Does anyone see a pattern here? A pattern, anyone? I make tacos just about every week in some form or fashion. OK, maybe not tacos but sometimes enchiladas or another Mexican-inspired weeknight dish. Today, I was thinking about the fatty, greasy, delicious “crab fries” from the popular northern chain, Chickie & Pete’s, and decided that fries are NOT an option right now since it’s not cheat day. Boo HOO!

Dry pan-frying the super firm tofu makes it crisp on the outside, giving it the texture of something much more devious (and fattening). Using the super firm tofu yields the best results, as it stays firm throughout cooking and doesn’t fall apart. I’ll include a separate recipe in this post for the aioli.

Ingredients
1 block super firm tofu, cut in half, then cut into 6 slabs, then cut into 4 sticks per each slab.
1 tbsp olive oil
White corn tortilla shells
Old Bay Seasoning to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Cilantro to taste
Shredded cabbage
Chopped red onion

Heat a non-stick skillet to medium high heat. Spray a little non-stock spray on the skillet to ensure nothing adheres too much to the pan. Dry fry until all sides are golden brown. Reduce heat to low and add the 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir to coat. Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle on a generous dousing of Old Bay and garlic powder. Let it continue to sizzle off the burner.

Aioli Recipe
2 tbsp Sriracha sauce (or less, or more. I like it flaming hot so 2 tbsp is probably a lot for most people)
3 tbsp egg-free vegan mayo
2 tbsp lemon juice
Garlic powder to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside to drizzle on tacos.

Back to the tacos!

The white corn tortilla shells were tricky for me the first time I ever ate them because you can’t just plop your taco fillings in them like flour tortillas and start eating. They fall apart. So, to cure this dilemma, wrap 2-3 shells at a time in wet paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. They should come out of the microwave very warm, but also malleable enough that they will not split right down the middle when you bend them.

Fill up your shells with 3-4 tofu sticks each and garnish with shredded cabbage, chopped red onion and fresh cilantro. Drizzle with spicy aioli.

Makes around 7 tacos with 3-4 tofu sticks in each.