Baked Ginger Soy Tofu Squares

Friday, November 11, 2011

When I saw this baked tofu recipe pop up on The Kitchn's Facebook feed last week, I ran downstairs to add tofu to my grocery list.

Baked marinated tofu squares by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I'd recently made a divine coconut peanut sauce inspired by a simple recipe I found on the Thai cooking blog, SheSimmers, and was looking for things to show it off on. And baked tofu squares certainly fit the bill...

Tofu by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I started by unwrapping the tofu and placing it under pressure (in this case, a cutting board topped with a small dutch oven to provide some serious heft) to drain.

Draining the tofu by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

While the tofu drained, I whipped up a simple marinade - soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil, a dash of tabasco sauce and a little bit of organic apricot jam for sweetness.

Marinade ingredients by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

Twenty minutes later, my tofu had shed some water weight and was ready for cubing. I used firm tofu which is very easy to cut (soft tofu is more prone to crumbling or tearing.)

Sliced, drained tofu by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I placed the squares in the marinade and left them to soak up the sesame soy goodness for about half an hour. Then I dropped the marinated squares onto a heavy baking sheet and popped them into the oven.

Tofu squares heading into the oven by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I flipped them once. 35 minutes later, a tray full of delightfully chewy, flavorful tofu squares was giving me a "come hither" look I found myself powerless to resist.

Baked marinated tofu squares by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I served them with the coconut peanut sauce, brown rice and baked yams and 'twas mighty tasty.

Baked Soy Ginger Tofu Squares
Serves 4 as part of a meal

Ingredients

* 1 (16-ounce) block extra firm tofu
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 2 tsps sesame oil
* 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
* 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
* 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
* 1 Tbsp apricot preserves
* Dash of tabasco sauce or hot sauce
* Peanut oil for greasing

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the block of tofu. Set it on a rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top and weight it down with something heavy, like a handy can of tomatoes or a heavy skillet, to press out some of the excess liquid. Let sit 15 - 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the marinade. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, jam and sesame seeds (feel free to adjust amounts and add or delete ingredients to suit your taste) and stir well to make sure the jam is dissolved. Set aside.

3. Cut the tofu into pieces. You can do cubes for croutons, sticks for dipping, flat squares to layer on sandwiches, or any other shape you feel like. Thinner pieces will get harder and chewier than thicker ones.

4. Put the cut tofu in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes. Flip the tofu a few times so the marinade is absorbed evenly. The longer you let the tofu sit, the deeper the flavor will be.

5. While the squares are soaking, pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees. Place the squares on a greased baking sheet (I used peanut oil) and cook for 10 minutes and then flip them over. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 minutes until the tofu is as baked as you like it, 20 - 45 minutes total.

You might also like:
Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? Click here to "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook!

3 comments:

Jessie said...

Yum!!! I imagine everything is a taste sensation at your house.

Rocquie said...

Your marinade sounds delicious and your tofu looks scrumptious! I love baking tofu to serve with brown rice and vegetables. I've never thought of using baked sweet potatoes and I love that idea. Thanks for the inspiration!

said...

I've had balsamic marinated tofu this way and was dying to find out how they did it. Thanks for the great post. I'm going to have to add tofu to the grocery list next month as well.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Baked Ginger Soy Tofu Squares

When I saw this baked tofu recipe pop up on The Kitchn's Facebook feed last week, I ran downstairs to add tofu to my grocery list.

Baked marinated tofu squares by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I'd recently made a divine coconut peanut sauce inspired by a simple recipe I found on the Thai cooking blog, SheSimmers, and was looking for things to show it off on. And baked tofu squares certainly fit the bill...

Tofu by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I started by unwrapping the tofu and placing it under pressure (in this case, a cutting board topped with a small dutch oven to provide some serious heft) to drain.

Draining the tofu by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

While the tofu drained, I whipped up a simple marinade - soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil, a dash of tabasco sauce and a little bit of organic apricot jam for sweetness.

Marinade ingredients by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

Twenty minutes later, my tofu had shed some water weight and was ready for cubing. I used firm tofu which is very easy to cut (soft tofu is more prone to crumbling or tearing.)

Sliced, drained tofu by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I placed the squares in the marinade and left them to soak up the sesame soy goodness for about half an hour. Then I dropped the marinated squares onto a heavy baking sheet and popped them into the oven.

Tofu squares heading into the oven by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I flipped them once. 35 minutes later, a tray full of delightfully chewy, flavorful tofu squares was giving me a "come hither" look I found myself powerless to resist.

Baked marinated tofu squares by Eve Fox, Garden of Eating blog, copyright 2011

I served them with the coconut peanut sauce, brown rice and baked yams and 'twas mighty tasty.

Baked Soy Ginger Tofu Squares
Serves 4 as part of a meal

Ingredients

* 1 (16-ounce) block extra firm tofu
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 2 tsps sesame oil
* 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
* 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated
* 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
* 1 Tbsp apricot preserves
* Dash of tabasco sauce or hot sauce
* Peanut oil for greasing

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the block of tofu. Set it on a rimmed dinner plate. Place another plate on top and weight it down with something heavy, like a handy can of tomatoes or a heavy skillet, to press out some of the excess liquid. Let sit 15 - 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the marinade. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, jam and sesame seeds (feel free to adjust amounts and add or delete ingredients to suit your taste) and stir well to make sure the jam is dissolved. Set aside.

3. Cut the tofu into pieces. You can do cubes for croutons, sticks for dipping, flat squares to layer on sandwiches, or any other shape you feel like. Thinner pieces will get harder and chewier than thicker ones.

4. Put the cut tofu in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes. Flip the tofu a few times so the marinade is absorbed evenly. The longer you let the tofu sit, the deeper the flavor will be.

5. While the squares are soaking, pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees. Place the squares on a greased baking sheet (I used peanut oil) and cook for 10 minutes and then flip them over. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 minutes until the tofu is as baked as you like it, 20 - 45 minutes total.

You might also like:
Want even more recipes, photos, giveaways, and food-related inspiration? Click here to "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook!

3 comments:

Jessie said...

Yum!!! I imagine everything is a taste sensation at your house.

Rocquie said...

Your marinade sounds delicious and your tofu looks scrumptious! I love baking tofu to serve with brown rice and vegetables. I've never thought of using baked sweet potatoes and I love that idea. Thanks for the inspiration!

said...

I've had balsamic marinated tofu this way and was dying to find out how they did it. Thanks for the great post. I'm going to have to add tofu to the grocery list next month as well.