick. Set in a single layer in a small pan with sides.

Combine sweet chili sauce, chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Grate the garlic clove and ginger knob into the mixture (using a microplane). Stir well.

Pour the marinade over the slices of tofu. Move it all around to make sure that all of the slices have marinade all around. Cover with plastic wrap and slide into the refrigerator for at least one hour, preferably longer. Refrigerate for at least one hour, the longer the better.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a sheet tray with foil and spray well with cooking spray.
Lay the tofu slices in a single layer on the prepared sheet. Scrape any marinade left in the pan over the tofu slices. Slide into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, carefully flipping the tofu over twice (every 20 minutes). The edges should be golden brown and crisp and the tofu should feel firm.

Let cool for a few minutes and then enjoy.

slightly adapted from Everyday Maven

notes:
Try serving over a bed of baby spinach with lime wedges for squeezing over the top of everything before eating. I like to serve some extra Sweet Chili Sauce on the side for dipping.

This version is pretty spicy, if you prefer something with less heat, omit the Chili Paste and double the Sweet Chili Sauce.
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Would you like to comment?

  1. They look so GOOD! Can't wait to try it.

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  2. Oh, those look delicious!  I usually leave the tofu cooking to the pros at our favorita Thai and sushi restaurants, and rely on tempeh at home, but I think I will have to give these a try.  :)

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  3. I love the combo of the Chili Sauce and Chili Paste.  I always have both - I'll make it this way next time! And your picture is amazing - makes me want to take a bite! So glad you loved it :)

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  4. ps, thanks for sharing this yumminess on Allergy free Wednesdays!

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  5. This looks fantastic! I usually never bake my tofu because I have such little time or I am so hungry! LOL but I definitely need to make this.

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  6. Thank you for the recipe, I have saved it and will try this weekend! I purchased a EZ Tofu Press online for Tofu recipes like this...the EZ Tofu Press is an affordable press and works great on getting the water out so the tofu marinates and cooks better!

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  7. Cool! That press is pretty nifty. I have a Tofu Express (http://www.girlichef.com/2010/08/broccoli-tofu-my-favorite-tofu-dish-of.html) which I absolutely adore. Enjoy =)

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  8. I like tofu, but sometimes I am still unsure about it. My son on the other hand, loves it, and as he loves hot and spicy food too this is the perfect recipe for me to try next time I'm feeling brave!

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  9. wow, one of the best tofu dishes I have seen. Love your marinade, delicious.

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  10. This sure looks good, and I like that it's spicy, but tofu - ehh. It has been a while since I've had it and I should really give it another chance. Great photos!

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  11. Not sure about tofu; but you sure making it look good. Sending you my BYOB contribution for this month on Saturday.
    Rita

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  12. It's a great dish, which I make quite often
    I just loooooooooooove it

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  13. This may be the most appetizing baked tofu I've seen yet. Growing up, my dad used to make baked tofu slices all the time and sometimes they turned out marginally edible, sometimes less so ;) Love that you pressed this before marinating and the marinade sounds wonderful...

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  14. That looks great! You got such a lovely glaze on it. 

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  15. Great Rita...you can just add it to the linky for this month. It's here: http://www.girlichef.com/2012/04/byob-bake-your-own-bread-april-2012.html Look forward to seeing what you've made! =)

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  16. I'm pretty much addicted to anything with sweet chili sauce...I can't wait to set my tastebuds on fire with this!

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  17. That's some damn fine looking tofu!  You're really making me think I need to give it a try ;-)  I should like it right?  After all, it is made from beans.

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  18. that looks real delicious,..

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  19. I'll be featuring your recipe this week on Allergy free Wednesday!

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  20. I made this over the weekend and WOW!!!! I actually like tofu :-) My daughter loved it too and has requested it be made again, just toned down a bit on the spice. She gave a piece to her boyfriend and he liked it too, that was until he found out what it was :-)

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  21. Awesome! Isn't the texture of pressed and baked tofu just fantastic!? I'm so happy everyone (ahem) enjoyed it ;)

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  22. This sounds good! I like the thin slices so you're getting more flavor out of it.

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  23. So I know I already left some love for these gorgeous tofu, but I wanted to drop by again to let you know I am featuring this post in today's Friday Food Fetish roundup (with a link-back and attribution)... I hope you have a great weekend :)

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