The Simplest Tofu

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I love when people ask me what to do with tofu. I could go on and on and on because there are so many different ways to cook and flavor it; it’s really really versatile! But more often than not I’ll give them this recipe. Why? Because it’s 3 ingredients and so so simple. Best of all—It doesn’t taste “tofu-y”. If you or anyone you know have been intimidated by tofu, give this recipe a try.

Maple Baked Tofu

Ingredients:

  • 1 firm block of tofu, pressed
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Press the tofu to remove excess moisture by wrapping a towel around the tofu and placing a heavy weight on top of it. Cut it into bite-sized cubes.

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Toss together all the ingredients in a bowl to coat evenly. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spread the tofu out as a single layer.

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Bake for 50 minutes or until firm and golden.

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This tastes sweet, salty, savory, and golden. It’s so simple to make and yet has such flavor. The texture is meaty, sort of like chicken breast. And it goes perfect with roasted vegetables in the Fall, too! Even if you’re scared of tofu, try it! You won’t be sorry.

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13 Responses to The Simplest Tofu
  1. jen
    November 14, 2010 | 10:21 am

    what temperature is best to bake? thanks!

    • Wannabe Chef
      November 14, 2010 | 10:39 am

      350 degrees is what I set the temperature at for this amount of cooking

  2. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
    November 14, 2010 | 11:50 am

    Mmmm…you really can’t beat simple baked tofu. So good.

  3. Adam
    November 14, 2010 | 1:29 pm

    I needed something easy to make tonight that looks really tasty with little ingredients on hand, and this is definitely the winner. You need to put out a cookbook, now!

  4. Madeline - Greens and Jeans
    November 14, 2010 | 2:44 pm

    I REALLY need to get a tofu press. No amount of dictionary pressing can get it quite that amazing looking!

  5. Sana
    November 14, 2010 | 5:09 pm

    I thought you did not eat tofu because of g-a-s issues?

  6. Hayley
    November 14, 2010 | 5:52 pm

    Mmm.. I love maple anything. I bet that same marinade would be awesome on chicken, too!

  7. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga)
    November 14, 2010 | 6:36 pm

    Sometimes the easiest recipes are…THE BEST!

    I have a maple tofu recipe with a few other things in it, just a super simple marinade and I bake it. But tofu is the one food that I love WELL done. It cannot be “white”..it has to have some dare i say, char marks, on it!

  8. Gena
    November 14, 2010 | 11:59 pm

    Love the simplicity! I nearly always opt for tempeh over tofu, but this is reason to change that habit 🙂

  9. Gillian
    November 15, 2010 | 6:28 pm

    Hey Evan
    This looks really good! Do you use the firm tofu or extra-firm? or does it really matter???
    Thanks

    • Wannabe Chef
      November 16, 2010 | 5:29 pm

      I used firm tofu, but any will do. When you press tofu down, it all mostly becomes the same amount of firmness. They even make pre-cubed tofu which would let you skip the first two steps altogether.

  10. Karen
    November 15, 2010 | 7:00 pm

    What an interesting way to make tofu. I never would have thought of adding the maple syrup. This looks really good. Will have to try it out…

  11. Claire @ Un Bello Aperitivo
    November 18, 2010 | 11:00 am

    Now I know what I’m having for dinner tonight!