I always keep a package of firm tofu in the fridge for an easy, meatless protein. One serving of tofu averages 10 grams of protein. Let me give you a little comparison here…
– 1/2 cup serving of raw firm tofu contains 94 calories
– 4 oz ground beef contains 331 calories
– 1/2 cup of 2% milk has 60 calories
– 4 oz of cheese packs 320 calories
I used to eat a LOT of tofu, tempeh, beans and other vegetarian protein sources. I feel so much better since incorporating a LOT more lean protein into my diet but I still love a good tofu dinner when I’m needing a meatless meal.
Baked Tofu
Tonight’s dinner was baked tofu with roasted broccoli and mushrooms and whole wheat couscous with a dollop of hummus to finish it all off. The key to delicious “main dish” tofu is baking the moisture out of it and getting the texture firm and substantial. I can’t count how many requests I’ve received for a tofu tutorial so here we go! Easy baked tofu coming at you now…(#1 tip…buy firm or extra firm tofu!).
Step 1.
Drain and press the tofu. Tofu is packaged in water so you want to drain and press the excess water out. You can see how (un)technical I get about this. I put the tofu in a colander and put my cast iron pan on top of it to press it. You do not need to buy a fancy tofu press appliance. I usually leave it to press for 15-20 minutes while I am prepping other dinner stuff.
Step 2.
Place drained tofu on a cutting board on it’s shortest side.
Step 3.
Slice tofu into thin 1/2 inch slices using a sharp knife.
Step 4.
Prep a baking sheet by spraying it with cooking spray. Arrange tofu slices on baking sheet.
Step 5.
Season as desired on both sides. You can keep it as simple as salt and pepper here. My personal favorite is a little sea salt and lemon pepper. In this batch I used freshly ground sea salt, Jane’s Mixed Up Basil seasoning and lemon pepper.
Step 6.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, flipping half way through baking. You want your tofu to be golden and firm to the touch.
Tofu…love, hate or never tried?
Thanks Jen! Now I have the courage to try making it 🙂
yay! let me know if you try!
Love it!!!
I love tofu! We use makeshift tofu presses in our house using pots and colanders also 😉
My mom sprinkles a little bit of steak seasoning and pepper on tofu and then grills it. It’s awesome!
definitely going to try the grill method now that it’s getting warmer!
Love it! Smoked tofu is my favorite! 🙂
YUM! Making this tonight!
Tofu is good for a change but not something i necessarily love or could eat all the time.
I do love a good tofu recipe! This is so easy, thanks for sharing! My fav is to cut up the tofu into slices and then drown the slices into a thin layer of sauce (usually mustard or something Asian-inspired like stir fry sauce)…then coat both sides in nutritional yeast and some spices. Pop those under the broiler, flipping halfway through, for a total of about 8 minutes and you’ve got a delicious topper for salads or sandwiches! It’s faux-cheesy goodness and is almost “fried”, but actually healthy and protein-packed!
oh yum. i’m going to try that. thanks!
Tofu? Like. If it’s prepared right I like it for the protein it adds to my diet. I rarely love it though and it is pretty easy to get badly prepared tofu. I like to marinade to tofu for more taste!
i agree…the seasoning and getting it firm is key!
My favorite tofu recipes are broiled blackened tofu (wet the tofu slices with a little bit of soy sauce and roll it in a mixture of spices including dried oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne or just in chili powder and then place under broiler for 6-8 minutes on each side and the other is tossing cubes of tofu in cornstarch in a large ziplock bag then pan or deep frying it- toss that into your face stir fry sauce & you have general tso’s tofu!
thank you for the suggestions!
I love tofu mostly because it takes on whatever flavor you want it to, its cheap, and easy!
I love tofu! I don’t cook it much because sometimes it seems like a hassle to prepare compared to other foods.
doesn’t get simpler than this recipe! 🙂
I LOVE tofu but have always been too intimidated to try and make it at home. Thanks for this tutorial – I’m definitely trying this today!
let me know how it turns out!
That’s exactly how I make my tofu! Haven’t had it in a while….sounds good!!! 🙂
That tofu looks awesome!
This looks like a great recipe! I’m a vegetarian and one crucial step that has changed my life is freezing the tofu first. Have you done that before? As soon as I buy it I put it right in the freezer, once frozen I take it out and put it in the fridge to thaw until the day I’m ready to cook with it. It makes a HUGE difference in firmness and texture, in a good way. Let me know if you try it out. Thanks for the recipe!
i have heard of that but never tried. thanks so much for reminding me about freezing! i will definitely give it a shot.
I used to eat tofu regularly, but after conducting a bit more research about soy, I have stopped eating it. Note, this is based on my particular body chemistry. I absolutely love the taste and miss it though. It is an easy and quick protein!
i have really cut back on how much processed soy i eat but i still love the occasional tofu meal here and there!
Intimidated by it! But just pinned this in hopes of giving it another try 🙂
do it girl! so easy!
I have a quick question–how well does this keep//how do you use up the leftovers? I’m worried it will get soggy the next day or if I try to add to a salad for lunch… etc. Thanks! I’m really excited to try this!
they reheat really well! i just heat it up in the microwave and use it on sandwiches, in salads, eat plain, etc.