Tofu Steaks, asparagus and carrots cook side by side on a sheet pan for a simple dinner with easy clean up. The Lemon Caper Tahini Sauce is so tasty I could drink it…but, you can drizzle it over the tofu steaks and veggies for a vegan piccata recipe that’s weeknight meal perfection if you ask me.
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I love that I can get this tofu steak dinner into the oven in under 10 minutes. While the tofu steaks and veggies cook, I have enough time to prep the lemon caper sauce AND throw together a batch of tahini chocolate chip cookies…I mean, the tahini is already out….what’s not to love about that?
Cooking dinner on a sheet pan—especially when it’s lined with parchment paper—-means a super quick clean up…oh, there’s plenty of love to spread around here for this tofu piccata recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Asparagus: Generally I prefer thinner asparagus, I think they’re sweeter…but for this recipe, you’ll want to buy thicker stalks so they cook in the same amount of time as the tofu and don’t get mushy.
- Oil: I did try this using an olive oil spray before sprinkling on the seasoning and thought the veggies came out just as crispy as with the drizzle of actual oil. For an oil-free version, you can spritz on some veggie broth so the seasoning will stick. The end result isn’t as crispy, but I thought the asparagus and carrots were just as tasty.
- Tofu: Extra-firm tofu is a must in this tofu steak recipe, if you prefer a meatier texture.
- Arrowroot powder: I prefer arrowroot to cornstarch because it’s less processed, naturally vegan and gluten-free and works similarly as a thickener.
Prepare the tofu
Remove tofu from the package and place on a doubled over dish towel to drain.
Fold the towel over the tofu and place something heavy on top to help draw out any excess liquid.
How to make the Tofu and Veggies
Place tamari, vinegar, arrowroot, paprika, turmeric and pepper into a cup.
Whisk vigorously until everything is well combined. If you leave it sit before mixing, the arrowroot will turn to paste on the bottom…just use some elbow grease and keep whisking until it’s uniform in texture.
Cut through the smaller side edge of the tofu block to halve it.
Then cut through those halves to make 4 equal sized rectangle steaks.
Score the tops of the slabs of tofu, careful not to cut all the way through. Spoon on half of the marinade and use a pastry brush to evenly disperse into those cuts.
Flip to the other side and score again. Then brush the remaining marinade over the side of the steaks.
Trim and peel carrots. Halve the carrots, cutting through the length.
Continue to cut through lengthwise until the pieces are about the same thickness as the asparagus. It’s ok to cut on a diagonal so the carrot pieces aren’t too long.
Break the woody ends off the asparagus and place the spears on the baking sheet all around the tofu.
Scatter the carrot pieces around and then drizzle everything with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven.
Make the Lemon Caper Tahini Sauce
This simple sauce uses just 4 ingredients: Capers, Tahini, Lemon and Garlic.
Grab a small bowl and add the tahini. You’ll grate the garlic and zest the lemon right over the bowl.
Then squeeze the juice from the lemon into the bowl.
Be prepared that the tahini will seize up and become SUPER pasty and thick from the lemon juice. That’s OK! Expect it.
Slowly whisk in water to thin to desired consistency.
Then, stir in the capers. Totally fine if a bit of their juice makes it into the bowl too. More briny flavor…yum!
After 25 minutes, remove from oven. Tofu will be a bit crisp on the outside, veggies will be cooked through.
Arrange tofu steaks on a platter, surrounded by the asparagus and carrots.
Spoon some of the lemony caper sauce over everything, serving remaining sauce on the side for those who want more.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- This is a complete meal. Full stop.
- Be generous with the sauce…drizzle on a bit more.
- Store your asparagus by first cutting off a thin strip off the bottom, creating a new edge. Then placing in a small shallow dish in the fridge with an inch of water. You’ll still need to use within a couple days of buying, but this way they won’t get slimy in the plastic bag.
- Slice the carrots thin enough so they will be tender when everything else is done.
- No lemon? Just use some of the caper brine for a zingy flavor.
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📖 Recipe
Sheet Pan Tofu Steaks with Veggies and Lemon Caper Sauce
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 16-oz package extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Veggies
- 1 lb asparagus
- 3 large carrots
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
Lemon Caper Tahini Sauce
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 4 teaspoon capers
- 1 clove garlic large or 2 small cloves
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
- Drain tofu and place on a clean dish towel that's been folded over. With tofu surrounded on both sides by the cloth, place something heavy on top (like a cast iron skillet) to press out extra liquid.
- Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, tamari, arrowroot, paprika, turmeric and pepper.
- Slice the tofu into 4 rectangular slabs by cutting through the thinner side in half and then into quarters. Score the surface of each with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut all the way through. This will give the marinade a way to easily penetrate into the tofu.
- Place the tofu steaks in the center of prepared pan and brush half the marinade onto the tops, pushing some into the crevices. Flip and baste the other side with remaining marinade.
- Snap the ends off the asparagus. They will naturally break where the woody part ends. Scatter them around the pieces of tofu.
- Trim the ends off carrots and peel them. Slice through lengthwise and then continue to slice into them, until they're about equal thickness to the asparagus. Cut on a diagonal or straight through. Evenly distribute around the tofu and asparagus on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake for 25 minutes in preheated 400 degree oven.
Lemon Caper Tahini Sauce
- Measure tahini into a small bowl. Use a microplane to grate the garlic over the bowl. Do the same with the lemon and then squeeze the juice into the bowl.
- Whisk well. The tahini will seize up and form a super thick paste…bingo, that's what you're looking for in this step. Now, pour in the water, whisking constantly until it emulsifies and thins out to a pourable consistency. Mix in the capers and voila…the tahini lemon caper sauce is ready!
- Transfer the tofu steaks to a serving platter, surrounded by the colorful vegetables. Spoon on the tahini sauce and pass around the rest of the sauce at the table.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
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