Broiled Blackened Tofu

This year for Easter, I made my family a delicious vegan, gluten free dinner which consisted of Broiled Blackened Tofu, Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples, and Jerk Asparagus. 

These recipes were adapted from the book "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

I actually doubled this Broiled Blackened Tofu recipe:

I used 38 ounces of tofu (it was from a big package bought at Costco).  The night before I froze the tofu then took it out to thaw this morning.  (This is not necessary, but gives the tofu a chewier flavor.)  Make sure to press the tofu before adding spices and broiling so it soaks in more flavor.

Spice Ingredients:

• 5 teaspoons paprika
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons raw sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• ground black pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce Ingredients:

• 8 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons tamari

Directions:

1. Set up your oven so that the rack is 6 inches from the broiler.  Preheat the oven to broil.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. 
3. Mix together the spices in a wide bowl and set aside.
4. Mix together the sauce ingredients in a different wide bowl.
5. Poke each slice of tofu with a fork a few times to help the flavors seep in.
6. Dip each tofu slice in the sauce mixture to coat all sides.  Then immediately dip in the spice mixture to coat each side.  (You may need to firmly press the tofu to make sure the spices stick.)
7. Place the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer and bake under the broiler for about 12 minutes, flipping once about halfway through.  The tofu is done when it looks dark and black in some spots.

Note: Next time I make this, I am going to cut the tofu squares in half diagonally to form triangles.  This will help add more flavor and crispness to the tofu.

This picture has much better color of how it really looked :)

Tomorrow: Ginger Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples Recipe!