^[1]Many years ago, I discovered a recipe for a most unconventional Southern Fried Tofu in a book called “Vegan Vittles” by Joanne Stepaniak. By coating tofu in a complex blend of herbs and a healthy portion of nutritional yeast and sauteeing it in a pan in a small amount of olive oil, you create a rich, crusted golden tofu that evokes the best (and most decadent) flavors of Southern cooking. I have yet to meet a Vegan or Omnivore that doesn’t enjoy this high protein treat. The flavorful crust brings out the best qualities of the creamy tofu inside, and it goes beautifully with rice or mashed potatoes, with a side of some green vegetable for balance and added nutrition. ^[2] Actually, when we lived in Japan, we stowed a big jar of nutritional yeast in our suitcases, just so we could make this to stave off homesickness. Anytime we wearied of Japanese cuisine, we would boil some potatoes, mash them up, and make a double batch of Southern Fried Tofu- and then enjoy the flavors of home. We were quite relieved when we found that we could order nutritional yeast from Japan’s best mail order natural foods company, Tengu Foods ^[3] – because the one thing we couldn’t do without was our Southern Fried Tofu! Here in the states, you can find nutritional yeast flakes at any health food store, or online at Amazon. Kal, Bob’s Red Mill, and Red Star all offer gluten free nutritional yeast flakes. (Of course read label to make sure!) It’s chock full of vitamins, especially B vitamins, and is delicious sprinkled on popcorn that has been lightly spritzed with oil/margarine and GF tamari. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try. DH, who is admittedly a hard sell for vegan recipes, says this recipe is his absolute favorite thing I make- a 10/10! Try it for yourself and see how you like it!

Southern Fried Tofu Vegan [4]  Tofu [5]

Ingredients 1 lb fat-reduced firm tofu, sliced horizontally in 3 slabs, and pressed for 45 minutes. Seasoning Mix: 1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast flakes (the fluffy yellow kind) 2 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Garlic granules 1 tsp. Onion granules 1/2 tsp Paprika 1/2 tsp. Dried tarragon 1/2 tsp Dried Dill Weed 1/2 tsp. Dried basil leaves 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano leaves 1/2 tsp. Curry Powder 1/4 tsp. Dry mustard 1/4 tsp. Ground rosemary 1/4 tsp. chipotle pepper Dipping Liquid Mix: 2/3 cup low-fat non dairy milk (dairy works too) 2 tsp. Fresh lemon juice (or vinegar) Flour Coating: 2/3 cup brown rice flour (sorghum or white rice work too), as needed 1 tbsp. Canola or olive oil (or more if needed) Directions 1) Mix all seasoning ingredients (nutritional yeast-ground rosemary) together in a bowl. 2) Combine milk and lemon juice and stir together 3) Place flour in a mixing bowl. 4) Cut each slab of tofu into 4 triangles, resulting in 12 altogether. Dredge tofu first (one piece at a time) in flour, soured milk, and seasoning mix. I find that this recipe makes enough mix for 2 recipes at least, so you may wish to put only half of the mix in a shallow bowl for this step, so you can use the rest later. Follow these steps for all the pieces. 5) Coat a big skilled with a layer of canola or olive oil, and heat it. Add the tofu pieces in a layer, browning and then turning over once. I also turn them on their side to brown the sides as well. You may have to do several batches, adding oil as needed. 6) Place fried tofu on plate w/ paper towel or on rack. Left over tofu may be heated in oven for a crispy exterior. YUM! Notes We usually serve them over mashed potatoes or rice, with a side of sauteed green veggies (green beans or spinach). I loved these so much we took nutritional yeast with us when we lived in Japan, and made it a “comfort food meal” when we were feeling homesick.

Rating:  10 Original Source:  *Modified From Vegan Vittles recipe Recipe ID:  1001 Added:  January 13, 2007 Last Modified:  March 6, 2007

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