Crispy Tofu

I remember the first time that I had tofu…I was 15 and I had just stopped eating meat.  I put it into my stir-fry bowl at a Mongolian restaurant and I hated it.  The texture was way weird and it kind of disintegrated in my mouth…YUCK!  I actually didn’t start to like tofu until I started eating Thai food, their tofu was super firm and they crisped the heck out of it. Everything is better fried!  I can now eat tofu in almost any form, but I still really love a good crispy tofu. I am long overdue on posting this recipe, since I make this tofu at least once a week to add to my dishes when I need a little extra protein in my life.

Ingredients

  • 1 Block Extra-Firm Tofu (Non-GMO)
  • 2 TBS Coconut Oil
  • Additional Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Cut tofu into 3/4 inch thick cutlets.

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Tofu cut into cutlets resting on a paper towel

2.  Press tofu to remove excess moisture. To do so, line a plate with several paper towels. Place tofu on paper towels and top with two or three more paper towels. Place three or four more plates or your favorite cookbooks on top of the tofu, making sure they’re well balanced.

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Tofu with paper towel on top with a couple of my favorite cookbooks resting on top of it. I love Heidi’s cookbook!

3.  Drain for 20 – 30 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure plates/cookbooks are still balanced.

4.  Add the coconut oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.

5.  Drop a couple drops to water into the hot oiled skillet to make sure the oil is hot before you add the tofu.  The water should pop and that is how you know the oil is ready.

6.  Carefully add tofu to hot oil in skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side in a covered skillet, flip the tofu when it is lightly brown on that side.

7.  Remove tofu from pan and place on several paper towels, blotting to remove excess oil.

8.  I like to the cut my tofu cutlets into little cubes and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  I then use these little nuggets of happiness in any of my recipes that I am craving a little extra protein.  These are also great on their own dipped into a little Sriracha.

Enjoy!

*Note – If you want your tofu to be ever more crispy, freeze the tofu before you use it.  Just place the whole package in your freezer and thaw in the fridge the next day.  You will notice that your tofu is more porous (great fro absorbing more tasty sauce) and it will change in color from white to an off white color.  The tofu becomes a bit more dense after you freeze it and will crisp up like a dream.  YumYumYum!

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