Easy Baked Tofu


It’s hard to believe that I’ve never posted a tofu recipe on my blog. I absolutely love tofu and cook with it all the time. The problem is I immediately eat it instead of photographing and writing about it. Today I exercised some restraint and snapped a few photos so I could share a basic recipe for baked tofu.

There are many different styles of tofu. I prefer extra firm tub-style tofu…the kind soaking in water. I’ve found that silken tofu is too delicate to make baked tofu with. (Silken tofu does work well in many dessert, smoothie and soup recipes.)

The first step is to drain and rinse the tofu. Then gently but firmly press to release extra water from the block of tofu. Then slice the block into 8 slices. (You can also cube the tofu. I prefer to simply slice and then cut-up into cubes or triangles after baking, depending on the recipe I’m making.)

Place the tofu slices on an oiled shallow baking sheet. Coat both sides of the tofu with a flavorful sauce. I like to use a mixture of tamari soy sauce, white wine, sriracha, hoisin and sesame oil. The sauce absorbs into the tofu during baking.

Baked tofu is great served with brown rice and veggies, on salads, in a sandwich or even by itself as a high protein vegetarian snack.

Easy Baked Tofu
1 package (12-ounces) tub-style extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon tamari (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon white wine, mirin, sake or orange juice
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a shallow baking pan.

Drain and rinse tofu. Press tofu brick to release excess water. Slice tofu brick into 8 slices. Place tofu slices in a single layer in baking pan.

For sauce, stir together tamari, wine, hoisin, sriracha and sesame oil. Spoon and spread sauce over both sides of tofu slices. Bake tofu 25 to 30 minutes until sauce is absorbed and the edges begin to brown, carefully turning halfway through baking. Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 4 servings (2 slices each)

Tip: For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Recipe Links for more tofu recipes around the web:
Tofu Steak with Miso and Ginger from The Kitchn
Grilled Tofu and Pepper Vegetarian Tacos from Herbavoracious
Tofu Burgers from 101 Cookbooks

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How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe)

I use a lot of almond milk. It tastes great and works well in all sorts of recipes- everything from smoothies to muffins.

Sure, you can buy almond milk- but it tastes fresher and more delicious when you make your own almond milk. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds.

The first step is to soak raw almonds in fresh cold water. Soaking the almonds plumps them up and makes them easier to blend. Be sure to use fresh, high-quality almonds. Stale or rancid almonds will make bad tasting milk. Fresh almonds make a slightly sweet and nutty tasting milk- creamy and delicious.

Place 1/2 cup raw almonds in a bowl and cover with water. Cover the bowl and soak the almonds in the refrigerator about 8 hours. (I usually soak the almonds overnight.)


Drain and rinse the soaked almonds. Place the almonds and 2 cups fresh cold water in a blender container. Cover and blend until as smooth as possible. A high-speed blender works best for this, I use a heavy-duty Vita-Mix blender.


Strain the mixture to separate the almond milk from the almond solids. I use a fine mesh strainer to strain the nut milk. A cheesecloth-lined colander or a nut milk bag can also be used to strain the mixture. This recipe makes about 2 cups almond milk.

I add a few drops of pure vanilla and a pinch of sea salt to the almond milk. If desired, the almond milk can be sweetened with a natural sweetener like maple syrup. Store the milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh 2 to 3 days. (The almond milk will separate upon standing. Shake or stir well before using.)


I hate the thought of throwing out the almond solids so I keep looking for ways to use them. I’ve had success stirring a spoonful or two into oatmeal, breakfast quinoa and muffins. The almond solids should also be kept tightly covered in the fridge. Let me know if you have other ideas for using the almond solids in recipes.

Recipe Links:
Creamy Strawberry Almond Smoothies

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Berry Tea Smoothies

Tea does double duty in these slushy berry smoothies. To make berry tea smoothies, start with brewed green or white tea and blend it up with fresh or frozen berries.

Then, blend in more tea flavor by adding hibiscus tea ice cubes. It’s a great trick to freeze brewed tea (or even coconut water) in ice cube trays for making smoothies. Simply freeze brewed hibiscus tea in standard ice cube trays to make the tea ice. Using the frozen tea in place of regular ice is a great way to ice up a smoothie without watering it down.

Berry Tea Smoothies
1 cup brewed green or white tea, chilled
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
8 hibiscus tea ice cubes
Natural sweetener, if needed

Add green or white tea, strawberries and blueberries to blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes; cover and blend until slushy. Sweeten to taste. Pour into glasses.

Makes 2 to 3 servings (about 3 1/4 cups)

Tip: If you opt to use frozen fruit you’ll need a powerful blender. (I use a VitaMix.) If you don’t have a powerful blender, you may want to thaw the fruit a bit or add some additional brewed green tea for easier blending.

Recipe Link:
Mango Coconut Water Smoothies

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Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adding chocolate chips to the batter makes these whole wheat banana muffins a real treat. For extra flavor, add a handful of toasted chopped hazelnuts or almonds. (egg-free, dairy-free, vegan recipe)

Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk or almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sucanat or organic evaporated cane sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 regular size (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper baking cups. (Or, coat muffin cups with cooking spray.)

In large bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Stir together soymilk and vinegar; let stand 2 minutes until thickened. In medium bowl mix soymilk mixture, sucanat, banana, oil and vanilla until well blended. Add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until browned and toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 muffins

Tip: You’ll need 3 medium bananas for this recipe. Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor.

Recipe Link: Vegan Banana Bread

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Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes
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