Nutty Nutty Almond Tofu

Almond oil is pricey and hard to come by but I fortunately received some lately and ZOMG it's amazing to work with. I used my favorite stand-by method to make tofu. Fear not though, the oil isn't the main star-- you can use canola or peanut oil (which are far more economical!) and this will come out just as delicious. Including my stand-by method for drying out tofu. Be very careful with the whole almonds-- you may want to use pre-ground almonds/premade almond meal if you have it.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 2-3
• Yields: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 (17 ounce) package  extra-firm tofu
• 1  tablespoon  almond oil (or a neutral oil like canola or peanut)
• 1⁄2 tablespoon tamari, sauce
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  almond extract
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup  almonds, ground

Directions

1. Get your tofu properly dried out by either letting it sit out of the package between two plates, or do it the lazy way like I do which is to dry the brick of tofu off with paper towels and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, blotting off all excess water when done and let it cool on the cutting board for a few minutes.
2. Cut into 8-10 rectangular slices.
3. Mix the oil, tamari sauce, extract, and cinnamon together in a small dish until incorporated to make a baste.
4. If you don't have pre-ground almonds or premade almond meal, carefully ground up 1/4 cup whole or sliced almonds in a food processor or chopper until they resemble breadcrumbs. Be sure to just use a few small pulses intermittently or else you will end up with almond butter! (That's why I recommend using premade almond meal if you have it.).
5. Brush a little bit of the baste onto a heavy skillet, and put down as many pieces of tofu as the skillet can hold. Brush the tops and sides with more baste. Sprinkle with almond meal.
6. Let cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the bottom is browned and collected enough baste, and flip and add a little more baste and almond meal, cook another 5-6 minutes or until browned.
7. If you want a chewier texture, let cook on each side about 8 minutes. 5-6 minutes is good for a softer texture.