What is Tofu En Papillote? It’s a French cooking technique that involves wrapping food in parchment paper and baking it with flavorings until it’s cooked through. The best part about this recipe is that the tomatoes and vegetables stay super fresh because they’re not exposed to any oil or water. So, if you want to make something healthy for your family without sacrificing taste, then try this recipe out!
This dish is super easy to make and will only take about 30 minutes from prep time to plate time. You can use any vegetables you want, but I would recommend using tomatoes because their natural flavors are so good when combined with the tofu and olives. The best part of this recipe is that it’s healthy too! If you don’t like tofu or dairy-free options, then try swapping in gluten free flour for all purpose flour and a soy milk alternative such as almond, rice or coconut milk for cow’s milk.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes – one large tomato per person OR however many your prefer
Tofu – 12 ounces
Olives – about 16 pitted green olives per person
All-Purpose Flour – about one cup per tomato OR however much you need to coat the vegetables
Salt and Pepper – your preference on amounts, but I would recommend at least a teaspoon of salt and pepper each.
Steps:
Preheat oven or skillet to 400F if cooking in an oven dish versus pan (if using oven)
Start by slicing open tomatoes so they can lay flat for even roasting; slice off top like a lid then cut into halves with seeds removed. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of tomatoes before dividing tofu evenly across all four sections. Place olives evenly around out edge of dough discarding any remaining ones from filling up rest of center section. Cover olives with a layer of flour about one quarter inch thick and gently shake off excess.
Start by wrapping dough around tomato as tightly as you can without tearing it, then roll edges inwards to seal slightly before placing seam side down on baking sheet or skillet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes if using oven dish or 15 minutes if cooking in pan.*
Remove from oven and serve warm after allowing filling time to set up inside the tomato skins. Serve promptly with fresh parsley leaves sprinkled over top–they add some green color!
*Baking times may vary depending on whether using an oven dish vs pan; check your fruit halfway through cooking process just to be sure they don’t start burning!
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FAQs
Question: What is a recipe for making tofu?
Answer: Tofu En Papillote is the best way I’ve found to cook tofu. The ingredients are simple and straightforward, but you’ll need parchment paper or aluminum foil- both of which can be purchased at your local grocery store. You will want to cut slits in the sides of each piece of paper so that steam from inside will escape while cooking (this prevents excess water from being soaked up by your food). Add all sauce ingredients except olive oil to blender container and blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture over panchancles with tomatoes on top. Place sliced onion, garlic cloves, basil leaves next to meatless crumbles and fresh spinach packages below tomato slices – these items should not touch the sauce. Place tofu slices on top of each other and cover with the remaining tomato slices so that they are completely enclosed in tomatoes (you can slice them to fit). Now wrap your parchment up into a little packet, tucking both ends under the sides as if you were sealing an envelope.
Question: Why do you love cooking with tofu?
Answer: I’m not sure if it’s because of the meatiness, or how easy and versatile it is to cook with. But for me, tofu has been one of my favorite ingredients to work with over the years.
Question: What’s your favorite way to cook tofu?
Answer: Probably in this Tofu En Papillote recipe. If you love tomato sauce, olives, and garlic like I do – then this is the perfect dish for you!
Additional tips:
-Cut the tofu into large cubes and lay it on a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
-The parchment should not touch any water while cooking or you risk getting burnt which will make your food taste terrible! Make sure that there is some form of liquid in the bottom of the oven dish, like broth (I used chicken) or wine (I used white). You can also use other liquids such as milk, vegetable stock, fruit juice… whatever you’ve got! Just be aware that if you have something with chunks in it -like tomato sauce-, they may burn more easily so check them periodically during cooking. For this recipe I used olive oil instead of butter because I wanted to keep my fat content lower but feel free to use butter if you prefer.
-To cook the tomatoes, I slice them in half and place them on their cut surface (skin side down) with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to season. I then placed a piece of parchment paper over top before placing it into the oven for 35 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 Celsius.
-After that time had elapsed, remove from oven and let cool slightly before adding your tofu cubes.
-Place some olive oil onto each cube -just enough to coat but not saturate-. Add salt, fresh cracked black pepper, lemon juice, garlic powder, minced parsley leaves and dried thyme (I used about ¼ teaspoon total). Place one tomato half on every other cube like so:
-Fold the parchment paper over and seal shut by folding the edges together. You will then want to fold up a few inches of each side before tying it off with some kitchen twine or ribbon, but this is optional.”