Broiled tofu

AKA, “you should write a blog post about this” tofu.  Quite high praise from my somewhat tofu-skeptical husband.

Though I somewhat enjoy uncooked, unseasoned tofu, Matthew won’t go near the stuff.  Many of my more basic, chop it up and add it to a dish while cooking methods also fail to meet his taste and texture standards.

We enjoyed the results of the preparation method I mentioned in this post, but it’s actually a bit labor intensive, and it involves either a good bit of oil to make it work in the cast iron or using the nasty non-stick skillet.  Enter the marinate and broil method.

It requires just a little planning, because marinating the tofu for at least 12 hours yields the best results.  You can also let it sit in the marinade for a few days, refrigerated of course — prep it on the weekend for a weeknight meal.

Broiled Tofu
Recipe by Melissa

Ingredients

1 block extra firm tofu (preferably organic)
2-3 T. soy sauce
1-2 T. ginger spread*
1/2 t . onion powder
1/2 t. garlic powder

Directions

Drain tofu and slice  into six pieces.  Place tofu slices on clean dish towel, top with a cookie tray, and use hand weights, cans, etc. to weigh down the tray.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.  This will help the tofu absorb more of the yummy marinade.**

While the tofu is “weighting,” mix the soy sauce, ginger spread, onion powder, and garlic powder in a shallow container.  I just eyeball the amounts.  More soy sauce = saltier.  More ginger spread = sweeter. [Sometimes I add a bit of water (1-2 T.?) to help stretch out the marinade without adding too much sodium.]

Dip each side of the pressed tofu slices in the marinade, then arrange in single layer in the container and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.  More marinating time = more flavor!

When ready to cook, brush a light coat of olive oil on both sides of each slab and arrange on the broiler pan.  I prefer to broil my tofu in our toaster oven, which is just the right size for one block (6 slices) of tofu.  This uses less energy than firing up the oven’s broiler, but if you don’t have a toaster oven, that’s fine.

Broil 6-10 minutes per side.  Actual time will depend on your broiler — keep an eye on it after the shorter amount of time so it doesn’t burn.

Serving options

1. After broiling, let cool slightly, then chop into bite sized pieces and add to any one-dish meal (e.g., stir fry, big pan of sauteed veggies, etc.) at the end of cooking.
2. Serve whole slice of tofu (like you would a piece of meat) on top a bed of grains with some nice veggies sides.
3. Chop into bite-sized pieces and use as a salad topper.
4. Other ideas???

The marinate and broil method should also work with just about any marinade.  What are your favorite marinade ingredients?

*Ginger spread: I first encountered this ginger spread as a gift from my sister while I was pregnant.  Using it as a spread on toast was not appealing, but I quickly discovered that it was a great way to add flavor and a touch of sweetness to marinades, salad dressings, and stir fries.  You could also buy fresh ginger and make your own spread, or, for the sake of this recipe, add some finely grated fresh ginger (a citrus zester works well for this) along with your sweetener of choice.