I’ve been seeing all these posts about pressing then freezing tofu before using it in recipes. The freezing supposedly expands the water crystals and renders a much meatier and more sauce absorbent texture once the tofu is thawed. Well, I gave it a try and it works! My tofu soaked up flavors beautifully and had a magnificent texture. I highly recommend cooking it this way (deets below) and pairing it with pesto pasta because pesto pasta is always an excellent idea. I added cauli for a veg side cause I felt like consuming all my favorites in one meal and it was incredible. Happy Tuesday!
Ingredients:
For The Tofu
- 1 block extra firm tofu
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 heaping tbsp mellow white miso paste
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
For The Pesto
- 2 cups basil, packed
- ½ cup macadamia nuts, raw
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (or sub hemp seeds)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- ½ tsp cayenne (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
Method
For The Tofu
Remove 1 block extra firm tofu from package, wrap in paper towel and place a heavy object on top to press. Let sit for 30 mins to expel extra water.
Pat dry the pressed block of tofu, place in a container or ziplock bag and freeze overnight.
The next day thaw out the tofu, pat dry then crumble break into chunks by hand.
Combine all other ingredients in a container with an air tight lid then toss in the tofu chunks. Gently stir until all the tofu chunks are coated, cover and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.
Heat up a skillet and once hot add the marinated tofu. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tofu is nice and crispy, about 15 mins. Enjoy!
For The Pesto
Combine all ingredients together in a high speed blender and pulse till smooth. Use however much you want and store leftover in a jar with an airtight lid up to 5 days in fridge or pour into an ice tray and freeze overnight then pop out the next day and store the pesto cubes in an air tight container up to 4 months in your freezer. Enjoy!
All credit to the right owner Noha
Noha via instagram (leeksnbeets). If you like this recipe go check her on instagram for more amazing recipes, she needs our support to keep making new recipes. Make sure you share the recipe with your friends as well.
