Recipe Friday: Crispy Tofu Fingers

I've tried Tofu Fingers before, but they've never been very good.  The breading always falls off and they're a real mess to make.  Then they're bland.  These were different.  You use oobleck to hold the bread crumbs to the tofu (that's a cornstarch/water mix for all you non-teachers/non-Dr Seuss fans).  Worked WAY better than an egg wash--you might want to give it a try on chicken in the same fashion.

This recipe came out of my March Vegetarian Times.  It was in a section about making for recipes all at once, so it's designed to be made in advance.  I liked that it went right in the oven with the nuggets I made for the rest of the family (see, I told you I've been slacking.  I would have rather died than feed my family nuggets a few years ago-now I'm lazy and I've lost a little of my fire, but I'm working on getting it back!)  To store them, you wait until they've cooled then layer them between sheets of wax paper and put them in resealable containers.  Refrigerate up to two days or freeze for up to 3 months.  To reheat, just bake 5-7 minutes at 350.

Crispy Tofu Fingers

1 1lb block of firm or extra firm tofu
1/4 C cornstarch
1/4 C flaxseed meal, optional
1/2 C milk or milk alternative (rice, soy, coconut)
1 C panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp paprkia
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/8 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1/8 tsp dried ginger
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Slice tofu into fingers, then press between two baking sheets or cutting boards by wrapping tofu in clean dish towels and sandwiching them between the sheets.  Add some weight to the top to press (I use the jar that holds my cooking utensils)

Preheat oven to 350 and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place cornstarch and flaxseed meal in a shallow bowl, and gradually stir in milk.  Set aside

Combine panko and all remaining ingredients in a second shallow bowl.

Dip tofu finger first in the milk mixture then in the panko mixture, coating all sides.  Place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake fingers 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown, turning once. If saving for later, remove and let cool.  If eating right away, bake 5-10 minutes more or until deep golden brown.

Dip in your favorite sauce, add to a bun for a sandwich or serve over a bed of greens for a salad.