Spicy Tofu Nuggets
1 box firm tofu (I use Nasoya Lite Firm)
2 pieces bread (or breadcrumb equivilent)
2 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 pinch (yes I have a measuring cup for this) Cajun seasoning, chile and curry powder
1/2 pinch black pepper and garlic powder
*(Optional)* crushed red pepper flakes
1. First freeze the tofu overnight and let thaw. Put the 2 pieces of bread out overnight so they become stale and you can make breadcrumbs out of them.
2. Press the tofu to get out all the water out. Cut tofu in half long ways then into smaller cubes.
3.Combine all the spices in a small container then mix them up.
4.Pour 1/2 the spices into a sandwhich size ziplock bag then add the hot sauce and soy sauce. ( I used a combonation of 1 tablespoon Louisiana Habanero and 1/2 tablespoon each of Louisiana Red Chile and Chipotle but this is where the recipe becomes your own).
5.Put the Tofu cubes in the bag shake it up and then put in fridge to marinade. I did this for 1 1/2 hrs and flipped the bag over halfway.
6.Crush the bread into breadcrumbs and add the other half of the spices to them and mix it well. This is where you put the red pepperflakes if your feeling frisky.
7.Coat the tofu w/the bread crumbs place on a cookie sheet sprayed w/nonstick spray and bake at 350 F for 40-50 min or until the tofu is the consistency you like flipping at least once. I also find that for this type of recipe if you spray a light coating of spray over the tofu before you put it in it becomes crispy (and you don't need a lot a really light spritz will do).
Source of recipe: I really wanted to make a recipe that I would like out of tofu and now that I did I wanted to share it w/everyone b/c this site has helped me a lot. Hope you enjoy!!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
^thanks for the response, that's not something I've ever heard before. I tried making them yesterday without freezing and they turned out great! They really did have a meaty texture just by cooking them for how long the recipe calls for. Maybe I'll try freezing them another time to see the difference.
Anyways....I'll definitely be making this recipe again...probably even tonight!!
I don't understand why you need to freeze and then thaw the tofu. Is this actually necessary?
Freezing tofu drastically changes its texture into one that is firmer and chewier than unfrozen tofu. It's not absolutely necessary, but you get very different results when you freeze/thaw. Many say it's more "meaty" when the frozen/thawed technique is used. You could try both and see which you prefer.
I don't understand why you need to freeze and then thaw the tofu. Is this actually necessary?
First of all, I can't follow directions. I always think I know better than the recipe. I supersized the amount of spices in this recipe because it didn't look like enough xD (though in hindsight it probably was, good thing I like extra spicy). I don't know what a pinch is (my mom says 1/16 tsp) but I ended up using something like 1/4-1/2 tsp of everything xD I made my own Cajun spice out of a pepper medley (white, pink, and black pepper, plus coriander and something else idk), garlic powder, and onion powder. I made my breadcrumbs out of 2 slices of Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat bread, toasted and chopped with some fancy Pampered Chef contraption.
Baked at 350 for 45 mins, I didn't bother flipping mine over. I made cubes like pictured but next time I will make much smaller cubes. They got nice and crispy on the outside but were still mushy in the middle (probably because I didn't freeze/thaw or press). I'd probably add some garlic to the marinade next time for more flavor and marinate overnight.
Overall fantastic recipe. 5 stars, definitely going in my recipe stash.
P.S. I made some buffalo sauce to go with these with 1 tbsp Smart Balance Light and 2 tbsp hot sauce. The hot sauce I had on hand was an unfamiliar brand that turned out to be not-so-good, but with a decent hot sauce for dipping this would be a fantastic add.
I just made these with tempeh instead of tofu and they turned out delicious. Just spicy enough and really crispy. Five stars!
I'd really like to try these to put in salads. Do you think the flavors would compliment my tasty mixed greens, or is it more of a solitary dish? :)
These are similar to chicken nuggets so I think they would be really good in a salad... If you have ever had a salad w/chicken in it
I'd really like to try these to put in salads. Do you think the flavors would compliment my tasty mixed greens, or is it more of a solitary dish? :)