Sesame Grilled Tofu Recipes

GRILLED SESAME TOFU

Steps:

• Drain tofu; slice each block horizontally in half, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray lined with several thicknesses of paper toweling.
• Cover with more paper toweling and a second baking sheet or cutting board; top with a heavy weight (such as bricks or canned foods); let stand 1-2 hours to remove excess moisture.
• Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sesame oil, olive oil, chili oil, garlic and salt to taste in a non-reactive bowl; mix well and set aside.
• Cut each piece of drained tofu into 4 rectangles; arrange in a shallow non-reactive container, pour marinade over tofu.
• Cover; refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 24 hours or up to 6 days.
• Return to room temperature before cooking.
• Prepare grill for moderate direct-heat cooking.
• Place 8 bamboo skewers in a shallow container and cover with water; set aside to soak, about 30 minutes.
• Place sesame seeds over medium heat in a small skillet; toast, shaking pan or stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 5 minutes, and pour onto a plate to cool.
• Remove tofu from marinade, reserving marinade.
• Cut each onion into 3 pieces of equal length; working with one onion at a time, beginning with root end, thread 3 onion pieces lengthwise onto soaked skewers, alternating them with 2 pieces of tofu; thread onion pieces in order to simulate look of a whole onion.
• Or, you can just skip the onions and thread tofu onto skewers.
• Lightly brush grill rack with oil.
• Place skewered tofu on rack; cook, turning frequently and brushing with marinade, until lightly browned on all sides, 12-15 minutes.
• To serve, sprinkle tofu with toasted sesame seeds; arrange on warmed plates.

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.

CRISPY SESAME TOFU

Steps:

• Place block of tofu flat on cutting board; slice lengthwise into 4 equal pieces, then down the middle to make 8 squares. Place on baking sheet lined with three layers of paper towels; cover with three more layers. Place another baking sheet and a weight on top. Let tofu drain until towels are soaked, 5 minutes.
• Spread the sesame seeds on a plate. Press both sides of each tofu square into sesame seeds. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium heat. Cook tofu, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Add the soy sauce; continue cooking, turning tofu, until it has absorbed all the liquid, about 1 minute. Remove from pan. Wipe skillet with a paper towel.
• Add broccoli, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup water to skillet. Simmer, covered, until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Divide among 4 serving plates; arrange 2 tofu squares on each. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon sesame oil. Serve.

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.

SESAME MARINATED TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Press tofu: Slice tofu into 1-inch slabs, and place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with cheesecloth or paper towels. Cover with another layer of cheesecloth or paper towels, and place another baking sheet or plate on top. Weight evenly with canned goods or other heavy items. Let stand about 30 minutes. Drain off liquid, and pat tofu dry with paper towels.
• In a large shallow dish, combine mustard, sesame seeds, garlic, and soy sauce. Place tofu in dish, and turn once to coat evenly with marinade. Let marinate at least 20 minutes at room temperature while preparing ingredients for stir-fry.
• Heat a 12-inch nonstick saute pan or a wok over medium-high heat, and add 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil to pan, swirling pan to coat. Add tofu; cook until lightly browned on each side, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer tofu to a platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• In same pan or wok, heat remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil. Add ginger and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, red pepper, Chinese broccoli, and scallions; cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are crisp-tender and bright, about 7 minutes. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, and stir to combine. Season with pepper, and serve immediately spooned over the tofu.

GRILLED TOFU AND SAUTEED ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices. Arrange in 1 layer on a triple layer of paper towels and top with another triple layer of towels. Weight with a shallow baking pan or baking sheet and let stand 2 minutes. Repeat weighting with dry paper towels 2 more times.
• Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, Tabasco, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a glass pie plate. Add tofu slices in 1 layer and marinate, turning over every couple of minutes, 8 minutes total.
• Heat a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Lift tofu from marinade with a slotted spatula (reserve marinade) and grill, turning over once carefully with spatula, until grill marks appear and tofu is heated through, 4 to 6 minutes total.
• While tofu grills, heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté greens, tossing with tongs, until beginning to wilt. Add reserved marinade and sauté, tossing, until greens are just wilted, about 1 minute. Lift greens from skillet with tongs, letting excess marinade drip off, and divide between 2 plates.
• Serve greens with tofu slices.