You've heard of Hasselback Potatoes. Well, what about Hasselback Tofu? BBQ style..
This simple idea turns a boring block of tofu into a tasty (super easy) flavorful (protein-rich) BBQ-tastic (crowd, husband and kid-approved) vegan centerpiece dish.
Sticky sweet and spicy BBQ sauce coats each fluffy fanned edge of thinly sliced tofu. This easy idea is one that every tofu lover should try!..
Make it a Meal. Sassy southern-inspired vegan meal menu for you...
Hasselback Tofu - slathered in spicy, sticky, sweet BBQ sauce..
Fizzy Ginger Blood Orangeade..
Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits (vegan)..
Cheezy Saffron Quinoa + Broccoli..
Side of creamy vegan cole slaw..
Dessert - maybe some caramel apple pie to get excited about fall .. (or peach pie if you are still in summer mode!)..
This recipe is SO easy. Yay to that. It is hassel-free. (ha.)
I whipped this up and kept it in my fridge for a few days - slicing off "fans" of tofu as I pleased to pile up for quick lunches, snacking, tofu sandwiches and over top salads. Once the tofu is cooked you can serve it warm or straight from the fridge - chilled! I loved both.
I was actually quite speedy making this dish since I was really testing the whole process. But you could really get into slathering the BBQ sauce in between each fan slice BEFORE you bake it. This will make for an even yummier end result.
..I kind of just poured it over top and stuck it in the oven. #LazyVersion (and it was still yummy!)
Tofu. I prefer organic, non-GMO, sprouted tofu. So Wildwood's firm long block of sprouted tofu was perfect for me. You could use any standard size of tofu - just make sure to use firm or extra firm so the block slices well.
BBQ Sauce. I used Annie's for my #LazyVersion. But if you have time, making your own sauce is super delicious. My Vegan BBQ Sauce recipe.
BBQ Hasselback Tofu
vegan, makes one block
1 block of firm or extra firm tofu / lightly pressed and patted dry
BBQ sauce of choice (enough to coat your tofu)
optional: nutritional yeast + cayenne + pepper + splash of veggie oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Lightly press your tofu to get it as dry as possible.
2. On a flat surface, slice tofu into skinny "fans" - as thin as you can make them without mangling the block. Do not slice all the way to the bottom - just about ¾ of the way down through the tofu. You want to create a fan of tofu.
3. Place your fanned tofu in an oven safe serving dish.
4. Add some dry spices if you'd like. I added some nutritional yeast, black pepper, cayenne and a few pinches of salt.
5. Pour on the BBQ sauce. Coat it well. You can even spread the sauce in between the fanned slices if you'd like. For extra flavor: marinate this block overnight!
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes - broil on high for the last 5 minutes to get sticky-sweet edges. tip: if you add a splash of oil - or use a BBQ sauce with some oil the tofu will crisp up around the edges a bit more. Optional though.
7. Pull the tofu from the oven and let sit to cool a bit. You can either serve as is or rub the sauce between the fans and then serve.
Serve it: Stuff a few slabs of the BBQ tofu in between one of these biscuits - some cole slaw on top and YUM..
Fresh from the oven..
