Tofu Jerky

Today I got a case of three pound blocks of TOFU from my buying club, so I am going to roast some long strips of it with olive oil and tamari. You could also sprinkle it with herbs or garlic or onion powder while it's cooking, but that isn't necessary.

I preheat the oven to 425 degrees and lay out the strips of tofu that have been cut about a quarter of an inch thick on an oiled cookie sheet (what I call a cookie sheet is probably really a jelly roll pan—it has sides).

I sprinkle the tofu with olive oil and tamari and roast it on one side for about half an hour and then flip it over with a spatula and cook it on the other side for another twenty to thirty minutes, until it becomes quite chewy and a little crisp around the edges.

Check on it, because your oven might be different than mine. You don't want the tofu to get burnt. The thinner you slice it, the shorter the cooking time will be. The longer it cooks, the more leathery it gets, so don't overdo.

You can use the regular extra firm blocks of tofu for this (getting about ten slices from one block), and you can fit two blocks of those on one sheet, with room for a halved onion for more flavor for your meal. If you eat a lot of tofu, and can find the industrial sized blocks like I sometimes can, one three pound block will fit on one cookie sheet, if you lay them out touching each other, and even up on their sides around the edges of the pan.

Serve with a grain and some greens, or with potatoes and squash.

Leftovers of these are great to munch on or bring as a snack when you want a little chewy protein if you're feeling hungry. It's sort of like homemade jerky, and will keep for several days in the refrigerator.