Tofu Parmesan

Don't turn your nose up! This is awesome, really!

The trick is to freeze the tofu:

Step 1: Drain the tofu well. (Cut it into three chunks, place it on a paper towel-lined plate, put more paper towels on top, another plate, and then a jar/can to weight it. I wait about 20 minutes, then change the paper towels out and do it again.)

Step 2: Wrap the tofu in plastic wrap and chuck it in the freezer overnight.

Step 3: Take it out of the freezer several hours before you want to use it. You can thaw it in the microwave on defrost.

Step 4: More draining! Slice the tofu into whatever shape you want (for this recipe, slices about a 1/4" thick), then press firmly with paper towels until it is quite dry.

Now that your have your frozen/thawed slices, here's the loosely-prepared recipe:

1 block extra firm tofu, prepared as above
bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
flour
parmesan cheese, grated
2 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1/2 t garlic powder
salt & pepper
olive oil
8 oz tomato sauce
4 oz shredded mozzarella

First, you'll need to fry up your tofu slices. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix up some bread crumbs with a bit of parmesan, salt and pepper, and any herbage you like.

Lightly dredge each slice of tofu in flour, then dip in the egg wash, then cover with the bread crumb mixture. Pan fry until crunchy. Try not to eat too many pieces before assemblage.

Mix your tomato sauce with the oregano, basil, garlic powder and some salt and pepper. You can use a canned pasta sauce, if you like. I've tried it both ways and found I actually preferred the tangy-ness you get from the plain tomato sauce method. Let this sit for at least fifteen minutes. (I swear, you'll get better flavour if you let it sit.)

In a baking pan, layer sauce/tofu/mozz until everything runs out, making sure you end with a nice layer of cheese. Sprinkle a layer of parmesan over the top and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.

I like to serve this with some pasta and garlic bread. And I've made myself really hungry thinking about it.