Barbecue Tofu

White Rose Child's Note:

With a scrumptious homemade barbecue sauce, this can easily be prepared in the oven or (even tastier, of course!) on the grill. It's a family staple, originally from "Breaking the Food Seduction" by Dr. Neil Barnard.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 5

Yield: 10.0 tofu st ...

• 1 lb firm tofu (extra-firm regular)
• 2 tablespoons no-added-salt tomato paste
• 4 -5 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari (soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• cayenne, and
• black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat the tofu dry, then slice it horizontally into 5 long rectangular slabs. Wrap in a dishtowel and press GENTLY all over to remove excess moisture.
2. Stack up the tofu slabs again and slice them in half diagonally so you now have 10 triangular slabs. NOTE: If you are planning to grill them, you may want to leave the tofu in rectangles and slice them in half last thing, so they'll be easier to flip on the barbecue.
3. Mix all other ingredients together and pour into a 9-by-13 baking dish. Spread the tofu slabs in the dish and turn them carefully, using a basting brush to make sure all sides are coated with sauce.
4. Let rest for 15 minutes. NOTE: If time permits, you can prepare this a few hours early (even the night before) and let it marinate for stronger flavor.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, turning halfway through.
6. If grilling, it's basically the same as anything else, but you have to be more careful about burning tofu than meat! Just grill till it reaches your desired done-ness (my crazy family likes it burned), basting occasionally with leftover sauce.
7. Serve with baked potatoes, fries, steamed/grilled veg, salad -- endless possibilities! Leftovers taste GREAT crumbled in a sandwich with a little mayonnaise (or vegan version :-)!

Reviews

[Enjolinfam]

This was nice. I was surprised at how nice the barbecue sauce turned out. I used half balsamic and half red wine vinegar. I baked the tofu, but I think next time I'll try grilling it and cutting it into thinner slices. Thanks! Made for October 2008 veg*n swap.

[Sharon123]

I made this for dinner along with some cole slaw. Very nice! I halved the recipe and enjoyed the flavors. Thanks!