Baked Citrus Tofu with Creamy Peanut Slaw

A few weeks ago I read this article, Is It Sexist to Judge a Cookbook by its Pictures?, and besides spending an odd amount of time thinking about the writer’s points (what do you guys think!?), I quickly checked Thug Kitchen out of the library. I wanted to read and cook from this book not only because of the article but because its point of view is so opposite of mine.  F*ck is not just included on every page but practically every sentence. The aggressive language feels really unnatural to me, making it almost painful to read, but I am clearly not living the thug kitchen life. That said, I love the food in this book. All the recipe appeal to me and the ones we’ve tried have been delicious. This Baked Citrus Tofu with Creamy Peanut Slaw is the first recipe we picked out. It made a perfect light dinner and even better lunch leftovers.

PS. If you are feeding little ones adjust or omit the hot sauce (Nick and I just added Sriracha to our own bowls). The baked tofu needs to be first weighted down to remove excess water then marinated for 2 to 8 hours so plan accordingly.

Baked Citrus Tofu with Creamy Peanut Slaw

From Thug Kitchen

Peanut Dressing:

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons warm water

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha or your favorite Asian-style hot sauce (optional)

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari

Slaw:

3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks (we made ribbons w. a vegetable peeler)

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

Tofu:

1 block extra-firm tofu

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons Sriracha or similar hot sauce (optional)

2 cloves garlic, thickly sliced

First, place the block of tofu on a rimmed baking sheet and weight it down with a heavy pan to draw out the excess water. Let it sit weighted for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, slice the tofu into 1/4-inch rectangles.

While the tofu is weighted down, make the citrus marinade. In a shallow baking dish, mix together the orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, olive oil, hot sauce, and garlic. When ready, put the sliced tofu in the marinade and let sit for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. To bake, preheat the oven to 450 F and grease a rimmed baking sheet. Bake tofu for 15 minutes, flip, and spoon a little more marinade on each piece. Bake for 10 more minutes, flip, and sauce again. Bake for a final 5.

To make the slaw, first prepare the peanut dressing. To do this, mix the peanut butter and warm water together in a medium glass until it’s creamy. Add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the sauce and mix well. In a large bowl, combine all the slaw veggies. Pour the dressing over them and toss it all around until everything is coated. Serve the day it’s made topped with baked tofu and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.