When I first started experimenting with tofu I wasn’t a big fan but when I developed this recipe it completely won me over. As soon as I started seeing tofu as a blank canvas which can take on many different flavours it was a game changer. I knew there were lots of benefits to including it in my diet and so I set myself a challenge to develop flavour combinations which would really bring it to life. This fast became my favourite recipe and it went down a storm on our ‘Faceplant’ avo toast back in the bakery days too (with the addition of pan fried mushrooms, tomato relish and picked red onions as shown in the picture). The flavours in this tofu recipe are incredible - spicy, smoky, salty and sweet - and the longer you let them all marinade, the better. Once it’s cooked you can eat it hot or cold (try it straight out of the oven - amazing) and add it to any number of different dishes: include it on a grazing board with some delicious dips and sides, toss it through a stir fry, load it into a sandwich with hummus and sun-dried tomatoes, add it to a Buddha bowl or use it to top off your own avo on toast...you get the picture.
Ingredients:
Serves 2 - 3
1 X 225g pack of firm set tofu (I use smoked ‘Tofoo’ for this but plain will do)
Marinade:
2 tbsps light olive oil
1.5 tbsps dark soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1.5 tbsps smoked paprika (you want a lot here to create a paste consistency)
1.5 tsps chipotle chilli paste
To make:
1. Cut the tofu into inch square pieces and set aside
2. Stir all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl
3. Add the tofu to the marinade and stir to coat each piece thoroughly
4. Cover the tofu and marinate in the fridge for minimum 2 hrs, maximum 24 hrs
5. Transfer tofu to a foil lined oven tray and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 for 20 mins
And that's it! It's simple, it's quick and it's completely addictive. You can play around with the marinade depending on what flavours you like: add more / less chipotle, add some chopped garlic etc, but this is the basic recipe to get you going and it’s my all time favourite way to eat tofu.
