Crispy Tofu Bites

Today is my birthday, and of course there is no better way to celebrate than with crispy tofu, right?  Can I get a fist pump in support?  Who the heck needs cake when you can have soy beans?  haha.  Just kidding.  I just happened to see this recipe on Mary Ellen's website during my friend Sarah's swap and figured there was no time like the present to tackle crispy fried tofu.  I really wanted to make the cinnamon roll muffins, but since better health is the name of the game right now, I avoided those sweet, sticky, gooey bits of goodness.  Sigh.  (Don't feel too bad.  I share a birthday weekend with my nephew and am sure to have plenty of cake at his party on Sunday.)

Funny thing is, I made these for Lily to try since she's such a good eater and really likes those veggie fake chicken (a.k.a. "ficken") nuggets.  And she was so good and tried them with only a bribe of 1 m&m.  But then she cried.  Not in a good way.  I'll keep trying though because these are really easy to make, are crispy crunchy, and if Mary Ellen can ger her kid to like them then darnit, I can, too!

Crispy Tofu Bites

1/4 block of extra firm tofu, pressed (you want to get the water out), then cut into rectangles (I did them thinner than cubes to make them crispier) 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs Dash of garlic powder, onion powder, and salt 1 egg ~3 tbsp olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan)

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat.  Mix the bread crumbs with the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.  Dip tofu in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture.  Cook approximately 1 min per side, until golden brown. Once done, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Cool slightly before serving.

Source: adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations