Tofu Cacciatore

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 lbs firm tofu
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup flour, for dredging
• grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese, for topping

Recipe

• 1 to press tofu: for best results, tofu should be"pressed" in order to remove excess liquid and absorb the flavors of the marinade.
• 2 press tofu block between two plates, weighted down with a cast iron pan, large bowl of water, or heavy cans, for about 30 minutes.
• 3 halfway through, you may dump the plate of water and flip the tofu block.
• 4 for an even meatier texture, place the pressed tofu slices in the freezer until ready to use.
• 5 for the cacciatore: preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 6 coat a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium low.
• 7 add onion and bell peppers and cook until softened, about 5-8 minutes.
• 8 add garlic, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper, if using, and stir to coat the vegetables evenly.
• 9 next, add the diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
• 10 mix well and bring sauce mixture to a boil.
• 11 reduce heat to low, and simmer the sauce covered for about 15 minutes.
• 12 while sauce simmers, cut the block of pressed tofu into ½ inch thick slices.
• 13 mix flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
• 14 spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium low heat.
• 15 dredge the tofu slices in the seasoned flour; be sure to tap off the excess.
• 16 place slices into skillet, and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
• 17 watch that the pan doesn’t get too hot, and lower the heat if necessary.
• 18 this step needs to be done in two batches.
• 19 be sure to re-coat the pan with spray for the second batch.
• 20 as the tofu slices are finished browning, place them in a baking dish in a single layer.
• 21 pour tomato pepper sauce over tofu, sprinkle generously with parmesan or romano cheese if desired, and cover dish with foil.
• 22 bake until heated through (about 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours) the longer the tofu bakes, the more flavor it will absorb.
• 23 serve hot.