Maple Glazed Tofu with “no cook” Apricot Stuffing

Ingredients

• Maple Glaze
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/3 cup Tamari or Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 tbsp Fig Paste Fig, Apricot or Orange Jam would also work fine.
• Tofu
• 1 kg Tofu (firm/extra firm) (DO NOT USE SILKEN TOFU)!
• 50 whole Cloves
• Apricot Stuffing
• 2 slices Bread, toasted or stale chopped into thumb sized pieces.
• 1/4 cup Breadcrumbs Dried
• 2 tbsp Dried Apricots Chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp Garlic granules
• 1 tsp Dried Basil or your preferred herb
• 1/8 tsp Sea Salt (Celtic or Himalayan)
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper Ground
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth 

Instructions

Maple Glaze

1. For this section you will need a mixing bowl or pouring jug. Simply mix all the ingredients together with a spoon until you have a smooth consistency.

Tofu

1. To prepare the Tofu you will need a sharp carving knife (serrated blades help), a chopping board, tea towel and a large baking dish.
2. Firstly, remove the tofu from its packaging and rinse under cold water before patting dry on your tea towel. Then slice the blocks in half length ways (see video at top of this page for full demonstration) so you have 4 halves. Now is a good time to set your oven to 200°C/400° F.
3. Set aside the 2 top halves and then use a fork to thoroughly prick the bottom half of the tofu on both sides so that the glaze can easily seep into the tofu.
4. Now take the 2 top halves of the Tofu and slice a criss-cross pattern about half way through the block (see video for demonstration).
5. Next take your whole cloves and insert them into the intersection of each criss-cross cut on the top slices of Tofu (see video). Now place all 4 tofu blocks into your baking dish in a single layer. Pour approximately three-quarters of the glaze over the tofu blocks before setting aside to marinate. If you have time, let the blocks sit overnight in the fridge. If not, anything over 20 minutes will allow some flavor to go through the tofu.

Apricot No-Cook Stuffing

1. Grab yourself a medium to large mixing bowl and mixing spoon. Put all the dry ingredients into the bowl, then add half the broth before mixing thoroughly. Now add the other half of the broth and mix again. Set aside.

Cooking and Assembly

1. Once the tofu has had time to marinate use a spoon to re-baste the tofu before placing it in the oven for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes take the tofu out of the oven. Divide the stuffing in half and work it to fit nicely over the bottom tofu halves, then place the top tofu halves onto the stuffing - see video for demonstration. Pour the remaining glaze over the tofu before placing in the oven for a further 10-15 minutes.
3. Once the tofu has a beautiful caramelized look it's time to remove from the oven and serve with your favorite holiday sides.