Baked Sesame Tofu and Edamame Snack Boxes
Tofu baked until firm and chewy with edamame and pickled cucumber, boxed into five snacks carrying 19 grams of protein each.
Why it works
Most convenient snacks are carbohydrate with a protein claim attached. This is the reverse, and the baking is why it works: thirty minutes in a hot oven drives enough water out of tofu to change its texture from soft to genuinely chewy, which is the difference between something you look forward to and something you tolerate. It also means it keeps five days without going watery in a box. Edamame is one of the few plant foods providing all the essential amino acids in useful proportions, and at 19 grams of protein a box this covers the gap between lunch and dinner that most people fill with something worse. The quick-pickled cucumber supplies acid, which is what stops a protein snack feeling heavy.
Higher protein intake distributed across the day supports muscle retention, and around 20 g per eating occasion is a practical target between main meals.
Ingredients
- 450 g extra-firm tofu, pressed well and cubed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 300 g shelled edamame, cooked
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tsp honey, for the pickle
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C. Press the tofu properly, at least twenty minutes under something heavy, since this decides the final texture more than the baking does.
- Toss the cubes with soy and sesame oil, then with the cornflour, which is what gives the outside its crust.
- Spread on a lined tray with space between the cubes and bake for 30 minutes, turning once, until firm and golden at the edges.
- Meanwhile toss the cucumber with the vinegar and honey and leave it to pickle while the tofu bakes.
- Divide the tofu, edamame, and drained cucumber between five boxes and scatter with sesame seeds.
