Maggie's Lazy Dinner Air Fryer Tofu Poppers

Almost two years since my last post here. Two years of life, love, work, growth, travel, and a whole lot of cooking! Here's a super brief summary of the past two years: I finalized my divorce after almost one year of separation, I finished up my role as interim dean and returned to teaching full time, and I've been dating my wonderful partner, Nicole. 

Meanwhile, I've been cooking a ton and hope to put more of those recipes here. Nicole has such a fun palate and loves to play with flavors and try new foods. Nicole isn't a cook, but is an amazing sous chef and has encouraged me to experiment with new flavors and recipes. Despite that, this first post back is not a great example of all the amazing new things I've been cooking. 

This post is an example that Lazy Dinners still happen and new tools open new avenues for them. Through Nicole, I have a new tool in my kitchen, an air fryer! Nicole had a large one and a small one, so brought the larger one to my place and kept the smaller one at home. These air fried tofu poppers were a "hmmm, let's see if this tastes good" idea that turned into an easy meal in regular rotation. Serve them with any dipping sauce you like - my favorite is a vegan sriracha mayo!

Maggie's Lazy Dinner Air Fryer Tofu Poppers

Ingredients

1 brick extra firm water-packed tofu

1/3 c. cornstarch

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. adobo seasoning

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

1. Drain and lightly press your tofu, then cut it into squares (I usually cut once horizontally, three times lengthwise, and five times widthwise, making 48 small cubes). 

2. In a gallon-sized zipper bag or similar sized reusable container, combine the cornstarch and spices. 

3. Add the tofu pieces to the cornstarch mixture and gently turn/shake to coat. 

4. Spray air fryer basket lightly with oil, add tofu cubes, and spray them lightly with oil. 

5. Cook at 370 degrees for about 16 minutes, shaking once in the middle of cooking. 

Helpful Hints

• Don't like or don't have these spices? Use other ones! Cumin would make a similar southwest feel, curry would be delightful, or anything else! Let your imagination run wild. 
• You can also spend a little extra time and marinate your tofu first. I have only done this a couple of times and it adds more flavor, but I don't find it to be worth it. 
• The more you press your tofu, the crispier these will become, as less water is trying to escape during cooking. With that said, I did not like the texture of the "high protein" tofu for this recipe, which is much more dense than extra firm. 

The post "Maggie's Air Fryer Tofu Poppers" first appeared on Maggie's LesVegan Kitchen.