Barbecue Tofu With Cajun Rice Recipes

PERFECT GRILLED TOFU

Steps:

• Wrap tofu in a clean dish towel and weight it with something heavy such as a large can; leave it to drain for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• Cut each piece of tofu crosswise into 6 thick slices and put it all in a baking dish. Pour marinade over tofu, turning to coat, and chill, covered, turning occasionally, at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. Longer is better, but shorter is totally fine.
• Preheat a gas grill on high heat (450 degrees F to 650 degrees F) 10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium (325 degrees F to 375 degrees F)--or do whatever the equivalent is if you're using charcoal. Oil grate.
• Transfer tofu from marinade (letting excess drip off and reserving marinade) to grill with a spatula. Cover grill and cook tofu, turning once, until well browned but before grill marks get black, 10 to 15 minutes total. Transfer tofu to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a saucepan and boil until it reduces to about 1 cup, about 2 minutes. Pour over tofu and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

TOFU AND RICE WITH SCALLION OIL

Steps:

• Cut the tofu block crosswise into 6 equal segments, then cut the segments into 3 equal pieces to make 18 pieces. Press the tofu pieces between paper towels to dry them. Set aside.
• Add the scallions, fish sauce and sugar to a medium heatproof bowl and place the bowl next to the stove. Place a wire rack in a baking pan or sheet and place next to the stove as well.
• Add 2 1/2 inches of oil to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan or high-walled cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. When the oil reaches 190 degrees F (see Cook's Note), ladle out 1/2 cup of oil and slowly pour over the scallion mixture; it should sizzle. Set aside the scallion oil while you fry the tofu.
• Heat the remaining oil in the saucepan to 375 degrees F. Add the tofu and fry until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the tofu to the wire rack-lined baking pan to drain.
• Divide the tofu among 2 to 3 bowls of rice. Stir the scallion oil to incorporate the oil with the scallions, then ladle generous spoonfuls over the tofu.

KOREAN BARBECUE TOFU

Steps:

• Marinate tofu at least 2 hours (overnight is best) in a mixture of ingredients #2-#6.
• Brown with sides in a skillet in the oil.
• Garnish with chopped green onion, mushrooms and snow peas.
• Enjoy!

GRILLED TOFU

Steps:

• Arrange sliced tofu in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate. Press top with more paper towels to remove excess water. Arrange tofu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, or any shallow dish that can hold the tofu in one layer.
• In a small saucepan, combine oil, garlic and ginger over medium; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, sugar, pepper and 1/4 cup water, and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar, about 2 minutes.
• Pour hot marinade over tofu. Gently turn tofu slices to evenly coat, then cover dish tightly with plastic wrap to seal in heat. Refrigerate for 6 hours (or up to 8 hours), flipping tofu slices halfway through.
• Heat grill to medium and grease grates well (or heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium and lightly grease). Grill tofu over direct heat until golden and caramelized, about 3 minutes per side.
• Meanwhile, transfer marinade to a small saucepan over medium and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in scallions.
• Transfer tofu to a serving plate and spoon over the sauce. Serve warm.

N'AWLINS BBQ "SHRIMP" A.K.A. CAJUN TOFU

Steps:

• Tofu Preparation: Cut open the boxes of tofu and slice in half lengthwise. Then slice crosswise into 1/3 to 1/2 inch strips. Lay out the strips on parchment or plastic-film covered baking dish. Cover tofu and freeze overnight or up to a week ahead. The longer you let it freeze the more shrimp like the tofu texture will become. Remove tofu from freezer 1 to 2 hours before cook time. Transfer the slices to a dry kitchen towel or some paper towels to allow it to defrost. When defrosted, use towel to gently blot up any remaining moisture. Liberally sprinkle each side of the tofu with the soy sauce, the "Old Bay" and 1 teaspoon Cayenne. Allow to marinate which prepping the rest of the ingredients.
• Veggie Prep Work: Dice onions. Dice carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Mince parsley and separate tablespoons. De-seed tomatoes and chop. Chop zucchini. Quarter and de-seed lemons.
• Cajun Spices: Mix dried spices, except the extra cayenne.(You may also use about 1 to 2 tablespoons commercial SALT-FREE spice mix.).
• Cooking: In a large skillet or wok heat the olive oil on low. Sweat the onions on low heat till soft but not yet translucent (about 10 min.) Add carrots, celery, and bell peppers to skillet and continue to sweat till peppers and carrots are soft (about 10 min.) Add garlic and half the parsley, tomatoes, zucchini, 1/2 to 3/4 of the dry spices, molasses and vinegar to skillet. Squeeze the lemon chunks then add them to the skillet too. Simmer till the tomatoes and zucchini soften and the sauce thickens up a bit (about 10 min.) Add tofu gently stir and simmer 5 minutes.Taste sauce for heat and spiciness, add the cayenne if you really like it hot or more dried spices for boldness. If you add more spice simmer a minute or two more.
• Garnish with remaining parsley and served over rice, potatoes, or with toast.