Moosewood's Delish BBQ Tofu

For a long time now I have had a mix of good and bad luck with cooking tofu. I have a personal hatred for bland meals and sometimes tofu just turns out, well, boring. I think that part of my problem is that I don't use assertive enough seasonings with it. This recipe is the cure for boring tofu.

Barbecued Tofu
lovingly adapted from: New Recipes From Moosewood Restaurant

Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu, pressed and cubed*
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves (or 3 or 4 or 10), minced
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 bell pepper (of any color), chopped

Sauce:
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons molasses or brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
7 ounce can tomato paste
1 cup water
4 to 5 dashes hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute' the veggies and spices in the oil until the onions begin to soften. Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Combine the sauteed veggies with the sauce and pour over the tofu which you have already placed in a lightly oiled baking pan.

Bake covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

I serve this over barley with a side of sauteed greens or brussels sprouts, but I'm sure it would be tasty with some coleslaw on a bun and I plan on eating it that way very soon.

The last time I made this I was feeling lazy and used a different BBQ sauce that I already had sitting in the fridge. I skipped all the spices and just sauteed onions, red bell pepper and garlic in a little oil. I then poured this over my tofu and baked as usual although I stirred in some chopped green onion after the first 30 minutes. It was just as good so feel free to be lazy.


*I like to freeze the tofu beforehand and thaw it out before using it. I then squeeze out the water with my hands and crumble the tofu into different size chunks, some large, some small. The freezing step creates a satisfyingly chewy texture. This requires some pre-planning though so if you've got an immediate hankering for BBQ tofu, by all means, forgo this step (but try it next time!)