My experiments with tofu continue! This time I really wanted to prepare it in a tasty way, so I studied a very old book I brought with me from London, it’s called “The Tofu Cookbook”, the author is Leah Leneman, and it’s full of various recipes and tips for using tofu. I was looking for a vegan recipe and also suitable for those who are celiac, so gluten-free…
Reading the book, I was struck by a tip that the author wrote in her “tofu cutlet” recipe. She actually advised to freeze the tofu in slices and then thaw it to make the tofu firmer. I tried it and I have to say it really stays firmer this way! It’s not a necessary step but I found it very useful also to store half the block, as the whole block of tofu is too large for me to consume in one meal!
Anyway, I finally decided to try these tofu cutlets from the book but I changed the recipe a bit. The author flavored the tofu with soy sauce, but I wanted to recreate the look of the famous captain’s fish sticks! So I used various spices and soy milk and of course instead of white flour I used cornmeal… What a taste! They are really delicious and tasty… try them with your kids! Let’s see how I made them…
You can find other tofu recipes here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 7 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 4.6 oz medium firm tofu (to be weighed after pressing)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (1 measuring teaspoon)
- 1.1 oz cornmeal (only 0.7 oz will be used)
- 2 tbsp soy milk (unsweetened. only 1.4 tbsp will be used)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Half tsp sweet paprika
- Half tsp turmeric powder
- Total points = 7 WW points
- Points per stick = 1 WW point
Tools
- Pan
- Parchment paper
- Reusable bags
Steps
First of all, the night before I sliced the tofu into 7 slices, wrapped each slice in parchment paper, put it all in a bag, and placed it in the freezer. In the morning, I let it thaw at room temperature and placed the slices between two sheets of kitchen paper and pressed them a bit to remove the excess water. This freezer step is not necessary, but it dries the tofu very well and its texture changes, becoming less soft and more “chewy”.
Take 2 small plates and put the soy milk in one and the cornmeal, salt, and spices in the other.
Mix the cornmeal with the spices well so that there are no lumps. Dip the tofu slices one at a time in the soy milk and then coat them well in the cornmeal and spice mix on all sides. Place them on another small plate as they are ready.
As you can see, even though I used plenty of milk and flour, some still remains on the plates: these points obviously do not count. If you start with less flour and milk directly, it will be difficult to coat them, so you have to accept that some will be left over! Anyway, once all the tofu sticks are ready, leave them in the fridge for half an hour: the coating will firm up, and it will be easier to cook them.
Heat a non-stick pan with a teaspoon of oil just enough to grease the bottom of the pan. Place the sticks in the pan and cook them over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Gently flip them and let them cook for another couple of minutes. The sticks will become more golden, and in less than 10 minutes they will be ready. Lay them on a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb the moisture.
And here are our crispy tofu sticks ready, a delight I won’t even mention: from bland, the tofu has suddenly become so flavorful! I served them with chopped vegetables and a cup of Yogurt Sauce with cumin, too good!
And then the color is really inviting! The idea of turmeric was really great: together with cornmeal, it makes these sticks look fried, and instead, there is only a teaspoon of oil!
I found them even tastier once cold, in short, I think they are also good to take to work or on a trip. As you can see, I was enthusiastic, I found a way to make a vegan and gluten-free recipe that is light and nutritious. And also tasty and delicious! I look forward to your opinion…
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
