Grilled Tofu With Blackened Seasoning
Eager to move away from the veggies and frozen burgers that have been gracing the racks, I decided to try out grilled tofu this week. I also decided to throw in a bit of my Cajun heritage by adding a blackened seasoning to the mix.
Tofu works wonderfully with this method of preparation and, in my opinion, achieves its best texture this way—a firm or crunchy crust with a juicy interior. I first soaked the tofu in a soy sauce marinade to add a little more depth to the flavor, and the marinade acted as a way to hold the seasoning onto the tofu. You can use the recipe below for blackened seasoning or buy it already mixed from the store. Either works just fine. I went with a rather light dusting of seasoning—being afraid it might be too spicy for me—but if you really pile it on, you’ll be left with a thicker, crunchier crust.
The finished tofu pieces looked a lot like pieces of grilled fish and had a wonderful flavor. Honestly, even I was surprised that it turned out so good. Because of the results, I’ll even venture to say that I would serve this to nonvegetarians. Normally I would think long and hard before serving meat-eaters a hunk of tofu, but this preparation made the tofu so yummy that I wouldn’t even hesitate.
Grilled Tofu With Blackened Seasoning
1 16-oz. pkg. extra firm tofu
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Drain the tofu, pat dry with a towel or paper towel, and then cut into four equal-size pieces. Place in a 1-inch-deep dish.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, and then pour over the tofu. Let stand for 30 minutes, being sure to turn the tofu often or spoon the excess liquid over the top.
- To make the blackened seasoning mixture, combine the paprika, pepper, salt, garlic powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme in a small bowl.
- Remove the tofu from the soy marinade and dip each side into the blackened seasoning.
- Place the tofu cutlets on a heated grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until the desired level of crispiness is reached.
Makes 4 servings
