Tofu Pecan cutlets
makes 10 servings
(2 slices per serving)

This is one of my favorite recipes. It’s from Professional Vegetarian Cooking, by Ken Bergeron, published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. , page 327. It’s not as quick as most of the recipes I like to make, but I think it’s really good. This was one of the first recipes I made when I went vegetarian.

2 ½ pounds tofu

Marinade
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry wine
pinch black pepper

Three-Stage Breading Process

Flour Mixture
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
1 ½ cup water

Bread Crumb Mixture
2 ½ cup bread crumbs, unseasoned
½ cup ground pecans
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse each block of tofu and slice across the narrow width into 8 slices for 20 slices total. Place on a paper towel to absorb the moisture.

Combine the marinade ingredients on a sheet pan , then lay the tofu slices into the marinade. Turn the slices over once or twice as needed to cover well with the marinade.

In a bowl combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove 1/4 cup flour mixture to another bowl and gradually mix in water until smooth.

In a third bowl combine bread crumb mixture ingredients.

Dredge the tofu slices first in the dry flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour and dip into the flour and water mixture. Shake off excess and dip into the bread crumb mixture and set on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake the cutlets for 10 minutes, then turn them over with a spatula and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until golden.

"Man makes use of flesh not out of want and necessity, seeing that he has the liberty to make his choice of herbs and fruits, the plenty of which is inexhaustible; but out of luxury, and being cloyed with necessaries, he seeks after impure and inconvenient diet, purchased by the slaughter of living beasts; by showing himself more cruel than the most savage of wild beasts....were it only to learn benevolence to human kind, we should be merciful to other creatures."-Plutarch, c. A.D. 46-c. 120, Moralia