I know, this sounds weird, but by baking the spiced tofu, it ends up crunchy – kind of like a thick chip – and it offsets the juicy cucumber and salty olive pieces. The best part is that non-vegans won’t easily be able to tell that it’s tofu, because it doesn’t look, feel or taste like gloop (I’m clearly not the biggest fan of tofu myself, but I like this recipe!). And vegans might not know it’s tofu either. The trick is to get the tofu to the crispy stage and keep it there. If you under-bake it, it’ll be rubbery. If you over-bake, it burns. To dehydrate it, you’d need to do so at a very high temperature so the tofu cooks.
My best advice for good results is to slice the tofu evenly, so that some parts of it don’t crisp while others stay chewy. Use a sharp knife. Carefully. I served extra cucumbers and olives on the side in case someone really didn’t like the tofu. I ended up eating most of that plate myself, not because I didn’t like tofu, but because no one else was eating the delicious cucumbers. Guess they liked the tofu.
Spiced Tofu, Cucumber and Olive Canapés
1 package extra-firm organic tofu
1/3 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk (or soy or rice or whatever you like)
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup gluten free flour (rice, buckwheat, sorghum, etc.)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground rosemary
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 chile powder (ground chipotle or cayenne or whatever your heat or flavour preference)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 cucumber, peeled if not organic and sliced
6 large olives, pitted and sliced or diced
Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Drain the tofu and pat dry. Slice it into 2″x 1″ x 1/8″ pieces.
2.Combine the almond milk, water, flour and spices in a large bowl, then add the tofu slices to coat. Spread the pieces on a rack on a baking sheet or two. Or line the baking sheets with parchment paper and spread the tofu in a single layer.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the tofu and bake 15 minutes more. Check for crispiness and bake another 5, 10, or 15 minutes until done (this will depend on how thinly and evenly you sliced the tofu. Remove individual pieces from the baking sheets as they become crispy. Don’t cover them or they’ll re-soften.
4. Arrange a slice of tofu on each slice of cucumber and top with a slice or two of olive.
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