Quick, versatile tofu recipe

People seem to spend a lot of time fretting over how to flavor their tofu. Yes, there are a billion different marinade recipes out there and preparation methods. But sometimes simple is best. Especially when you’re lazy.

This is my goto seasoned tofu recipe. It’s generic enough that it can go in almost any cuisine. But flavorful enough that you’ll find yourself popping cubes in your mouth before the rest of the meal is done.

Quick Tofu Recipe

Ingredients

tamari, chili garlic paste, sesame oil

1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
2 tablespoons Tamari, Bragg’s or Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2-1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
oil for frying or baking pan prep

Directions

First cube your pressed tofu.

cubed tofu

Put it in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients except the oil for the pan. Stir it around until it is coated.

bowl of tofu

There are three different ways I finish it off, depending on my needs. You can fry it up in a pan until browned. You can bake it in the oven at 375F on a sheet sprayed with oil for about 20 minutes, flipping them at about 10 minutes in. Or, instead of cubing the tofu you can cut it in sticks or slabs and put it in a George Foreman grill, use a grill pan or even grill it outside. My first preference is to bake it. And my second choice is to pan fry, especially when my oven is broken like it was for a while.

browned tofu

We eat this tofu on salads, in burritos, and dropped into any other dish that feels like it wants some tofu in it. Since there’s no marinating required, it comes together quickly. The hardest part is remembering to press the tofu. We have a Tofu Xpress so I usually just keep a block of tofu in it in the fridge so it’s ready to go. It seems expensive for what it is, but sometimes it is worth it to pay for convenience.

Enchilada Stack Mole

A couple of weeks ago I picked up this box of prepared mole sauce in addition to the regular paste that I buy. It was vegan and I thought it might be good for some future lazy food. Well, the future lazy food is now the past lazy food and finally I’m getting around to posting it. It’s rare that I actually make up a recipe. I usually let other people slave away at testing recipes to see what works. But with this, there’s really nothing to go wrong. It’d lend itself to all kinds of vegetables, for example right now I’m thinking some potatoes would be nice, of course beans could always be tossed in, whatever fake meat you have, or none at all. See what I’m saying? Anyway, here’s what I did this time. I’m sure that’ll change in the future…

 dona maria mole sauce

Enchilada Stack Mole

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 med. onion, chopped

• 1 med. green bell pepper, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup chicken style seitan, chopped

• 1 med. yellow summer squash, chopped

• ½ cup frozen corn

• 1 box prepared mole sauce, pint size

• 8 corn tortillas

• ½-1 cup grated soy cheese

Spray a medium casserole pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Once warm, toss in the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until onion starts to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and seitan. Sauté for another minute or two. Add squash and corn, sauté another few minutes until onion is translucent and squash is softened. Season with salt & pepper and remove from heat.

enchilada stack mole innards 

 Spread a small amount of the prepared mole sauce on bottom of casserole. Lay down two corn tortillas. Spoon 1/3 of the vegetable mixture on top of the tortillas, spread a spoon or two of mole sauce on top of that. Now do the same with two more layers ending up with two tortillas on top. Pour remaining mole sauce all over the top completely coating the tortillas. Sprinkle top with cheese. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. If necessary, broil for a minute or so to melt cheese. 

enchilada stack mole