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Baked Tofu with Soy & Sesame

June 12, 2008

On Tuesday night I followed Kalyn’s recipe for Baked Tofu with Soy and Sesame as written, and was really pleased with the results. I hadn’t realized how long of a cooking time this dish has (more than an hour), so I didn’t start early enough for us to eat it for dinner that night. But I decided to cook the tofu anyway to have for lunch during the week.

I sliced my drained, extra-firm tofu into 4 large, flat sheets, and pressed them between layers of a tea towel to get as much water out as possible. In my toaster oven at 350° degrees, the slices took an hour and 15 minutes to bake until firm and a little chewy. Next time I might add some ginger to the marinade as well.

Even though I used low-sodium soy sauce, I found the tofu to be a bit too salty for me when it was hot. The flavor mellowed at room temperature and when it was eaten cold out of the fridge, though. My mom suggested making lettuce wraps with the tofu (I would add shredded carrots or maybe broccoli slaw alongside), and I think that would be delicious. But truthfully, like Kalyn, I found myself snacking on it piece by piece, so I didn’t have to try too hard to come up with full meals in which to use it.

The only caveat I have is that I think the appearance of the golden, glazed tofu makes you expect it to be sweet. It’s not at all (no surprise, based on the recipe). I kept having a small disconnect between what my taste buds were expecting based on what it looked like, and it’s actual savory, salty flavor.

Filed under: Veggie Mains

Tags: bake, cooking, dinner, ginger, recipe, sauce