Barbecued Tofu

 

I had barbecued tofu in Austin at Mother’s Café.  It was too hot spicy for me, but I liked the idea of it.  I tried my hand at barbecued tofu, using a mild, but flavorful BBQ sauce.  I think the secrets to success are pressing the tofu, and choosing a barbecue sauce you really like.  Great for a vegan friendly meal with the barbecued tofu as the centerpiece. 

Ingredients

1 lb block of firm or extra firm tofu or 1 ½ to 2 boxes (12-oz) tofu

1 ½ to 2 cups of barbecue sauce

 

Use a barbecue sauce you really like. I used Kentucky Blues BBQ Sauce from vegan chef.com which sounded good.  It has a little bourbon.  Their Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Sauce also sounded good. 

If you don’t want to make barbecue sauce, there are hundreds of bottled sauces to choose from.

 

Marinate Tofu in Barbecue Sauce

1- Press tofu.  It’s easier than it sounds.  You can check out my post on How to Press Tofu. 

2- Pour ½ to ¾ cup of barbecue sauce in shallow plastic container with cover, or baking dish or pan. 

3- Place tofu slices over barbecue sauce. 

4- Spread ¾ to 1 cup barbecue sauce over top of tofu. 

5- Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 to 2 hours, but you can marinate overnight. 

 

Bake Then Broil Tofu

1- If you marinated the tofu in a plastic container, transfer the slices and sauce to an oven dish or pan. 

2- Heat for 20 to 30 minutes at 350º. 

3- Move close to broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until bubbly and starting to brown. 

 

Ruben Studdard and Soul Food

I have dabbled in vegetarian and vegan cooking in the last several months.  I got interested when researching vegan friendly versions of Southern Comfort food when I wrote an article on Ruben Studdard.  He was the “Velvet Teddy Bear” and season two American Idol winner.  He lost 40 lbs at a Duke University residential program, and continued to lose another 60 lbs afterwards.  He became a vegetarian shortly after discharging from the program, and subsequently decided to embrace veganism. 

Ruben stated on the Wendy Williams show that despite being a vegan, he still enjoys Soul Food and Southern comfort food.  He has favorite vegan restaurants, and has learned vegan cooking, so that he doesn’t feel deprived of his favorite foods.  This got me curious to search out recipes of vegan versions of fried chicken, barbecue, and other Southern classics. 

Doctors and nutritionists are increasingly recommending a 75% vegetarian diet to increase vegetables in the diet and reduce saturated fat.  Not ready to go 75%?  Consider replacing meat in your meals several times a week, with an alternative like barbecued tofu.