Braised Tofu Slabs

• Rinse tofu and drain excess water; slice cross ways into eight slabs. The easiest way to get them even is to cut the block in half, cut the halves in half, etc.
• Lay the slabs of tofu on a couple of paper towels and cover with more towels and press lightly to remove any extra moisture.
• Combine soy sauce with garlic and onion powder in a shallow dish.
• Heat a nonstick pan and coat with a very small amount of oil (too much will not work);  for oil-free preheat oven to 400°.

To Fry:   dip each tofu slab in the flour coating both sides, then dip in the soy sauce mix and turn to coat both sides (let it set briefly or turn more than once to absorb more flavor). Bread both sides in the nutritional yeast flakes, and then if using, the sesame seeds; dip both sides in the seeds and then lay in your fry pan. Cook until lightly browned on each side on a medium-low heat as the sesame seeds will burn easily. The seeds work best when baked in the oven. Don’t turn too soon or the seeds and flakes will remain on the pan. They turn better with a fork than a pancake turner.*

To Bake:   repeat the same process as for frying, except lay the breaded tofu on a lightly sprayed baking sheet or parchment, and cook in a hot oven of 400° for about 12 minutes on the first side and about 8 minutes when you have turned them over. Use a fork for turning. I prefer lightly sprayed parchment paper.*