Moosewood Jerk Tofu

At Moosewood we are always on the lookout for new dishes to add to our repertoire. Jay Solomon, an Ithaca chef and cookbook author famous for his tropical salsas and condiments, was our inspiration for this recipe. Jerk cooking is a Jamaican way to grill meat and seafood, and all food considered "jerk" has a characteristically sweet and spicy sauce.

Smelling this tofu as it bakes is almost as good as eating it. We guarantee it will bring eager guests and family members directly to the table. It is also delicious cold, packed into lunchboxes or snatched from the refrigerator for a snack.

Serves 8

Pressing tofu time: 30 minutes
Preparation time" 10 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour

2 cakes of firm tofu (12-14-ounce cakes)

Jerk Sauce:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about ½ cup)
3 fresh green chiles, seeds removed for a milder "hot"
2 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the cakes of tofu between two flat plates or baking pans. weight the top with a heavy object, such as a book or a can, so that the sides of the tofu bulge slightly but don't split. Let stand for a least 30 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, combine the jerk sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400º. Drain the pressed tofu. Cut each cake into three slices. Stack the slices and then cut through all three layers on the two diagonals, making an X. This will make 12 triangular pieces from each block of tofu. Gently toss the tofu triangles in the jerk marinade and place them in an unoiled 8 x 12-inch nonreactive baking dish. Bake for 1 hour, carefully turning the tofu about every 20 minutes.

Reprinted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites, Copyright © 1996, by Moosewood, Inc.; Clarkson N. Potter, publisher.