BBQ Tofu

I was testing a recipe this morning for a new item that will be on the Specials Menu at the Shoreline Diner for the month of July. I plan to serve it with herbed vegan cole slaw and chili lime corn on the cob. It's summer after all (isn't it?).

It's the perfect time of year for BBQ, and I bet this recipe would be incredible cooked out on a grill. It was pretty darn delicious baked in the oven. :)

The sauce takes just about a minute to prepare, then the tofu marinates for just a few minutes before going into a hot oven. Meanwhile, heat up the remaining sauce on the stove and pour it over the top. I had a ton of mustard greens in my garden, which I used as a garnish. I gotta say, the bitterness of the greens worked pretty awesome as a contrast with the sweet and spicy sauce. Yum - what a lunch!

BBQ Tofu (serves 2-3)

Serving size = 3 pieces of tofu

sauce:

3 oz. tomato paste

3 Tbl soy sauce

2 Tbl apple cider vinegar

2 Tbl agave syrup

2 Tbl olive oil

2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup water

1 lb. block of tofu, cut into 8 rectangles

1 Tbl canola oil

Mix sauce ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Place tofu in bowl and marinate for 5 mins. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place marinated tofu on oiled pan and bake 5-10 mins. on each side. Meanwhile, pour remaining sauce into pan and simmer on medium heat. Pour over baked tofu.