Tofu recipes/tips please

Rushgirl82

Good day everyone. I've replaced meat with beans. Lots of beans. I love them and can't eat enough of them.
I'd like to add tofu into my recipes as well. I baked some the other day using Indian spices and it was super dry and bland. What are your simple tofu recipes and tips? Thanks! ✌️

ms_smartypants

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/270/everyday-cooking/vegetarian/protein/tofu/

Rushgirl82

Thanks @ms_smartypants
There's a couple there I'd like to try. I've spent the last couple days googling ideas and nothing tickled my fancy. But that BBQ one looks awesome!

Rushgirl82

I'm looking to see what your recipes are though. What's been tried and tested. I made an online recipe the other day and it sucked lol.

Lin_marie11

I usually get the firm tofu, marinate in Mrs Dash sweet teriyaki sauce for several hours, then cook it on the stove. I'll add stir fry veggies to it and sometimes rice.

Rushgirl82

@lindsay_1979 thanks! That sounds awesome!

annacole94

I made hot and sour soup last week. Fantastic.
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/

Rushgirl82

Ooh that looks good too! Thanks! @annacole94 !

Lin_marie11

Rushgirl82 wrote: »

@lindsay_1979 thanks! That sounds awesome!

You can pretty much marinate it in anything you want. Tofu absorbs flavor very well so it'll never be bland. I like the Mrs Dash brand because it's salt free.

leanjogreen18

I make tofu scramble for breakfast sometimes I just add a little taco seasoning. Smash it up, add taco seasoning in a little coconut oil and fry it. Serve on tortilla with whatever breakfast taco condiments you like.

ms_smartypants

http://www.dietsinreview.com/recipes/daves-teriyaki-tofu

I have made this one a few times I love it

zingeber

This http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/black-pepper-tofu-365129 is the best tofu recipe ever. Cut way the hell down on the butter, look up how to bake the tofu instead of frying it, and make it with about half the black pepper and hot peppers the first time to be safe (it's super hot). The like 4 different kinds of soy sauce are nice if you can find them, but not necessary. It's a little more calorie dense and requires some prep, but oh lord if you like spicy food, this is incredible.

Rushgirl82

Awesome. Thanks everyone.
@zingeber I love spicy food!

apullum

Did you press your tofu first? If it's packed in water and isn't called "silken" tofu, then it needs to be pressed to remove that water before you marinate it or cook with it. Otherwise, it can't absorb much flavor and it will probably be bland.

To press it, just take it out of the container, wrap it in paper towels or clean lint-free dish towels, and put a moderately heavy object on top of it. If you use paper towels, you may have to change them as they get soaked with water. I use a dish towel and whatever heavy-ish object I happen to have around--a skillet, a can on top of a plate, etc. You just want enough weight to squeeze out the water, not so much that it causes the tofu to fall apart. You should press it for at least 20-30 minutes, though I usually let it press either overnight, or during the day while I'm at work.

raebetty

Ive been cooking with tofu for awhile, so here's a few things I've noticed.

Make sure to press your tofu!

You can do the whole " balance books and cans on it" trick, or you can buy one of the many presses out there. I have the EZ Tofu press, and it works wonderfully. There is another one about to hit US shelves, Tofuture, that looks awesome as well. If you don't get all the water out before cooking, the tofu can, and will, leak water into your dish, which can make your main dish take on more water.

You don't have to marinate it long.

I will soak it for an hour max - anything else, to me, is just too overpowering. And it doesn't take a lot of marinade either - enough to cover at least half of it. You want to flip it or move it halfway through the soak time to ensure a even taste.

Watch your heat!

I couldn't get tofu scrambles to cook right for the longest time. Part of the reason was I wasn't pressing it long enough. Another reason was that I had my heat up too high, despite following recipes. Now I cook it on about medium even if the recipe says medium high. I have no idea if its my stovetop or what, but just a heads up.

caitlinj406

I agree with the previous posters about pressing. It makes a big difference. I usually have tofu in stir fry where I just fry it in a bit of toasted sesame oil and then deglaze the pan with some soy sauce and mirin, let it cook a bit to absorb the liquid then set aside to cook the veggies and add back in when they are almost done.

My favorite baked tofu marinade is something like 1/4 cup tamari, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp maple syrup, a minced clove of garlic or 1/4 tsp granulated garlic, 1 tsp liquid smoke, and a squirt of sriracha or a dash of cayenne. I usually just dump this all in so the amounts are approximate but I mix it in a baking dish and let the tofu marinate in it for 20-30 minutes while I prep other stuff then just pop the whole thing in the oven for 45 minutes. That, some mashed coconut sweet potatoes, and steamed broccoli is one of my favorite meals.

bensmom555

Tofu can taste wonderful or horrible. . .took me a while to figure out how to cook it.

I like Mori Nu brand the best and it's shelf stable (you can order a case on WalMart).

My two favorite ways to prepare are:

1. Press firm or extra firm to drain water, but be sure it's still in one piece.
Cut in large squares and toss in Corn Starch.
Press squares on all sides into sesame seeds until entirely coated.
Fry in a bit of olive oil til brown and so so yummy. Add at the last minute to your stir fry or other dish.

2. Press then crumble and toss with tumeric, use in your breakfast scramble with veggies.

Rushgirl82

Mmm that all sounds wonderful! Yes I pressed my extra firm tofu. I cut it up and added it to a baggy with olive oil and a bunch of Indian spices and baked. For one I'm sure I over cooked it and two I don't think I had enough liquids to actually marinade it. It was more like a dry rub. Thanks I'm gonna try some of these marinade recipes.

ridiculous59

I took a series of vegan cooking classes and we made tofu "bacon". Press your tofu to get rid of the water and slice it length-wise. Dip it in a mixture of maple syrup and a drop or so of liquid smoke. Fry in a bit of oil. Definitely an interesting take on tofu that you may or may not enjoy for a change.

Rushgirl82

Thanks @ridiculous59 I'm going to try that for sure!