Panko Coated Tofu

• **DO THIS - Cut slab into 3 slice to press; then 4 pieces each worked well.  Smaller pieces are a pain to coat and fry/flip

• Blend/food process the panko bread crumbs to make them smaller.   

• Dunk in oat milk/thick nonfat milk/egg to get the panko to stick.

• 14 ounces extra firm tofu

• 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

• ½ cup Kikkoman® Panko Japanese Style Bread Crumbs

• ¼ cup cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• Other seasoning like Italian and parsley worked well

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - only need if frying the tofu

Press the tofu to remove excess liquid. Use a tofu press if you have one. If not, place the tofu on a large plate and place another large plate on top of it. Put a stack of books on top to press the tofu in between the plates. Let the tofu sit for at least 20 minutes. Drain the excess liquid.

If baking the tofu, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the parchment with a small amount of olive oil.

Slice the pressed tofu, along a long edge of the block, into ¼-inch slabs.

Pour the soy sauce into a square baking dish. Place the tofu slabs in the dish, and allow them to marinate for about 10 minutes to absorb the sauce. Flip them over around five minutes.

While the tofu is marinating, prepare the breading mixture. In a shallow bowl or plate with rims, whisk together the panko, cornstarch, garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper.

Take a marinated tofu slab and press it into the breading bowl. Flip it over to coat both sides. Transfer the slab to the lined baking sheet (if baking) or a clean plate. Repeat with the rest of the tofu.

BAKING: Place the baking sheet with the breaded tofu on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, flip, and continue baking for another 18 to 20 minutes until the tofu is golden brown and crispy.

FRYING: Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breaded tofu slabs to the skillet. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.