A little bit of tofu in your life...

[Chrissy Scott]

A couple weeks ago Mr. Oliver asked me to share some tofu recipes with the class. So, here comes recipe number 1.

Let me just say... A lot of people I talk to who dislike tofu say it's "a texture thing." Now, you can sneak the silken tofu into a smoothie and *poof* ... You just protein'd up your frozen strawberries. With the firm tofu, it's not so easy. So this recipe is kind of middle of the road... not silken, yogurt-like tofu, but not over-cooked and crunchy either. Give it a try. Feedback is welcome. I'm on a mission to make the world embrace tofu. I will find one that you like!

Got this recipe from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas. My sister got it for me because she knows that she got the cooking gene and I got the can't-cook-with-more-than-5-ingredients gene. So...

Shake-and-Bake Tofu

1 pound of extra-firm tofu (you can get tofu in regular or lite in case you want to count calories)

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon of any salt-free herb-and-spice (I use Mrs. Dash)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Marinara sauce, ketchup, salsa, yogurt or dip

1. Preheat the oven to 425F

2. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices (or you can just crumble it up).

(You can blot the tofu to dry it out a bit, that makes it less "soggy" when it's time to eat. If you're planning ahead slice it and wrap the slices in a dish towel type thing and keep it in the fridge.)

3. Combine the wheat germ, seasoning mix, and salt in a plastic ziplock bag (the one gallon size or just a plastic grocery bag works if it has no holes in it); seal and shake lightly to mix. Then add the tofu cutlets to the bag and shake gently until they are evenly coated with the wheat germ mixture.

4. Arrange the cutlets on a lightly oiled nonstick baking sheet. Bake until golden and firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve at once with marinara or other sauce of your choice for dipping or topping. (try it without sauce first, the seasoning is yummy)

Calories: 114; Total fat: 5g; Protein: 10g; Carbs: 5g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 275mg

I recommend it with roasted baby red potatoes and some grilled veggies.

Here's a pretty good, honest, concise intro article that you might enjoy: http://www.veghealthguide.com/soy-tofu/

[Lisa Spagnolo]

These are great tips for tofu--thanks! David wants to incorporate it more, and I bought some for this week. I tend to like the firmer variety.

[Lisa Clark]

As a strong supporter of tofu, thanks for sharing the recipe. It sounds delicious and can't wait to try it.
My only complaint against (firm) tofu is the sogginess that happens if not drained well. Easy fix though. Just like drying lettuce for a salad, set the tofu out for 10-20 minutes. I just set my sliced (or crumbled) tofu in a strainer like a vegetable, and let gravity work for you. Usually if I prep the tofu slices first, set them to dry, then the tofu is drained and ready after I have prepped the oven, spices, veggies, ... etc.