Parmesan Baked Tofu

Who says chicken gets to have all the fun flopping around in a pile of breadcrumbs and cheese? Tofu wanted to join in the party, so I made it happen. I experimented with this on a whim, and it turned out great! When making dinner with your favorite carnivore, you can use exactly the same recipe, but you with tofu and them with the meat of their choice, and you can share the sides (we had broccoli/cheese rice and rolls…and wine).

Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu
2 tbs water
1 tbs flour
2 tbs vegetable oil
bread crumbs
grated parmesan cheese (or Parmesan Flavored Veggie Shreds, to make this recipe vegan)
basil flakes & garlic powder to taste

Preheat oven to 375.

Meanwhile, drain as much water as possible out of the tofu. I use a tofu press (which I LOVE), but you can leave it pressed between towels with a couple books on top until most of the water is drained.

Once the tofu is drained (more time is better, since it will absorb more taste during cooking, although I’m usually too hungry to wait more than half an hour), cut the tofu into 4 small slabs by cutting the block in half, and then slicing each of those pieces through the middle to make a thinner slab.

Mix the water, flour, and oil in a bowl and coat each slab of tofu with this mixture. This will function as the binding agent for the breadcrumbs. Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, basil, and garlic in a bowl. You can use any amount of breadcrumbs/cheese for this part, you just need enough to coat all of your pieces! Place coated slabs in the breadcrumb mixture, coating on all sides. Place slabs on foil in a baking pan or cookie sheet.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. It is optional to flip the tofu in the middle of baking. I didn’t and they turned out fine, but it might help even out the crispiness.

And you’re done! Pair with your favorite sides, or slice and toss with a flavorful pasta/rice dish. Cut in smaller slabs and pair with ketchup to make a great snack for the kids, who won’t realize how healthy it is 🙂