Cornmeal Breaded Tofu

In this recipe nutritional yeast is a key ingredient.  If you haven't used nutritional yeast before and don't know what it is, read on.  It is a deactivated yeast and is sold as a food product in natural food stores.  It is yellow in color and resembles dried mint leaves in texture.

Nutritional yeast is a good source of B-complex vitamins, and is a complete protein. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. Sometimes you can find it fortified with vitamin B-12.  Because it is loaded with vitamins and protein it is widely used among vegans and vegetarians.

The flavor of nutritional yeast is nutty, cheesy, and creamy.  For that reason it is popular as a cheese substitute.  It's great in mashed and fried potatoes, a topping on popcorn, and in scrambled tofu as a substitute for scrambled eggs.

Cornmeal Breaded Tofu

Avocado oil
1 package firm or extra firm organic tofu, well pressed
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400° F and lightly brush a baking pan with olive oil.  Slice the tofu into rectangular strips, about 1/2 inch thick.  Combine the nutritional yeast, flour, corn meal and spices until well-mixed.
Place the tofu slices in the cornmeal mixture a few pieces at a time and coat well. Place on baking sheet.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly golden brown, then flip the tofu over and bake for another 5 minutes.  This cornmeal breaded tofu can also be lightly fried in oil for a few minutes on each side until lightly golden browned.

Serve with ketchup or another dipping sauce, perhaps barbecue sauce or hot sauce.

Original recipe found at:
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/cornmealtofu.htm