Smoky Baked Tofu

Happy July! It's my Birth Month, and I celebrate all month long, which of course calls for special food! This is my own personal Birthday Sandwich, and of course it comes with a story. When I was born, the first thing my Mom asked for after the delivery was a turkey sandwich. For years and years it was my tradition to have a turkey sandwich on my birthday in her honor. That kind of fell by the wayside for a while, for obvious reasons, but this year I have this new version of my old favorite, and it tastes amazingly like the turkey sandwiches of my earlier years, only way better.

I've teamed up with the nice folks at Nasoya for this. I met them at VidaVeganCon, and they graciously asked me to sample their new vegan Nayonaise and Nayo Whipped. I love them both, and either one is great on this sandwich. The one you choose will depend on whether you were raised in a Mayo Family or a Miracle Whip Family. The Nayonaise is a delicious vegan mayo, and the Nayo Whipped is fluffy and sweet like Miracle Whip. Pretty amazing. Both are vegan, and although it doesn't say it on the labels, they are made with non-GMO soybeans, which is important to me!

I just happen to use Nasoya tofu all the time because it's my favorite, and again because it's non-GMO. They aren't paying me to plug their products, but I really do like them!

Kim's Happy Birthday Sandwich

whole grain bread
Smoky Baked Tofu (recipe below)
Nayonaise or Nayo Whipped
cranberries
avocado slices
tomato
lettuce

My ultimate birthday lunch is this sandwich served with "crack chips" - Kettle Organic Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper Potato Chips. I'm just so happy to be here!

Smoky Baked Tofu

1 package extra firm tofu
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
1/2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

Drain the water off the tofu and leave the tofu in the package. Cut it into 8 slices. Set the tofu package in a bowl or plate to catch marinade overflow.
Mix the tamari, agave, and paprika together, and pour the sauce slowly over the tofu, making sure to let it seep in between all the slices. All of the marinade should fit, filling the tofu package right up to the top.
Cover the tofu and let it marinate in the refrigerator for several hours, preferably overnight.
To bake, line a small (10x10-ish) baking dish with foil, and lay the tofu slices out in one layer. Spoon a little bit of the marinade on top of each slice. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Flip the tofu slices over, spoon on the remaining marinade, and bake for another 30 minutes.

This tofu is also excellent in stir-fries, noodle dishes, salads, and wraps. Enjoy!