My Biscuits Vegan Life

When I was a kid, my mom…or dad…one of them would make what I remember as “marinated flank steak”. I think it might have been labeled as a Grecian Flank Steak. My taste buds can still recall the taste of that dish, so rich and tasty. I wondered what would happen if I recreated that sort of marinade for tofu. The result reminded me of a vegan feta, which was unheard of at the time. It also brought to mind a lemon and herb marinated white fish, a culinary bridge for you meat-eaters looking to cross over to a more plant-based life.

I use this tofu with salads, either beside it or stick it right on top. Honestly, I just eat it right out of the baking dish…because that’s how I roll…but you could also serve it along side a veggie and starch, as in traditional American meals.

I’m using Soyboy Extra Firm Tofu for this recipe. The whole block has 60g protein.

BAKED TOFU “FETA”
2-3 Servings

1 15-oz block of extra firm tofu
1/4 C fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 C olive oil
1 TBS thyme, dried
1 TBS oregano, dried
1 tsp basil, dried
1 tsp rosemary, dried
black pepper to taste (approx 1/2 tsp)
salt to taste (approx 1/2 tsp)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium-sized yellow or vidalia onion

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Remove tofu from the package. Pour off the water, then gently squeeze excess water from the block of tofu, being careful to avoid breaking the block.

3) Slice the tofu into 1/4″-thick “steaks” and arrange in a single layer in a 9×9 baking dish.

4) Juice lemon into a small bowl, then add the olive oil. Mix together and pour over the tofu. Give the baking dish a swirl to evenly distribute the mixture over the tofu.

5) Sprinkle the thyme, oregano, basil, rosemary, black pepper and salt over the tofu.

6) Mince the garlic and spread over the tofu as evenly as you can. I like to get my fingers into it and gently massage the garlic and herbs into the tofu, again being careful to not break the tofu. (*Don’t be freaked out when the garlic turns blue or green in the baking process. It’s fine. Eat it and enjoy.)

7) Cut the onion into thick slices and spread them on top of the tofu.

8) Bake at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. I like the onions to have some brown crispy edges.

A nice thing about this dish is that it’s better when you let it sit for awhile. Cook it early and let it sit. No problem. For my taste, it’s even better after it’s been in the fridge…more akin to the feta. The longer it sits, the more flavor absorbs.

Also, I encourage you to play with the amount of lemon juice. The right tartness yields a more feta-like flavor. And don’t hesitate to chop up the entire contents of the baking dish into a yummy bowl of protein-rich flavor goodness.