Broiled Tofu with Yogurt Marinade

There are plenty of ways to marinate tofu and there are plenty of ways to use yogurt as part of the marinade. We like a few different yogurt-based marinades and this is one that I made on the fly one night. It's pretty simple and I even remembered enough info regarding measurements. Still, I use that term loosely.

I start with extra firm tofu. I simply cube this into bite-sized cubes. Our favorite brand is Wild Wood Organics Firm or Extra Firm. We get the 15.5 oz. twin pack and I used one of the packs. Barely any pressing is required. I do give it a squeeze for good measure right before I remove it from the package.

Firm is definitely the way to go if you plan to marinate and bake or grill or broil tofu. I've also used the technique of freezing tofu to make it denser (firmer). Once the tofu thaws, you can press out any moisture and the resulting texture is definitely denser and chewier.

The marinade:

• About 1/3 cup non-fat, plain yogurt. I think Nancy's is best. It's certainly the thickest and it has a nice tang.
• Juice of half a medium lime
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 sq. inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
• 1 tbsp mirin
• couple dashes toasted sesame oil

Combine all ingredients and mix well. The lime juice will make the yogurt separate a bit. Just keep whisking until the mix is smooth. Gently fold in the cubes of tofu and refrigerate for at least an hour. You can marinate it for as long as eight.

With a piece of parchment paper or foil I line a baking dish just big enough to hold the pieces in a single layer. I usually pick out the tofu from the marinade. Because of some of the ingredients in a yogurt marinade, like the lime juice in this one, the yogurt might separate a bit while cooking. So why waste the marinade? I can still use the marinade as a sauce for the broiled tofu, unlike unused portions of meat and fish marinades. Set baking dish under the broiler until they get golden.