I have decided, unequivocally, that tofu has been given a bad rap (or, if wrapped in a tortilla, a bad wrap). Tofu is scrumptious. It soaks up massive amounts of flavor from any great marinade. It bakes to perfection: crispy on the outside, like a chicharrón, and soft on the inside, like tender white fish. I am completely taken by tofu.
The Teriyaki Sauce is adapted from Kiyo’s recipe at My Lilikoi Kitchen. The oven-baked preparation of the crispy tofu is inspired by Martine’s recipe at Petit World Citizen. I adore both of these blogs and encourage you to visit them.
This marinated, baked tofu was served with short-grain Japanese brown rice and a medley of roasted vegetables for Christmas dinner. The black sesame seeds and green onions that garnish the dish give lovely color to the plate, especially with laid alongside bright, red roasted peppers. It was an untraditional but delicious holiday meal, especially after an appetizer of aged, artisan cheeses… and when served with a fabulous light red or medium-bodied white wine.
Take an adventure in tofu – you won’t regret it. An organic, firm tofu costs around $3.00 USD. Rice is also relatively inexpensive: a short-grain brown rice is a perfect vehicle to soak-up the delectable, homemade teriyaki sauce. Also, making your own teriyaki sauce tastes better than any store-bought variety and will save you some bills! There is not much investment for this new culinary experience.
Have a wonderful holiday – and a happy, healthy New Year!
Best wishes,
Shanna
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Teriyaki Tofu
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The teriyaki sauce is adapted from Kiyo’s recipe at My Lilikoi Kitchen. The oven-baked preparation of the tofu is inspired by Martine’s recipe at Petit World Citizen. Ingredients: 1/4 cup white, granulated sugar 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman is best) 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce 4 tablespoons good quality Spanish sherry. If not available, use extra dry Italian white vermouth 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp. dried ginger 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper 1/4 cup green onions, sliced (use a good amount since they tend to shrink quite a bit once mixed into the sauce) 1, 14-ounce package organic, firm tofu, sliced into six slices sesame seeds and sliced green onion, for garnish Organic short-grain brown Japanese rice, to serve Preparation:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ©Shanna Koenigsdorf Ward, shannaward.com (2013), unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author, Shanna Koenigsdorf Ward, and/or owner is strictly and completely prohibited. _________________________________________________________________________________
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Curls and carrots 
Wow! Beautiful food! Merry Christmas!
It looks amazing!
My dad made Chinese lunch today and it was quite similar to this recipe and delicious! The key is really fresh tofu and then it is soft and melts in your mouth. Unfortunately it’s difficult to get hold of once you are away from the big city centres.
am a tofu fan, too 🙂 Minnesota Soybean is a client, so have the opportunity to sing its praises. Love what you’ve done here.
Really yum!
Wow lovely! We usually put soy sauce, but this could definitely work! 🙂
Thank you Kang Ju-won. Your tofu sounds delicious, too. I would love it if you posted your favorite tofu preparation. Have a great day! 🙂 Shanna
I’ve never been a fan of tofu, I admit it… not due to lack of trying, I’ve eaten it many times cooked by many different methods but I am yet to be converted. It’s a textural thing. Your dish does look beautiful though, particularly with the vegetables. Glad that you had a healthy and delicious holiday feast! x
Hi, Laura! I would say to try this recipe. My husband was not a tofu fan and was completely converted with this dish. The tofu caramelizes on the outside as a result of the sugar in the marinade, creating a lovely texture. 🙂 I do appreciate your wonderful comments and am so glad that you stopped by. Have a lovely day. Best, Shanna
Your tofu dinner looks delicious! The grilled, colorful veggies go so nicely with your meal. I noticed that your brown rice is cooked to perfection. I adore any type of rice but short grain brown rice is a favorite. Glad you enjoyed the teriyaki tofu. After seeing your photos, I will have to make some on Sunday so I can take it to work for lunch. Yum!
Thank you, Kiyo. You are very kind in your words. I appreciate that you visited and took a peek at the tofu. Your recipe is the inspiration behind this entire post, of course. And, I am completely blushing now – perfect rice? Thank you!!!! You have made my day. Take good care – Shanna
Good job, Lovely Lady! I love tofu and use it in many Japanese dishes I make. This recipe is quite innovating and pleasantly interesting. Has to be eaten with rice, white or brown! 😛
Thank you, Fae! Rice – yes, this dish calls for rice – you are right! You have some lovely Japanese recipes on your site and so much knowledge about the cuisine. You are so kind to visit and to leave lovely comments. Have a great day! Warm regards, Shanna
Shanna, I’m so glad you experimented with tofu and it all turned out so well! What a lovely, tasty looking, and balanced meal. The addition of black sesame seeds is great. I love the contrast in color they bring! Excellent work! Happy Holidays!
Thank you, Martine! I appreciate your visit and your kind comments. Have a lovely, peaceful New Year. Best wishes, Shanna
Hello Shanna, it seems really a balanced-flavors recipe. In Italy we don’t eat so much tofu, and it’s not easy to find everywhere. Although I think we have great cheese to marinate 🙂
Be well!Cris
Cris – Hahaha. Yes, you have amazing cheeses in Italy. I suppose I would JUST eat cheese if I lived there. Lucky girl. Have a wonderful New Year – and thank you for your visit. Best regards, Shanna xx
Haven’t bought or ate tofu in ages but you are giving me ideas here, Shanna! 🙂
Azita, Thank you! Hopefully I will read about tofu on your wonderful blog very soon. Have a happy, safe New Year. I appreciate your visit. Warm regards, Shanna
your tofu turned out so well ..Having wonderful day 🙂
Thank you, Amal. My very best to you! Warm regards, Shanna
Aged cheeses, my favorite way to celebrate absolutely any occasion! The tofu looks great. I have had some bad tofu but also good. It really does depend on the preparation and this seems to be a winner. How are you finding the time to blog so much?! I am still cooking but definitely not photographing or getting recipes written, that at being said I did try a cocktail yesterday. I was too sweet but has potential. May need to try again, for the sake of the blog you know!
Gretchen,
Aged cheeses are a passion of mine. I love a fabulous cheese. Do let me know if you try this recipe – it made a tofu believe out of me. I am very excited to see your upcoming cocktail recipes for the New Year! I feel that a bit of field research is in order… Get to work. 😉
Warm regards,
Shanna
So far one cocktail success and one failure. Not that I minded drinking the failure, it just wasn’t what I wanted. I hope to post the success tomorrow. Gee I will have to make it again to photograph it. Such a hard chore!
It is a difficult life you lead, Gretchen. I am happpyyyy to help you taste test (hint, hint, nudge, nudge!). Best of luck. Cheers – Shanna
HHhhmmm I love tofu and this reminds me I haven’t made any in ages! Your teriyaki tofu looks darn impressive. Have a great evening Shanna!
Thank you, Sofia. Your visit and kind words are well-appreciated. I look forward to reading about how you enjoying preparing tofu! Take good care and have a fun, festive New Year. Warm regards, Shanna xx
Looks delicious, Shanna. I love tofu, too. As long as it isn’t masquerading as something else. I’ll never understand why vegetarians want to eat faux meat.
Michelle,
Thank you for your visit.
Oh my. You are completely correct. In general, I feel that foods should be whole, real and scrumptious. Especially if one abstains from meat.
I adore the recipes and introductions on your blog: please, keep them coming! Have a lovely New Year: happy, healthy and full of fun.
– Shanna
I adore the grilled vegetables and the teriyaki sauce. My mother-in-law eats a lot of tofu (she is Asian), however, I’ve tried really hard to love it but tofu and I just haven’t hit it off…yet. 😉 I love brown rice and made a dinner of brown rice, quinoa and roasted carrots last night.
It’s a beautiful meal, Shanna! If tofu and I make friends, I’ll definitely give your recipe a try. 🙂
Enjoy your weekend!
Allison
Allison,
I love grilled vegetables and Asian flavors, as well. I hope that you try this recipe and see what you think. The texture of the tofu is quite nice. I am interested to read about some of your mother-in-law’s family recipes on your blog! Thank you so much for your visit and warm words.
My best,
Shanna
Great dish! Looks so tasty!
I sometimes pre-freeze the tofu and thaw before actual use. This way I can remove most of the water in the tofu and create lots of “pockets” that can then soak up the sauce very well.
Happy New Year!
Dan.
Oh, Dan, what a fabulous tip. I need to try this. You are certainly the food scientist. Thank you must for your visit and your tofu expertise. Happy New Year to you! Best – Shanna
Love all those veggies. It’s the perfect time of year to be making sure lots of veggies are eaten. Happy New Year, Shanna!
Thank you, Janet. Yes, we are eating too much sugar and not enough veggies at the moment; ’tis the season. Wishing you only wonderful experiences and much happiness in 2014. – Shanna
OMG that looks delish Shanna! This might just be the recipe that gets my girls to eat tofu!
Hi, Lidia, Let me know if you try it – and what the girls think of it. My kids love this recipe… probably because the tofu is slightly sweet and crispy, crispy, crispy, like a chip. 🙂 I appreciate your visit and wonderful note. Kind regards, Shanna
i think you’d love agedashi tofu except for the fact that it’s deep fried. it’s so clean tasting. I love tofu, esp since i don’t cook meat at home (fish/veggies only). if you get the dried tofu, you can even stir fry it with veggies (peppers, bean sprouts, etc.) and do a wrap out of it.
I love your ideas, Vera. Oh, my, another meal to try. You should really blog about this wrap you describe… it sounds so very tasty and delectable, especially for a hike or a lunch at work. We cook TONS of fish and veggies around these parts; my favorite go-to foods. Enjoy your week, Shanna
Hi Shanna,
I made your teriyaki sauce a couple of weeks ago and served it atop roast salmon. It was such a gorgeous dinner (almost a shame you weren’t at the table to enjoy it with us)! Thank you for sharing your recipe and lovely photos. I can cross off the teriyaki sauce on my list of recipes from your site. 😉
Best,
Allison
Thank you for the positive feedback and the follow, sweet Allison. I hope you and your family enjoy many more teriyaki salmon meals to come. It is a personal favorite, especially when grilled in the summer. I love the way the sauce caramelizes on the moist, flaky fish. Warmest wishes, Shanna