Feature Recipe | Almond Crusted Tofu

Move over Shake & Bake, Corn Flakes and crushed pretzels. Coarsely ground almonds – also known as almond meal – are a GEM ingredient for the best tofu coating. Hands down. The delicate nutty flavour of the crushed almonds is elevated when the tofu is pan-fried until golden and fragrant. With some panko and dried herbs tossed into the coating mix the result is tofu strips with the perfect balance of satisfying crunch on the outside and moist on the inside. If you can find it I highly recommend adding some Super Grain Panko in the mix – it yields a lovely crunchy exterior you expect from regular panko with the added health benefits of quinoa, kamut, amaranth, spelt and millet. For a more authentic pub-style inspired dish try pairing this crusted tofu with sweet ginger chili sauce (a fusion of sweet red peppers, spicy ginger and chilies) and a side of homestyle fries. Caution: Exercise mindful eating when digging into this recipe…it’s that good 😛

Did you know?
Panko vs Breadcrumbs: Panko is made from crustless bread that is coarsely ground into airy, large flakes that give fried foods a crunchy coating. Standard breadcrumbs are made from bread with crusts. Since they absorb more grease you don’t get the same “crispy” texture as with Panko.

Get over being underwhelmed by the tofu in your fridge with these Vegan Rhapsody favourites:

Tofu Scramble with Roasted Potatoes & Salted Bread Bites
Almond Butter Sauce with Crispy Tofu & Ramen Noodles
Tofu Parmigiana

Enjoy~

Ingredients

Note: One package of extra firm/firm tofu is recommended for 2 servings. For more than 2 servings use two packages of tofu and double ingredient QTYs listed for Bowls One, Two & Three.

This & That

One 350g packages extra firm/firm tofu
Olive oil (for frying)

Bowl One

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp corn starch

Bowl Two

1/4 cup almond milk

Bowl Three

1/2 cup almond flour or almond meal (see Recipe Notes)
3 Tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Supergrain Panko (Optional)
Few pinches dried rosemary
Few pinches garlic powder
Few pinches sea salt

Method

Prep It

1/Rinse tofu in cold water. Using a sheet of paper towel, wrap it around the block of tofu and squeeze to release as much water as possible. Once pressed, cut each block of tofu into 1/4″ slabs (or preferred thickness).
2/Select three prep bowls. Fill each bowl with listed ingredients.
Tip: No need to fuss with exact ingredient amounts…use this recipe as a guideline but customize to your liking!

Ready It

1/Dip each tofu slab (both sides) in each of the three bowls, shaking off excess as you go.
Important! Dip the slabs in this sequence: Bowl One (flour) Bowl Two (milk) Bowl Three (panko)
Place each coated tofu slab on a plate — they should not touch one another. If you have time, chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2/Add enough olive oil to large skillet so that it completely covers the pan’s surface. Once oil is hot (medium-high heat) transfer the tofu slabs to the skillet one at a time so that they do not touch. Pan fry the tofu slabs until golden brown and crispy. Repeat for the other side.
3/Transfer the fried tofu slabs onto a paper-towel covered plate. The paper towel will help to soak up excess oil. Let sit for five minutes before serving.

Serve It

Serve with your choice of dipping sauce for the ultimate chick’n finger loving experience! Pair with couscous and a side veggie for the ultimate in fast casual meal prep!

Recipe Notes

*If you don’t have almond flour and/or prefer a tofu coating with a coarse texture I recommend using homemade almond meal:
Simply grind 1/2 cup whole, raw almonds in a food processor or high-powered blender until they are processed into a coarse, meal-like texture. This recipe was tested using almond flour – typically made from blanched almonds which have had the skins removed –but ground almonds would work just as well!
*I strongly recommend Supergrain Panko from Function Natural Foods Co. These Panko-style breadcrumbs are blended with quinoa, kamut, amaranth, spelt and millet for a more wholesome spin on traditional Panko.

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