Back to Basics: Pressed, Marinated and Baked Tofu
Having been a vegetarian since the 1980s and vegan since the 1990s, I know my way around the block of tofu. Even so, my method for pressing tofu has remained pretty unchanging for decades: I use a couple of heavy books and carefully balance objects of approximately the same weight to compress the tofu enough to release its water, which turns it into something much more dense. The DIY press is fun enough in a nostalgic kind of way, but objects shift in the process, sometimes resulting in a loud crash from the kitchen (startling if I’d forgotten) or tofu that was unevenly pressed. It’s just something I accepted as part of my wacky vegan life.
Not too long ago, though, the Tofuture company reached out to me to see if I wanted to try one of their presses and after resisting for so long – I can be stubborn with my ways – I finally thought, what the heck. I don’t really like one-function products as a rule, both for ecological reasons and for the sake of my crowded kitchen, but it is small enough and it’s not like it’s a single-use product. I was also curious. I have been almost exclusively using the superfirm tofu that is more available these days but what you get in texture, you lose in the tofu’s ability to absorb the flavors of a marinade, and I kind of missed that old school marinated tofu. I said yes.
Well, long story short, the Tofuture press works like a dream! The box comes with instructions, but basically you just take firm or extra-firm tofu out of its container and place inside the press. You can determine how firm you’d like it based on how long and at what level you press it; generally for stir-fries, you want to go for four hours or overnight. It has different settings of pressure from light, medium to heavy, and if you start out with one, you can increase the pressure to release as much water as possible.
I have been loving the Tofuture, how simple it is to use and the results. It’s fun to have marinated tofu again at home. I highly recommend it!
16-ounces firm or extra firm tofu (not silken)
2 teaspoons sesame oil, plus one for brushing the baking sheet
3 tablespoons light tamari
1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Press your tofu for a few hours on the medium or highest pressure. Remove the tofu and cube it or cut it into the shapes that you want, then place it in a pan so it can all be flat without overlapping. Mix together the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch or arrowroot powder, and marinate the tofu in it for at least an hour, flipping every 20 minutes or so. Remove from the pan to a bowl, sprinkle on the starch, and shake so everything is coated and no powder is visible.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with your additional teaspoon of sesame oil. Heat the prepared pan in the pre-heated oven for 8 - 10 minutes before you add the tofu to create a nice sear. Remove from the oven and spread the tofu around. Bake for 12 minutes, spread and turn the tofu cubes, then bake another 12 minutes.
Bake for 25 minutes, stirring in the middle. Serve hot!
Not too long ago, though, the Tofuture company reached out to me to see if I wanted to try one of their presses and after resisting for so long – I can be stubborn with my ways – I finally thought, what the heck. I don’t really like one-function products as a rule, both for ecological reasons and for the sake of my crowded kitchen, but it is small enough and it’s not like it’s a single-use product. I was also curious. I have been almost exclusively using the superfirm tofu that is more available these days but what you get in texture, you lose in the tofu’s ability to absorb the flavors of a marinade, and I kind of missed that old school marinated tofu. I said yes.
Well, long story short, the Tofuture press works like a dream! The box comes with instructions, but basically you just take firm or extra-firm tofu out of its container and place inside the press. You can determine how firm you’d like it based on how long and at what level you press it; generally for stir-fries, you want to go for four hours or overnight. It has different settings of pressure from light, medium to heavy, and if you start out with one, you can increase the pressure to release as much water as possible.
I have been loving the Tofuture, how simple it is to use and the results. It’s fun to have marinated tofu again at home. I highly recommend it!
16-ounces firm or extra firm tofu (not silken)
2 teaspoons sesame oil, plus one for brushing the baking sheet
3 tablespoons light tamari
1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Press your tofu for a few hours on the medium or highest pressure. Remove the tofu and cube it or cut it into the shapes that you want, then place it in a pan so it can all be flat without overlapping. Mix together the rest of the ingredients except for the cornstarch or arrowroot powder, and marinate the tofu in it for at least an hour, flipping every 20 minutes or so. Remove from the pan to a bowl, sprinkle on the starch, and shake so everything is coated and no powder is visible.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with your additional teaspoon of sesame oil. Heat the prepared pan in the pre-heated oven for 8 - 10 minutes before you add the tofu to create a nice sear. Remove from the oven and spread the tofu around. Bake for 12 minutes, spread and turn the tofu cubes, then bake another 12 minutes.
Bake for 25 minutes, stirring in the middle. Serve hot!
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Vegan, Ingredient, Tofu, Baked, Marinade, Tofuture, Savory