Broiled Lemony Tofu
Day 41: Really? You thought I could do a vegan challenge without tofu?
But, hey, listen – even my omnivorous husband said, ‘that’s good tofu.’ Yes, he said it because he liked it, 
and he didn’t swoosh it down with a gulp of water.
This is from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.They call it, rather snappily, ‘Basic Broiled Tofu.’
As you see, I have jazzed that title up a bit.
‘A bit’ being the operative part of that sentence.
Ingredients:
1 lb extra firm organic tofu
1/4 cup water
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs soy sauce (I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
A spray of olive oil or 1 scant teaspoon olive oil. (I have yet to purchase any kind of oil-spraying implement – any recommendations? Post below, please)
Preheat the oven to broil (UK translation – grill)
Cut the tofu into triangles. [They explain it like this: slice widthwise into four equal slices. Cut each of those slices in half widthwise, so that you have eight equal squares. Lastly cut each of those squares in half diagonally to make sixteen triangles] Okay, fail. I cut them differently but still ended up with sixteen. So, maybe not a fail. A pass!
Mix all the ingredients for the braising sauce together in a small bowl. Pour over the tofu and let marinade for a short while.
Let your broiler (UK- grill) get hot, spray a thin layer of olive oil on the bottom of an oven-safe pan or a rimmed baking sheet (that’s what I used). If you don’t have a spray bottle (bingo), use a paper towel to spread a very thin coating of oil in the pan.
Place the tofu in the pan.
Broil for about 10 minutes, until the tofu is lightly browned. Remove the pan and pour a few spoonfuls of braising liquid over the tofu (no need to turn it) [I did – I couldn’t help myself – didn’t make much difference]. Put it back under the heat for 3 minutes more, or so, then repeat with the remaining braising liquid. Cook for about 3 more minutes – at this point the tofu should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
I served it with garlic broccolli and salad with pine nuts. Yum!