You know those tasty squid bites with salt, lemon and pepper that you get at the Chinese restaurant? Let’s do it vegan! With this recipe we prepare crispy lemon and pepper tofu bites. They’re baked in the oven so you can enjoy the crunch without the guilt.
As you know, tofu is not very aromatic. Some people make fun of it. We think it’s the greatest gift nature has given vegans. Tofu can take on the flavor of everything else around it, and that’s what makes it such a powerful and versatile ingredient. Today we’re going to infuse it with the zesty and vibrant flavors of pepper and lemon, then top it with a panko breadcrumb crust and bake until crisp.
These little bites make an excellent snack or appetizer. You can make a large batch and reheat the excess in the oven before serving.
As for serving, you can keep it simple and light by topping the bites with fresh lemon juice. Or treat yourself to your favorite dipping sauce! If you have never tried it, you could try our healthy vegan tartar sauce. You can also eat these Lemon Pepper Bites with your favorite salad or a bowl of curried rice.
The recipe itself is simple and quick. It takes less than 10 minutes of work, 20 minutes of marinating, and then 15 minutes of baking.
We used a whole block of firm tofu and made about 60 bites. Assuming a serving is 8 pieces, one serving will give you 125 calories, only 5% RDI of fat and a delicious 18% RDI of protein.