Hi Friends-
We’re truckin’ right along with veggie month. I feel like the end is going be here before we know it! When we went to the grocery store last week, I picked up two more packages of tofu to experiment with and last night I decided to use one of them.
A while back, and I do mean a while (apparently it was back in February but it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long), Courtney posted this recipe for Sweet & Spicy Tofu, which she adapted slightly from Caitlin’s Perfect Baked Tofu.
I was intrigued by the idea but wasn’t crazy about the spice mixtures. I don’t really like chili powder, and lately honey has been leaving a bad taste in my mouth (i definitely prefer brown rice syrup)…so I took stock of what I had on hand and whipped up my own little sauce.
Sweet & Spicy Baked Tofu
Keywords: bake entree healthy vegetarian tofu
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp sweet thai chili sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 block extra firm tofu
Instructions
1. Press the tofu for 1 hour.
2. Cut into bite sized pieces and place in a large ziploc bag.
3. Place all ingredients except the tofu in a small bowl and stir until combine.
4. Add the sauce to the ziploc bag and toss to coat all the tofu.
5. Let marinate for 3-4 hours or overnight in the fridge.
6. Pour the contents of the bag on to a baking sheet and spread the tofu out in an even layer.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to turn the pieces.
I had a hard time settling on what I wanted to serve with this…and when that happens, I usually turn to one of my go-to staples.
I sauteed some veggies (onion, baby bok choy, red pepper, mushroom & zucchini) with some garlic, added some orzo and gave it all a squirt of Italian dressing. This is one of my favorite pasta salads. I left the veggies a little bit crunchy to contrast with the tofu and this ended up being the perfect side. I mixed everything together once it was on my plate and it was delicious!
You’ll just have to excuse the terrible pictures. I was pretty tired after work last night and I just wanted to eat. One thing that’s important to note: for some reason, I was expecting the tofu to get crispy. I don’t know how that idea got into my head, but it was wrong. It was not at all crispy. At first I was disappointed….but I gave it a chance and the flavor was so great that it totally made up for it! It’s just the right mix of sweet and spicy. It leaves a little heat in your mouth but it’s not to hot to eat. Since the tofu was not crunchy, I really liked that the veggies were so everything wasn’t the same texture.
I went back for seconds, which RARELY happens and even the hubby liked it. We were both clean platers 🙂
What’s your favorite way to eat tofu?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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Definitely my favorite way to eat tofu is in Pad Thai! 🙂 But this could be a close second!
i just had tofu pad thai over the weekend 🙂 soo good!
The spice mixture you used sounds awesome! I am never happy with how my at home tofu turns out!
i’ve been practicing. thinking about investing in a tofu press to get the most water out possible!
Yum!! I wonder if sticking it under the broiler for a few minutes would crisp it up?
yeah i thought about that too. i was worried about it drying out….but now that i know it probably won’t so i’m gonna crank the heat up next time!
i lately haven’t been feeling tofu lately, but this sauce sounds great so i’ll be saving it for the future!
cool! i seem to like it in phases too 🙂
This looks SO good – I’ll eat anything with Sriracha! I’m definitely going to try it!
awesome! let me know what you think!
yumm a new tofu recipe! love it! I am a huge fan of anything spicy so spicy tofu sounds divine. Really like the orzo salad too, I never think to make orzo. Can you buy whole wheat orzo??
i think you can. i’ve never found it…but i haven’t looked to hard. i know they make it!
Ohh this tofu looks delicious! I really want to make it. Thanks for another great tofu recipe to add to my bookmarks.
awesome! hope you like it 🙂
I am all about any kind of spicy sauce/flavor with my tofu! To get crispier tofu, I like to saute it using Daily Garnish’s method. I also bake at 400 for 40 min rather than 375 for 30 min, the higher temp for a longer time may help.
i did turn the heat up at the end but next time i might stat at higher heat from the beginning and see what happens! thanks for the tip
SO here’s the thing…I’ve tried and tried and tried tofu and each time I fail miserably at preparing it…This makes me want to try again!!!
i’ve had a couple fails but i keep trying and it seems to be getting better with practice 🙂
I soooo struggle with tofu! Looking forward to trying this recipe to see if I can finally make good homecooked tofu!
This is how I prepare my tofu. It gets so much of the moisture out, gives it a great texture and I can do large batches at once. Take the tofu out of the package, squeeze it out as much as possible and freeze it. When you want to use it, take it out of the freezer and let it defrost (I usually take out a few bags on Sunday night for meals on Monday and Wednesday). Once it is defrosted you just squeeze out the excess water and use it any way you want. My kids love it this way.
Also, I use a low carb ( or regular depending on the day) BBQ sauce and bake it until crispy- yummy!
awesome! thanks for the tip!!