Buffalo-Style Tofu

If you are unfamiliar with tofu but you like chicken wings, give this recipe a try. (If you don’t like the spicy Buffalo-style sauce, you can finish it with BBQ sauce instead.) Tofu has a soft texture and is made from soybeans, making it high in protein and also a good source of calcium and iron. While tofu does have some fat in it, this is a much healthier, lower-fat choice than chicken wings.

You can usually find water-packed tofu in rectangular packages in the produce section of the supermarket or in refrigerated cases elsewhere in the store.

You can serve this as a snack, though we often eat this as a main meal with brown rice and cooked vegetables or a salad.

Ingredients
1 block firm or extra firm tofu
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp dry mustard (the spice, not the kind in your fridge)
1 Tbsp canola or safflower oil
Prepared Buffalo-style hot sauce (such as Frank’s)

Directions
Put tofu on a plate and place a heavy pot lid on top to press out water. (Or put a second plate on the top with a few cans on it.)  Let sit 10-15 minutes and drain off excess water. This step helps keep the tofu dry as you cook it.

Place block of tofu flat on cutting board and cut the block the long way into 5 slices. Then turn the whole block (all 5 slices) on edge and cut again into 3 pieces. Then turn the whole block back to its original position and cut crosswise in half. This will yield 30 small “logs” for easy cooking. You can cut the tofu into smaller cubes, but then it’s more work to turn them all in the pan. 

In zip-type plastic bag or a large lidded container, blend cornstarch and seasonings.

Place tofu blocks into bag/container and gently toss in the blended cornstarch mixture. Slowly turn over the bag or container multiple times until pieces are coated. 

In a large non-stick skillet, put 1 T. oil and place on medium heat, spreading oil around.

Place tofu pieces side by side in skillet. Ideally, keep a little space between the pieces and don’t stack them.

Allow tofu to cook roughly 5 minutes until underside is golden brown. Turn pieces over and again allow to brown slightly.

Turn off heat and let skillet sit a few minutes so it cools a bit, then pour in desired amount of Buffalo sauce, just enough to coat the pieces and toss them around. (If you put the sauce in when the pan is very hot, you will get a splattering cloud of vinegary, hot sauce in your face and on your stove!) 

Serves 3-4.