Mediterranean Air Fryer Tofu & Vegetable Tray Bake

I was so excited prepping this dish. I love Mediterranean flavors and spices. So I took a little bit of everything to create 1 fulfilling plate. It’s a bit of a doozie, but it’s worth it! The spices and depth of flavor really come together at the end and giving a refreshing and hearty mouthful with every bite.

Mediterranean Spices

The Mediterranean cuisine is known for its vibrant flavors and fresh ingredients. Spices and herbs play a starring role, unlike the bolder spices used in North African or Middle Eastern cooking.

Fresh herbs are ubiquitous in Mediterranean cooking, adding brightness and depth of flavor. Common ones include basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and dill. While fresh herbs are king, there are some spice blends that add complexity to Mediterranean dishes. One such blend is za’atar, a Middle Eastern mix that typically includes thyme, oregano, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt. Baharat is another blend, common in Eastern Mediterranean regions, that incorporates black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and paprika.

Garlic is a staple, used liberally in everything from sauces to roasted vegetables. Black pepper adds a touch of heat, while onions provide a base note for many dishes. Cumin adds warmth to stews and roasted vegetables, while paprika lends a touch of smokiness. Finally, saffron, the world’s most expensive spice, is used sparingly but adds a touch of luxury to paella and other dishes.

These spices and herbs are used to create a symphony of flavors that are characteristic of Mediterranean cuisine. Dishes are known for their balance, with bright acidity from lemons and tomatoes, the richness of olive oil, and the subtle complexity of the spices and herbs.

How to make the air fryer tofu

I highly recommend preparing your tofu earlier in the day for this dish or even the night before. I prepared my tofu and let it marinate overnight. Let me tell you it did not disappoint. However, you only need about 2-4 hours to let the tofu marinate for this dish.

Preparing your tofu is the very first step. As with most tofu dishes, you need to press the tofu in order to get rid of the excess water first. You can do this by wrapping the tofu in paper towels and placing something heavy on top of the tofu. Alternatively you can lightly squeeze the tofu over your sink. Be cautious not to squeeze too hard or you’re tofu will crumble. Let the tofu sit for 30 minutes.

While the tofu sits, start to prepare the marinade. In a small mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients in the “Baked Tofu” ingredient section below, EXCEPT the cornstarch. You don’t need the cornstarch until you’re ready to bake the tofu.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and make sure to taste test. Once you think the marinade is outstanding, head back to your tofu. Once your tofu has drained a good amount of liquid, cut the tofu into either strips or squares. The shape doesn’t really matter, so you can cut it up however you’d prefer. Once it’s all cut place it into a container .

Next, add your marinade to the container with your tofu. Make sure to rub the marinade evenly over the tofu. Let it sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, but recommended over night.

Whether you’ve let the tofu marinade for 2 hours or overnight, make sure this next step is one of the last steps of your dish. The tofu only needs to air fry for 15 minutes.

Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Farenheit. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of cornstarch. Toss each piece or strip of tofu into the cornstarch and lightly coat. Once fully coated place your tofu on the air fryer rack. Air fry the tofu for 15 minutes, flipping the tofu pieces halfway through.

And voila! After 15 minutes, you should have crispy, Mediterranean tasting tofu. Add this to your overall dish and enjoy!

How to make the vegetable tray bake

Grab your vegetables! This is such a great way to get in your daily 5 vegetables. And get your kids to gobble them up without a fuss. You can interchange these vegetables to fit your household and or reduce as many as you’d like. But I would recommend using a minimum of 2 different vegetables and 1 starch for this tray back because it’s so simple and delicious. For my tray bake, I used cauliflower, a packet of baby tomatoes, 1 package of baby potatoes and 1 sweet potato.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Next, select your vegetables and chop them all up to your desired size. If you use potatoes like I did, keep your potatoes separate for now. I cut up the cauliflower into small florets, the baby potatoes in half and the sweet potato into cubes. I left the tomatoes whole. Place the potatoes in a large mixing bowl, place the additional veggies to the side and get ready to prepare your second marinade.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients in the “Tray Bake” ingredients section below. Once the marinade is thoroughly mixed and your satisfied with the flavor, use half of it to coat your potatoes. Give the potatoes a good toss in the marinade and then place them on a baking sheet. Make sure to spread them out so everything can cook evenly. Place the potatoes in the oven and set your kitchen timer for 20 minutes.

While the potatoes bake, add the vegetables to a large mixing bowl and coat them in the remaining marinade. When your kitchen timer goes off at 20 minutes, pull out the baking sheet with the potatoes on it and add your marinated vegetables to the same tray.

Place back into the oven at 400 degrees Farenheit for an additional 20 minutes.

***Once your vegetables go into the over, this is the perfect time to place your tofu in the air fryer to bake for 15 minutes.

Once the timer goes off again, your potatoes should have baked for 40 minutes and your vegetables for 20. Let the tray cool slightly before plating.

How to make the tzatziki sauce

This is one of my absolute favorite sauces and I need to remember to make it more ofter. Or make a larger batch of it and keep it on hand in the fridge. Anyhow, enjoy this sauce and let me know what you think!

In a mixing bowl add the yogurt, handful of fresh dill, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Use a grater to finely grate the cucumber over the mixing bowl. Grate the entire cucumber, juice and all! Add a little lemon zest to the bowl. Mix everything by together by hand. Once well combined, taste the tzatziki and add salt and pepper as needed.

Ingredients

• Extra firm tofu
• Cornstarch
• Balsamic vinegar
• Garlic powder & garlic cloves
• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Smoked paprika
• Sea salt
• Cauliflower: If you don’t like cauliflower, you can substitute (or add to your tray bake) with broccoli, beets, turnips, parsnips, mushrooms, zucchini and many more vegetables!
• Baby tomatoes
• Sweet potato
• Baby potatoes
• Harissa seasoning: This seasoning is essential to Mediterranean flavors.
• Cumin
• Thyme: You can use fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme leaves.
• Maple syrup
• Unsweetened cashew yogurt: Any soy yogurt will work for this recipe, just make sure it’s unsweetened.
• Cucumber
• Dill: You can use fresh dill leaves or dried dill.
• Lemons: You’ll need this for the juice and the zest.
• Salt & pepper: Always!