Baked Tofu

Ingredients:

A packet of extra firm tofu.
Marinate:
2 Tbsp of soy sauce
2 Tbsp of Sesame oil
1 tsp of Chinese Five Spice


Instructions:

1. Take the tofu out of packet, rinse with cold water, pat dry, place tofu on a big flat plate and put another big plate on top. Put a heavy object on top to squeeze out the extra liquid. Leave it for an hour.

2. Pat dry tofu again and cut into 1/2" thick slices with a sharp knife.

3. In a small bowl mix soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese Five-Spice. Brush the mixture evenly on the tofu, hold the tofu gently in the palm of your hand, brush the top, sides and bottom. Lay the coated tofu in a container in layers. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Turn occasionally.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil and lay the marinated tofu slices in a single layer 1/2" apart. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

There are many ways to enjoy the baked tofu, my favorites are:

1. Cut the baked tofu into 1/2" strips, sprinkle soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped green onion and cilantro. We love spicy food so I usually add a dash of hot chili oil. Chinese usually eat this as an appetizer or as a side dish for noodle soups, rarely as a main course.

2. Cut the baked tofu into 1/2" strips or cubes, stir- fry either with broccoli, or/and red bell pepper, beans, the possibility is endless. Since the tofu is already cooked, add last just to heat through and to coat with the spices you add and the juices from the vegetables.

3. Spicy baked tofu bean paste noodle sauce - I will post the recipe shortly. "Zha Jiang Mien" is the Chinese name for noodles with a sauce made with minced pork, baked tofu, soy beans and bean paste - it's a very common and popular street food in Taiwan.  But the quality depends on how it's prepared, and the difference is like using Spaghetti sauce from a jar or making your own with fresh ingredients.