Broiled BBQ Tofu

Tofu isn't really as scary as some people think. One of the great things I find is that it absorbs any flavor you marinate it in, so you do you don't get that bland taste some people tend to dislike about. I had cut them in to rectangular blocks and marinated them for a couple of days for maximum flavorage, if that's even a word. When it finally can time to cook them up. I placed them on a foil lined baking sheet and broiled them for 10 minutes on each side. The edges get a bit crisp giving the tofu an almost char look.

The neat thing about the marinade is that it can also be used as a sauce. From the photos, it may not be the best looking thing on a plate, but the taste sure does make up for it. I even wrapped a piece of bread around it and made a mini sandwich out of it with a dash of sriracha. Mmmmm...

Makes 6 pieces.

Broiled BBQ Tofu

1 pack firm tofu into water

marinade
1/2 c soysauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper

In a bowl, combine the ingredients of the marinade together. Whisk together until slightly thick and the brown sugar has fully dissolved. Set aside.

Drain the water from the tofu, carefully pat dry with a paper towl and into 1/2-inch rectangle blocks. Arrange the tofu blocks on a airtight container. Pour the marinade into the container. Be sure to cover cover all pieces. Marinate for at least an hour before cooking or a 1-3 days before to let the tofu fully absorb the flavor.

Preheat your broiler. Line a baking sheet with some foil and place the tofu rectangles flat. When the broiler is hot enough place the tofu rectangles cook for rough 10-15 minutes on each side until the edges are slightly crisp. Lightly baste with the marinade.

Serve warm in a salad, sandwich or your favorite dish.

Grilled Tofu Sandwich with Korean Bean Sprouts

Tofu strikes again. I had half of the tofu from the stir-fry left, so I decided to marinate them in a bbq sauce mix the night before. The next day, I brought it out from the fridge and prepared good ol' Georgie -- That's my George Foreman grill for those how are wondering. I also had another bag of fresh bean sprout and made the Korean side dish, sukjunamul. It relatively easy to make, which is really great. The nice thing about tofu is that is can absorb flavors you basically put it with.

Oh yeah...my mom was at the grocery one day and found these wheat sandwich thins from Orowheat. They look like round flatbread and come presliced. I found them to be pretty neat. They're great to use as burger buns, too, which you'll see in a few days.

Grilled Tofu Sandwich with Korean Bean Sprouts

3 firm tofu
1 small pita bread ot thin sandwich bread
 sukjunamul - korean bean sprout (recipe below)

marinade
1/2 c soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp lemon juice

Slice the tofu in the 1-inch thick slices.

Mix the ingredients of the marinade together. Drizzle over the slices of tofu coating them liberally. Let the tofu sit for at least 1-hour. Best if over night.

Prepare a skillet or your grill. When it is hot enough, cook both sides roughly 5 minutes until it get s nice crisp crust to it.

Toast some bread and lay a tofu steak on one slice. Top with a nice generous helping of the bean sprouts and top with another slice of bread.


Sukjunamul

12 oz fresh bean sprouts
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 small garlic clove - minced
1 green onion - fine shopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Bring a small pot or sauce pan of water to a boil seasoned with some salt. Add the bean sprouts and boil them for roughly 2-4 minutes. Drain them from the water and cool. Sprinkle the salt, and mix well.  Let it sit for 2 minutes then squeeze out the excess water. Add the sesame oil, garlic, green onion ans sesame. Toss together. Set aide for 30 minutes before serving. You may add a little more salt or some soy sauce for more flavor.

Marinated Broiled Tofu Sandwich

Here's that other tofu recipe I mentioned a few days ago when I posted that Pan-Fried Tofu. The longer title of this would be Marinated Broiled Tofu Sandwich with caramelized onions and mushrooms on sourdough. Way too long to put on the title line. I had a couple pieces of tofu blocks that I had marinated in the Filipino BBQ sauce left and this time around I decided to broil them. Giving them a nice crisp crust and soft inside. I served this along some caramelized onions and I sauteed with some chopped white onion then added some shredded cheese and a dash of hot sauce into the mix.  You hungry yet?

Then on the bread I spread a really tin layer of dijon mustard to give it that nice little tang. Pressed it with ol' Georgie and what you got here is one really good sandwich. You wouldn't really think that you'd be eating tofu, if you ate this.

Makes 2 sandwiches

Marinated Broiled Tofu Sandwich

1 14 oz package firm or extra firm tofu - water drained
4 slices of bread or 2 sandwich rolls

1/4 shredded cheese
1 tbsp butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp hot sauce
dijon mustard
1/2 sliced mushrooms
1/2 small sweet onion - sliced

Marinade
1/2 c soy sauce
juice of half a lemon
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 large garlic clove - fine chopped

Combine the ingredients for the marinade together in a shallow dish. Make sure the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Remove the tofu from the package and carefully pat dry with a paper towel. Slice them into 4 or 5 3/4-inch to 1 inch steaks. Places the slices into the marinade.

Marinate the tofu steaks for at least an hour before cooking. Even better is done the night before for better flavors absorption.

Preheat you broiler.

Prepare your skillet. Melt the butter on low heat and saute the onion until they have lightly browned. then add the mushrooms and saute again until the mushrooms had darkened in color. Season with some salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Take you tofu steak and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Broil for 5-8 minutes until the top layer has charred slightly. Then flip and repeat for the other side.

Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on all 4 slices of bread. Then add the cheese to the onion and mushroom mix as well as the hot sauce. Combine well. Divide the mixture between the two sandwiches. Slice the tofu steak in to 1/2 pieces and place them among the sandwiches. Put the top bread and toast the sandwich in your panini press of a clean skillet.

Heat each side for 3-5 minutes until the bread is toasted. Or you can toast the bread before assembling the sandwich.

Pan-Fried Tofu

Tofu doesn't have to be a scary thing. I'm not afraid to admit that I like to eat it once in a while. It may taste bland to some people, but it all depends on how it's prepared. It's great paired with sauces, dips and veggie stir-fry. I purchased myself one package while at Whole Foods the other day. I remember in Trader Joe's, there's this ready to eat teriyaki flavored tofu that I would snack on sometimes. So I thought I make sometimes similar, but lightly pan-fried. I purchased myself the firm variety. Extra-firm works also as they keep their shape very well.

I used my usual Filipino BBQ sauce as a marinade, except instead of using yellow mustard, I used dijon mustard. One of the great things about tofu is that is absorbs flavors and marinades really really well. Marinated overnight, but you can make it the day of. The next day cook away. I lightly pan-fried these on my cast-iron skillet. A nice light crunch on the crust and soft BBQ flavor inside. Tofu is made soybeans, I served it with a handful of sliced mushrooms. See it doesn't look so scary. If I can cook with it, you can too.

I've got one other tofu recipe coming up, but that will have to wait as this weekend I'll be working on another production. Luckily, this one I don't have to worry about much.

Makes 4 tofu steaks.

Pan-Fried Tofu

1 14 oz package firm or extra firm tofu - water drained

Marinade
1/2 c soy sauce
juice of half a lemon
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 large garlic clove - fine chopped


Combine the ingredients for the marinade together in a shallow dish. Make sure the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Remove the tofu from the package and carefully pat dry with a paper towel. Slice them into 4 or 5 3/4-inch to 1 inch steaks. Places the slices into the marinade.

Marinate the tofu steaks for at least an hour before cooking. Even better is done the night before for better flavors absorption.

Prepare your grill or skillet. Heat a little olive oil. Just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.

Place the tofu steak and cook each side until it gets a slight char on the edges. roughly 3-5 minutes -- on medium heat. Be careful of splatters.

Serve warm with some of the BBQ marinade.