Tastey Tofu??

Tofu tends to be one of those things that people either love or hate, often more through reputation than experience. It is made using a process very similar to that used to produce cottage cheese, although tofu is made from soy milk rather than dairy milk. Taste-wise, tofu hardly has any. It has a soft, sometimes mushy texture that does not endear it to some people.

Nutritionally, tofu is high in protein and - unusual for a plant-based food - is complete. This means that it contains 100% of the essential amino acids your body requires. It is very low in calories and may be beneficial in lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. It is low in fat and carbohydrates and contains a wide variety of beneficial minerals and vitamins.

Good as it is, it is of course not perfect. It includes some substances (antinutrients) that can inhibit the absorption of certain helpful nutrients. it is a soy product, so depending which side of the Soy or Not Soy debate you are on that may be a factor. However all recent studies done in the US, Europe and Asia have concluded that soy and soy isoflavones pose no concerns for thyroid function or breast and uterine cancers.

Still, for all that, if it doesn't taste good its a hard sell. So here is a quick and easy recipe for tofu that is a little different from what you may be expecting. It is quite hot/spicy (you can adjust that to suit your taste), crispy and very easy to prepare. It works well as an entree, a side dish or finger food..

BAKED SRIRACHA TOFU

Ingredients

1 block (about 350g) of extra-firm tofu.
Olive oil.
Light/Low sodium soy sauce.
Sriracha seasoning.

Instructions

1. Set the tofu on a cutting board or countertop on a thick layer of paper towels. Set another layer of paper towels on top of the tofu and cover it with a heavy pan or cutting board. Leave for about 20 minutes. This will remove a lot of the remaining water from the tofu and make it even firmer.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

3. Slice the tofu into 3/4-inch cubes. You can vary the size somewhat but too small and they dry out. I've found 3/4" works well.

4. Put the tofu cubes in a large mixing bowl and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 2 Tbsp of soy sauce and 2 Tbsp of the sriracha. This is going to make it pretty spicy hot, so feel free to use less sriracha if you prefer.

5. Toss the tofu in the seasoning mixture to coat and spread the cubes out on a baking sheet.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the cubes over. Bake for another 12 minutes. Once the tofu is crispy on the outside, its done.

Tofu is high in protein so this can be a main course served with rice and or oriental vegetables. It also make a unique appetizer. Leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten cold.

Give it a try.