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Tofu is one of those ingredients that I find people to be skeptical of if you didn’t grow up eating it. But it’s absolutely delicious when made well. With a few simple preparation steps, you can create savory tofu recipes that even a non-vegetarian will enjoy.
The texture is determined by the type of tofu you buy, as well as how it’s prepared (baked, fried, scrambled, grilled, etc).
For this recipe I used extra firm tofu dusted with a gluten free crust of cornmeal, cornstarch, and spices. I also love to grill tofu!
Up until my mid 20’s, I had never had tofu. That was until a friend took me to a fantastic vegetarian Chinese restaurant and said, “I know I’m going to change your mind about tofu once you try this salt and pepper version”.
I took one bite of the hot, crispy, perfectly seasoned tofu and I was sold. Who would have ever thought that little nuggets of soy could be as addicting as salt and vinegar fries? From that point on I became a tofu lover.
Instead of frying the salt and pepper tofu, you’re going to bake it. The secret to getting it just as crispy as if it were fried is a cornstarch + cornmeal coating!
You can make this tofu for rice bowls, salads, an appetizer, or even just a snack. I like adding it to rice noodles and sautéed red peppers, and mushrooms like I’ve done here. Dressed with a light, lime vinaigrette, it’s a refreshing summer meal.
1. Drain tofu from the package and pat completely dry. Wrap in two layers of paper towels.
2. In a baking pan with rimmed sides, put wrapped tofu inside of it with a cutting board on top of the tofu. Set something very heavy like a cast iron skillet on top of the cutting board. This will squeeze out all the excess water.
3. Let sit 15 minutes, empty dish if water has drained into it and flip tofu. Replace cutting board and skillet, let drain another 10 minutes.
4. Remove towels, and cut into 1 in square cubes. Now you’re ready to go!
SCALE:
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