Sometimes, I just crave something different and light and when I saw the package of tofu at the grocery store ($2.00 to serve the entire family...!?!?) I thought it would be a nice change of pace. Also, I had no idea how good for you tofu was. Not only does it contain a ton of protein but its loaded with iron, magnesium, and tons of other essential vitamins. I'm not saying I want to replace all of my steaks with tofu, but its good to eat occasionally and, and feels like a good meal to have leading up to the gluttonous holidays.
This preparation is so simple and it is really tasty. The flavor of the herbs carries through and the texture is meaty and firm but also has nice crispy edges.
This meal is super easy and was on the dinner table in under 20 minutes. I used extra firm tofu so it didn’t take much to squeeze out the excess water (placed between paper towel and then under a stack of dinner plates for 10 minutes) and sliced it into 4 portions. A light dusting of corn starch, bread crumbs, Italian herbs, salt and peppe and then pan fry for 5 minutes per side. Another 5 minutes under the broiler. So simple!
What you need:
1 lb of extra firm tofu
corn starch
salt and peper
Italian herbs
Breadcrumbs
1 cup marinara sauce (always Rao’s in this house)
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese ( the sandwich slices of mozzeralla work well here)
Fresh basil and/or parsley to garnish
I mixed about 3 tbsp corn starch with 2 tsp Italian herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary mix) and 1 tsp salt/pepper. Very lightly coat each slice of tofu in the mixture on all sides. Then sprinkle over breadcrumbs and press down to adhere (in hind sight, grated Parmesan cheese would be a really good addition to this mixture, will try next time. Place in a skillet (medium-high heat) with about 2 tbsp canola oil and fry 5 minutes per side or until tofu is nicely browned and crispy (the tofu doesn’t need to reach a certain temp, its all about the crispness we are trying to achieve). Do not over crowd your pan or it will slow down the cooking time. Be very gentle in the flipping process so the breadcrumbs don't come off. Meanwhile, place half of your marinara sauce in the bottom of a glass baking dish. When the tofu is finished frying, arrange evenly on top of your marinara. Pour the remaining marinara over the top and next add your mozzarella on the top. Place under the broiler in your oven until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Top with fresh herbs and serve. This goes really well with roasted spaghetti squash or broccolini.