Marinated Tofu

This is an old recipe I've had around for awhile. Someone recently asked me about it and I realized I'd never posted it here. You will need to use water packed tofu for this, as silken does not work well in this kind of recipe. Silken tofu works better in sauces and blended recipes.

For those of you who have been longtime readers of this blog, you will remember my "Making Tofu in an African Village" blog post.* This is the kind of tofu that is used in this recipe. You will find it in your grocery store packed in water in rectangular tubs. Simply drain and rinse, then slice or cube for this recipe.

This dish can be made as a marinade, in the sense that you prepare your tofu ahead of time and soak it in the marinade ingredients, then cook later. Or it can be done quickly right in the pan. Either way, the trick is to watch your pan closely toward the end of cooking so as not to burn it, as you carefully reduce the liquid until it is evaporated, but still leaves all the flavor and seasoning in the tofu.

Another way to possibly improve the flavor, would be to try another method. You could marinate the tofu, after freezing overnight and thawing the tofu separately. This method tends to get good results, as the tofu can further soak up the marinade this way. This applies to other dishes as well. Tofu will be more chewy and "meaty" this way.

Marinated Tofu

1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari, or nama shoyu or liquid aminos)
1/2 cup water (or more to cover to marinate)
1 clove garlic, minced (or about 1/4 teaspoon dried garlic, or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)

1 pound water-packed tofu, extra firm & non-gmo preferred, sliced or cubed
Optional: 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

Combine marinade ingredients (all except the tofu). Marinate tofu for a few hours or more. Or you can simply put the ingredients directly in a large skillet on the stove top and cook on a simmer, until all the liquid has evaporated, watching closely so as not to burn. Or you can broil the tofu in the oven, flipping over part way into cooking, until "golden."

I tend to make this recipe minus the optional mushrooms, and on the stove top the quick way. My preferred cut is to slice them a bit on the thick side, so they'll stay together better. I use a metal spatula to turn them if needed. Serve on a sandwich (can use instead of tempeh on Reuben sandwiches), over brown rice, chopped into a stir fry, or in spring rolls, sushi, etc. The ideas are limitless! Yummy by itself as a "steak" along with the rest of your meal. Our children love this. =)

Optional: A great idea is to saute up some sliced onions in a bit of oil (I use a little coconut oil) before or after cooking the tofu in the same skillet. No need to rinse the pan between.

*- I just realized I've been writing this blog for more than 5 years. How cool is that? And yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary! Here's to another 20 years, Honey!