Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu Four Ways… it’s way more than just another delicious tofu recipe; it’s an answer to your nutritional go-to plant-based vegan protein prayers! And it’s not only about getting your tofu crisp and flavorful… it’s also about the delightful chew! We made the following fabulous flavors and loved every single one:

• Garlic Salt & Nooch – Nom, nom, nom… ‘nooch’ is just another name for nutritional yeast.
• Spicy Buffalo Sauce
• Thai Inspired Peanut Tahini Sauce & Dressing
• Or a simple squirt of a savory favorite; Braggs Liquid Aminos! 

Why are so many folks eating tofu these days? Well, we can only speak for ourselves, but mostly we love to eat tofu because it’s a plant-based protein that is high in calcium and protein.  Tofu is also an excellent source of amino acids and has a low-calorie count.

Where can I find tofu?  Trader Joe’s has the firmest tofu and most affordably priced tofu we’ve ever experienced.  But no matter where you purchase your tofu, buy organic. We always buy organic, non-GMO tofu to avoid ingesting harmful pesticides and strongly suggest you do, too.

Do you need to press tofu?  Yes, yes, YES! Tofu arrives swimming in plain old water. So, you need to get that water out and replace it with some fabulous flavor. Not pressing the water out of the tofu is one of the biggest mistakes cooks make. Just open the package and drain the water. Then press the tofu by either wrapping it in a towel and placing heavy objects on top of using a handy tofu press. If you’re in a real rush, you can even squeeze at least some water out of the tofu by using your hands to squeeze out some excess water.

How to enjoy your batch of Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu Four Ways: 

We have some confessing to do.  When it comes to Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu Four Ways, we have no problem finding ways to use it. As it turns out, we have to stop ourselves from pigging-out! Here’s a glimpse of the usual scene in our kitchen. First, we have a few when they first come out of the oven, because they’re so lovely and juicy, and you know, we have to make sure that they’re tasting right and all.

Then, a few minutes later we suddenly feel that we need a snack and so “we sample” a few more. Uh, oh. By this point, half the batch is missing. We could enjoy a few more nuggets along with dinner but rethink that for like on second because it’s probably a good idea to save the rest for another day. (This rarely happens unless we make a double batch; just keeping it real.)

The following are a handful of our recipes where we think baked tofu would be a lovely substitute or addition:

Peanutty Broccoli Buckwheat Bowl

Mango Cashew Collard Wrap

Blueberry Kale Pumpkin Seed Salad

Roasted Steak-y Mushroom Kale Salad

Veggie Lovers Sheep’s Pie

So, go ahead… PIN and save this recipe and make some irresistible Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu Four Ways! It’s a plant-based, vegan and gluten-free way to meet your nutritional needs, and cravings, in an incredibly hearty and satisfying way. You’ll love that Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu Four Ways is not just notably crispy, but it’s also chewy, which is a genuine treat for us meat-free veggie eaters.

Happy eating!

Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu – Four Ways

VEEG

• 10
  Prep:
• 30
  Cook Time:
• Yield: 4 Servings

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Use Savory Oil-Free Baked Tofu – Four Ways in any entree that calls for baked or fried tofu or, enjoy it on its own as an appetizer or savory snack. Just toss it with your favorite flavors before baking; it’s that easy! Here’s a nice idea – you can make this ahead! We suggest that you make a big batch and store it in the fridge to add to your favorite recipes as you like, and boy, will you ever like!  And for easy entertaining, make a few different flavors and serve it up to your guests and let them decide which taste they love the most.

Ingredients

• one block of extra firm, organic, non-GMO tofu - Our tofu came in a 14 oz package, but in the recipe, size doesn't matter.
• Pick your choice of seasonings including garlic salt, nutritional yeast, Braggs Liquid Aminos, a batch of our delicious Thai Inspired Peanutty Tahini Sauce & Dressing or Spicy Buffalo Sauce!

Instructions

1. First, preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit. Next, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Now, drain or press the excess water out of your tofu. Tofu needs to be a bit dry to arrive at deliciously flavorful and crispy tofu. We like to use this handy tofu press and highly recommend that you add it to your collection of kitchen tools.   But until you get your own press, wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and place a heavy object on top, like a pan or cans. Let the tofu drain for at least 15 minutes.

3. After you have pressed the excess water out of the tofu, cut your tofu into cubes. Place the cubes in a large bowl to prepare for seasoning.  To create cubes or bite-size nuggets of tofu, just cut the tofu into five even slices width-wise and then four slices horizontally. Those 20 pieces can be further split in half to make smaller cubes if desired. Since the shape of blocks of tofu can vary, don't sweat the math of this part - divvy it up into bite-sized pieces.

4. Show your tofu some love and respect and season your tofu.  After the tofu has all the water pressed out of it, fill it with the delicious flavor of your choosing by marinating it or seasoning it. A marinade can be as simple as gluten-free tamari mixed with water or Braggs Liquid Aminos mixed with water. We're shocked when we read recipes or menus where there is no mention of seasoning the tofu when nobody would ever serve a meat entree without it first receiving proper seasoning. So toss your tofu cubes with your choice of the following until each piece is appropriately dressed:

   • Garlic Salt & Nooch - Nooch is just another name for nutritional yeast.
   • Spicy Buffalo Sauce
   • Thai Inspired Peanut Sauce & Dressing
   • Or a simple squirt of a savory favorite; Braggs Liquid Aminos! (Be sure to mix with a little water, or it may taste too salty!)

5. Now it's time to bake your tofu. Place the pressed and seasoned tofu on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes and remove from the oven and flip each piece.  Return to the oven and cook for an additional ten to fifteen minutes to reach a total of thirty to forty minutes or until golden brown and a bit crispy. 

Notes

• Now and then we come across unbeatable bulk buy deals on Amazon that we enjoy ourselves and want to share the savings with you.  Here is a two bottle deal on the Braggs Liquid Aminos and this clickable link is for a nearly double-sized container of wonderfully cheesy nutritional yeast.
• Just in case you aren't familiar with nutritional yeast, let us tell you that those little golden yellow cheesy flavored flakes pack a surprising number of nutrients. They’re a great source of protein, dietary fiber, and various minerals including zinc, magnesium, and copper, as well as B vitamins!
• The nutritional information is based on one 14 oz block of Nosoya Extra-Firm Organic Tofu serving about four people and does not include a count for the added sauce of seasonings since those vary by choice.

Nutrition

% DV

Calories Per Serving: 93

• Total Fat 4.7 g 7 %
• Saturated Fat 0.6 g 3 %
• Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
• Sodium 17.9 mg 1 %
• Carbohydrates 3.5 g 1 %
• Fiber 1.2 g 5 %
• Sugar 0 g ---
• Protein 10.5 g 21 %
• Vitamin A 0 %
• Vitamin C 0 %
• Iron 9 %
• Calcium 7 %