Our Veggie Kitchen

I love to used cubes of baked tofu instead of croutons in my salads.  Baking is a great way to cook tofu because its easy, its healthy (you don't need any oil), and you control the texture by adjusting the baking time.  I just chose my marinade, soak the tofu overnight (or longer), and the flavor is baked right in.  For croutons, like I've made here, I bake for about 40-45 minutes, so the cubes get nice and chewy, for other purposes, 20-30 minutes will usually suffice.

I based my marinade on this Mojo Recipe. It really worked out well. The citrus flavors blended nicely with the cilantro and peppers.

I made this batch for taco salads. But really, you can use any marinade. For salads, I especially like using the marinade from my Tofu Feta. This Sweet & Spicy marinade might work too, but I'd be a little concerned that the brown sugar would caramelize and cake to the baking dish.



Mojo Baked Tofu
1 lb tofu, drained
4 cloves garlic
2 Serrano peppers, seeded
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced

Add the lime juice, orange juice, garlic and Serrano peppers to a bender and blend until fairly smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse. You also may want to add a little salt (maybe 1/4 tsp.) but, unless you will be eating the tofu straight, it doesn't need salt. Pulse a few times to mince up the cilantro.

Cut the tofu into 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes and arrange in a single(ish) layer in a casserole or Tupperware container. Pour the marinade over the top. Marinade at least over night, tossing or turning the tofu several times.

To cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tofu from the marinade and arrange in a single layer in a 9 x 13 casserole. Bake, tossing/turning every 5-10 minutes until the tofu forms a shell. Do not over bake, as the tofu will dry out after it's done cooking. Refrigerate or use right away. The first time you turn the cubes, they may want to stick. Just use a metal spatula to prevent them from tearing as you turn.

4 Servings: 80 cal (3g fat, 6g carbs, 7g protein)