November 9, 2010: Chimichurri baked tofu

We were filled with new recipe book excitement over Viva Vegan, and went straight back for a second shot after our initial success. This time we opted for something a little more straightforward - make up a tasty sauce and bake some tofu in it to serve alongside simple salad. The chimichurri sauce is garlicky and strong when raw, but after baking with the tofu it turns into a wonderful kind of spicy pesto. It's traditionally a meat marinade and the little rectangles of baked tofu had a nice firm texture, which made for an excellent steak replacement in this protein + salad dish. They're not pretty, but they're pretty delicious. Viva Vegan succeeds again!

Chimichurri sauce 
(based on a recipe from Viva Vegan)

4 garlic cloves (peeled)
2 French shallots (peeled)
1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, washed and trimmed
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt

Combine the garlic, shallots and parsley in a food processor and whiz into a finely chopped paste.

While running the processor, pour in the oil and vinegar and sprinkle in the spices and seasoning. Pulse until everything is mushed together into a smooth paste.

Chimichurri baked tofu
(based on a recipe from Viva Vegan)

500g firm tofu, pressed and sliced into 2 cm thick rectangles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Chimichurri sauce

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Combine the olive oil and soy sauce in a baking dish that's big enough to fit all your tofu in it.

Press the tofu slices into the marinade and flip them over, pressing on both sides, so you've got a tray full of tofu slices that have been well covered by the marinade

Bake for 15 minutes, flip all the tofu slices over and bake for another 15.

Remove from the oven and smear with chimichurri sauce, flip and smear the bottoms of the tofu as well.

Put the tofu back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, until the tofu is nice and firm.