Tofu Parmigiani

(recipe thanks to Jill B. Mittelstadt, published on allrecipes.com)

Ed. Note: This tasty alternative to the eggplant version is easy to make and a wonderful main or side dish to grace your table on a cold winter's night. . .  That's not to say the eggplant version isn't as good btw. This is just an alternative. You might even consider using part tofu and part eggplant. Why not? Half the fun of making food is dreaming it up and experimenting. The other half is EATING it!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and black pepper.
2. Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices, and place in bowl of cold water. One at a time, press tofu slices into crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides.
3. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, turn, and brown on the other side.
4. Combine tomato sauce, basil, garlic, and remaining oregano. Place a thin layer of sauce in an 8 inch square baking pan. Arrange tofu slices in the pan. Spoon remaining sauce over tofu. Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20 minutes.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 357 | Total Fat: 21.5g | Cholesterol: 24mg