Bland, squishy curd

Tofu's curse—it's a bland block of squishy curd—is also its blessing: It's versatile and transformable. Baked tofu adds flavor, texture and iron to salads, stir-fries, quinoa bowls, or whatever else your imagination conjures. To make it, marinate half-inch slices of tofu in (1 tablespoon of each) tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, agave nectar, minced ginger, minced garlic and a half-a-cup of chopped scallions, plus some coriander, cumin, cayenne and black pepper for an hour in the fridge. Then, bake it in a flat pan for 30 minutes at 375 degrees (get the recipe in full at www.savvyvegetarian.com). If you'd rather buy it premade, Wildwood's SprouTofu teriyaki flavor is recommended: It's well-seasoned and fantastically firm.