Moar protein! Moar protein!!! MOARRRRRRR!

Well, you’re in luck because I have this super easy way to prepare tofu or tempeh – because let’s face it, these are great way to get some plant-based protein, but they can get super bland (and bitter, in the case of tempeh) .

Ingredients:

• Packaged extra-firm tofu or tempeh – as many as you’d like and/or as much as your cookie sheet can hold in one single layer; the quntities given are for one 15oz package of tofu or 8oz of tempeh
• Rice vinegar, hot sauce (any – both sriracha and Tapatillo worked for me in the past), toasted sesame oil, soy sauce

Instructions:

• If using tofu, place the block between a couple layers of kitchen towels above and below, on a plate, and place a cast iron skillet weighed with some heavy cans of food to get rid of some water – 10 minutes or more
• If using tempeh, cut up in cubes first and boil for 10-15 minutes – this helps reduce bitterness
• pre-heat oven at 350F
• In a medium bowl, combine 2 TBSP rice vinegar + 2 TBSP soy sauce with a big dash of hot sauce and a tiny dash of sesame oil, mix well
• Chop up the tofu  in cubes of desired size
• Add the chopped up tofu or tempeh to the marinade bowl, mix and coat evenly – bake right away or marinate overnight – both work well
• Spread in one single layer on a cookie sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the level of crispiness preferred

Enjoy as a snack, as a side on salads, freeze in portions for later use.