Recipe: maple miso tofu

Winter went out like a cuddly little kitten last week. The last day of winter was warm, sunny, and so pleasant that I left the deck door open for Kaweah to come and go, which she loves to do. Sometimes she’ll just stand halfway in the house and halfway on the deck. But her old legs can’t stand indefinitely anymore. When I set her foamy bath mats out on the deck, she opted to lounge in the sun and absorb all of the energy falling to Earth.





last day of winter





five days into spring nothing fazes her 8°f and gorgeous that’s gonna be closed for a little while longer





dramatic sunset





you need: maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sambal oelek (or any chili paste), white miso, firm tofu brushing oil on the parchment paper cut the tofu into 1/2-inch thick slices





pouring the maple syrup a touch of heat (use more or less to your liking) whisk it all together





arrange the tofu slices so they each have their personal space brush the maple miso sauce on the slices





flip coat with sauce baked until just starting to char





it works as a meal, an appetizer, a side dish, or a snack light, but satisfying



Of course, it’s now spring break (all of Boulder seems to be on spring break this week) and it snowed all weekend. People have been shaking their fists at Punxsutawney Phil for his prediction of an early spring. When will silly people ever learn? I trust my local meteorologist over a giant rodent to tell me when to expect a powder day. Colorado spring skiing is what’s what.But it is spring despite the winterish temperatures. The snow is heavier, stickier, wetter. It takes more effort to push it around than the powdery fluff of winter. And the longer hours of the day feel like you have emerged from a cave. Sunset is around 7pm at our house, which is Kaweah’s dinner time. She used to petition for dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon in winter when it got dark, but now she seems utterly delighted and taken by surprise when we say, “Do you want some dinner?”Ever since I got home from my trip to Vermont and New Hampshire , I’ve been trying to keep my meals on the light side. I have some lovely organic maple syrup (and other maple products) courtesy of Coombs Family Farms , but I just can’t fathom eating THAT MANY waffles and pancakes, no matter how good the syrup is. You know me, I am one for the savory dishes. A maple miso tofu recipe appealed to my desire for lighter meals. The added bonus is how ridiculously straightforward and quick it is to prepare.I’m using grade B maple syrup in this recipe as I tend to prefer it for baking and cooking as well as eating (on pancakes and waffles). That doesn’t mean you can’t use other grades of maple syrup, but grade B is a good choice for this dish. If you want to know more, read about maple syrup grading in the U.S. There are two parts to the prep: the sauce and slicing the tofu. The assembly is just placing the tofu on the parchment and spooning or brushing the maple miso sauce over each piece. I used a brush so I could coat the sides of the tofu. It’s all about the sauce. I’m all about the sauce.Now to broil! If your oven has a high and a low setting for the broiler, go with the high setting. You may be tempted to grill this and I’m here to tell you that it won’t work quite as well. The heat needs to be applied from overhead, which broilers are great for. Don’t worry if they get slightly charred – that’s okay. But you definitely don’t want to burn the heck out of the tofu, so keep an eye on them after about 5 minutes under the broiler. I took mine out at 8 minutes. Flip the tofu slices over and brush the naked sides with more maple miso sauce. Back under the broiler they go.When the slices are ready, they will be quite hot off the baking sheet and they retain their heat fairly well. I like serving them with some green vegetables like sautéed spinach. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds if you desire – they add a nice texture and nutty flavor. And that’s pretty much it: 10 minutes to prep and 16 minutes to broil. I had enough sauce left over to make another 14 ounces of tofu, so if you’re interested in doubling the recipe, just double the tofu. The end result is a lovely crisp outside full of sweet and savory goodness and a smooth, mild tofu interior.

vegetable oil for brushing the parchment paper

1/4 cup (3 1/2 oz. or 100 g) maple syrup

1/4 cup (2 3/4 oz. or 75 g) white miso paste

2 tbsps soy sauce

1 tsp chile sauce (sambal oelek)

2 tbsps unseasoned rice vinegar

14 oz. firm tofu

Set a rack in your oven about 3 inches below the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the parchment paper with vegetable oil. Place the maple syrup, white miso paste, soy sauce, chile sauce, and rice vinegar in a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth. Slice the block of tofu into 1/2-inch thick pieces and arrange them on the baking sheet at least an inch apart. Spoon or brush the maple-miso glaze over each piece of tofu. Turn the broiler on. Broil the tofu for about 8 minutes or until the glaze just starts to blister or burn. Remove the tofu from the oven. Flip each piece over and spoon or brush the glaze over the tofu. Return the tofu to the broiler and broil for another 5-8 minutes until the glaze begins to blister or burn. Serves 2-4.