My mom is the blackened-seasoning queen! She’s not a big fan of cooking, but she knows a few shortcuts to make a superquick meal taste good. Rule 1: use a flavorful spice blend. Blackened seasoning is a staple of Cajun cuisine and is most often used on fish. The technique entails pan-frying the spice- coated food, in this case tofu, until the spices char and create a crispy and flavorful coating. This recipe does require you to marinate the tofu overnight in a beer- based sauce, but that takes just a couple of minutes to throw together before you go to bed. Even my mom can appreciate this easy recipe! —Jenné Claiborne
From the Book: SWEET POTATO SOUL by Jenné Claiborne, Copyright © 2018 by Jenné Claiborne. Published by arrangement with Harmony Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
How to Make It
Make the marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the beer, dulse, and tamari.
Place the tofu slices in a storage container or quart- size plastic zip bag and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours.
In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Remove the tofu slices from the refrigerator, place on a plate, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of blackened seasoning on all sides of each tofu slice. Working in batches if necessary, place the seasoned tofu slices in the hot skillet and pan-fry for about 3 minutes each side until the seasoning has blackened and seeped into the tofu.
Toast the burger buns on both sides. To serve, spread 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise on the bottom half of each bun. Carefully remove the blackened tofu from the skillet and place a slice on top of each bottom bun half. Top each piece of tofu with ¼ cup salsa and microgreens (if using), then the top bun half, and serve.