Tofu-Peanut Nori Rolls

I have a bunch of extra Nori from last year that's just going to go stale if I don't use it soon.  I got this idea from an article in the L.A. Times' barely functioning Food section.  My version is closer to Japanese than Vietnamese and simplifies the sauce considerably, using ingredients I've actually heard of.  The biggest change I made was wrapping the baked slices of tofu in the nori, instead of having it on the side.

It never occurred to me to bake tofu.  You can buy it baked, and I've fried it before, but I usually have it straight out of the package.  It didn't really do much to the texture, but it caramelized the sauce.

I had these with some rice mixed with the last of the onigiri seasoning and a jar of kohlrabi relish.  So the only thing bought new for the entire meal was the tofu at under $2.  That's the kind of thing Pantry Challenge is about, finding new uses for what you already have.

*1/4 C creamy peanut butter
*1 Tb soy or teriyaki sauce
*1 tsp fish sauce (will make it non-vegan)
*1 Tb rice vinegar
1 Tb vegetable, peanut, or grapeseed oil
*1 Tb sake (or vermouth)
*1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 package firm tofu
*4 sheets nori

1.  Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, sake, and ginger.  Preheat oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment.  I opted not to use the silicon mat because I didn't want to scrub caramelized sauce off it.

2.  Drain tofu well and pat dry.  Cut the loaf in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 6 slices.

3.  Dip a few slices at a time into the sauce, turning to coat all sides.  Place on parchment sheet.  Reserve any remaining sauce.

4.  Bake tofu for 20 minutes.  Flip, baste pieces with remaining sauce, and bake another 20 minutes, until sauce is dry or only slightly tacky.  Allow to cool enough to handle.

5.  Cut each sheet of nori into 3 strips.  Wrap each piece of tofu in a strip.  If you want, you can add a tablespoon of rice and/or vegetables like pea pods and green onion to the wrap.

6. Serve before the nori gets gummy.

Difficulty rating  :)