Baked (or Grilled) Balsamic Marinated Tofu

Okay... I'm on a bit of a tofu kick, but I just like to experiment with healthy foods that are high in protein and low in fat. I love balsamic vinegar on almost everything, so I wanted to try it with tofu! 

This easy marinade I came up with gives the tofu great flavor for those who may not like tofu all that well.

Balsamic Marinated Tofu 
(makes 18-20 slices)

2- 12 oz packages of firm or extra firm tofu, drained

1 C Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dried oregano

1tsp dried basil

2 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced & halved

Prep Tofu for Marinade:
(get most of the water out so the marinade can soak in properly)

Take tofu out of wrapping and drain out the water.  Wrap tofu snugly in 4 or 5 layers of paper towels and arrange on a plate.

Cover with a second plate and balance a heavy can or two on top to weigh down the plate and press down on the tofu. Set aside to let drain for 30 minutes.

Remove and discard paper towels and if desired, you can repeat this process again. (I didn’t feel like taking the time to wait an hour for it to drain, so I only let it drain once for about 10 minutes.)

**The more water you drain out of the tofu, the better the marinade soaks up into it and the crispier the tofu will be once cooked

While draining tofu, combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Whisk with fork until all combined.

Slice up tomatoes and set aside

Now that tofu is done draining, cut into ¼” – ½” slices and place side by side in an 11x13 baking dish. Place the tomato slices on top and pour marinade over tofu and tomatoes. (This mixture should cover the tofu)

Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour (I did four hours. You can even marinate overnight)

 

 Baking Tofu: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a baking sheet with tin foil & spray lightly with cooking spray.

Take tofu out of refrigerator and place onto the baking sheet.  Arrange tomato slices on top of tofu.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until tofu is golden brown and crisp**

This smells SO delicious while baking!!

**We also love to grill our tofu—if you do this, just make sure you get extra firm tofu and brush enough olive oil onto the grill to cover your entire cooking surface!

I served our tofu with couscous and salad! Yummy!