Tofu Recipes?

doobabe

I would love some feedback from my mfp fiends on this one-

I buy tofu- eat it occasionaly but usually end up throwing it out because I dont know what to do with it. When I tried to blot the water out with a paper towel it crumbles and I have just had enough lol........

So I was wondering if anyone has a recipe or a trick that they use and like?? I am barely capable of boiling water on a good day- so nothing too difficult, I have tried recipes off the internet and didnt care for any so far and a lot of them are difficult and call for a lot of ingredients that one does not have on hand on any given day..........

athenafl

I use a lot of different recipes. The easiest thing to do is to cube the tofu and put it in with veggies in a stir-fry or cube it and add it to a soup.

Not sure what's going on with the crumbling. Check what you're buying. If it's silken tofu, I only use that in sauces and recipes that have a mousse-like consistency. You might also be buying soft regular tofu.

I usually use regular tofu and I usually buy firm or extra firm because I don't want it falling apart in my stir fry or soup (or whatever I'm doing with it).

To drain it, it sounds like you're on the right track. I just wrap it in a regular kitchen towel and put a grill press on top of it. Then I leave it like that for a little while.

HTH.

P.S. Meant to add that you'll probably want to keep an eye on the calories and fat!

cheshirequeen

what i do is make a tofu scrambler. What I do it get the firm kind, take a fork and smoosh it in the pan, put a bit of oil, then throw in whatever you want. I usually put in some cheese, some meat, some veggies(all vegan), and just mix it around. Theres also a lasagna I make that uses tofu that makes it into a ricotta cheese. You can always use them in smoothies,the silken tofu. you can always use them to make pies, silken ones.

kittytrix

Tofu chili is pretty quick and easy.

Take the firm tofu and after draining it crumble it into a pot with a little bit of oil and chopped onion. Add a couple of can of beans, pinto and kidney, a couple of cans of tomato sauce and then a packet of chili seasoning. As much or little as you want. Just watch the sodium in this.

You can also add chopped green pepper if you'd like and canned crushed tomatoes.

It's usually super easy since almost all the ingredients are already cooked.

I top mine with low-fat shredded cheese and sour cream.

Enjoy!

elid

I love spicy ma po tofu... I think it's just as good without the pork, but that's just me.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/ma-po-tofu/Detail.aspx

anovasjo

Tofu is so versatile, I love it.

Pay attention to what kind of tofu you are buying- you can buy SILKEN or REGULAR tofu. It sounds like the crumbling issues you're having when draining the water is because you're buying silken. As athenafi suggested, silken tofu is easily blended up into a very velvety sauce using a food processor or blender. When blended, it's a similar consistency to yoghurt.
Regular tofu is firmer than silken. It comes in soft, medium-firm and firm. Soft "regular" tofu is a bit more dense than silken tofu. Medium-firm and firm tofu retain their shape better, and you can easily drain the excess water from this kind.

Some yummy tofu ideas: (!!!!)

- tofu scramble. Like scrambled eggs. Use firm tofu and crumble it up. Add turmeric or curry powder to imitate the colour of eggs, or just add some powdered cumin for savoury help. Veggies like peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and mushrooms are all good add-ins.
- tofu quiche. Use firm tofu and crumble it up. Sautee it with some tahini, soy sauce, a bouillon cube, veggies, and bake it in a pie crust.
- tofu steaks. Use firm tofu, cut it into 1/2" thick pieces and marinade in a mixture of agave or maple syrup, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, and garlic. Sear the hell out of it and serve on steamed veg.
- use silken tofu as a replacement to eggs in baked goods.
- shakes: add a tbsp or two of silken tofu to your shake for some protein.

mmm.:flowerforyou:

myukniewicz

i love tofu, it is so versatile!!

i enjoy making Tofu Parmigiana.
Basically just prepare it like you do regular chicken or eggplant parm.

its a pretty good recipe...
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tofu_parmigiana.html

TRY IT! ♥

doobabe

I use a lot of different recipes. The easiest thing to do is to cube the tofu and put it in with veggies in a stir-fry or cube it and add it to a soup.

Not sure what's going on with the crumbling. Check what you're buying. If it's silken tofu, I only use that in sauces and recipes that have a mousse-like consistency. You might also be buying soft regular tofu.

I usually use regular tofu and I usually buy firm or extra firm because I don't want it falling apart in my stir fry or soup (or whatever I'm doing with it).

To drain it, it sounds like you're on the right track. I just wrap it in a regular kitchen towel and put a grill press on top of it. Then I leave it like that for a little while.

HTH.

P.S. Meant to add that you'll probably want to keep an eye on the calories and fat!

Thanks for the info! I am always quite a bit under on my calories and fat so Im sure I can squeeze it in
I usually buy firm, but recently bought medium- and that was a disaster. However, the firm that I had broke into pieces while I was blotting the water and then when I attempted to cube- it crumbled. Im thinking I need to take more of the water out. And, I am definately going to look into the extra firm.
I usually fry it with veggies- but it is so blah and it doesnt get browned at ll- it is still jiggly when I am done........ not sure

doobabe

what i do is make a tofu scrambler. What I do it get the firm kind, take a fork and smoosh it in the pan, put a bit of oil, then throw in whatever you want. I usually put in some cheese, some meat, some veggies(all vegan), and just mix it around. Theres also a lasagna I make that uses tofu that makes it into a ricotta cheese. You can always use them in smoothies,the silken tofu. you can always use them to make pies, silken ones.

Ooh I think the lasagna sounds good! Thank you!

doobabe

Tofu is so versatile, I love it.

Pay attention to what kind of tofu you are buying- you can buy SILKEN or REGULAR tofu. It sounds like the crumbling issues you're having when draining the water is because you're buying silken. As athenafi suggested, silken tofu is easily blended up into a very velvety sauce using a food processor or blender. When blended, it's a similar consistency to yoghurt.
Regular tofu is firmer than silken. It comes in soft, medium-firm and firm. Soft "regular" tofu is a bit more dense than silken tofu. Medium-firm and firm tofu retain their shape better, and you can easily drain the excess water from this kind.

Some yummy tofu ideas: (!!!!)

- tofu scramble. Like scrambled eggs. Use firm tofu and crumble it up. Add turmeric or curry powder to imitate the colour of eggs, or just add some powdered cumin for savoury help. Veggies like peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and mushrooms are all good add-ins.
- tofu quiche. Use firm tofu and crumble it up. Sautee it with some tahini, soy sauce, a bouillon cube, veggies, and bake it in a pie crust.
- tofu steaks. Use firm tofu, cut it into 1/2" thick pieces and marinade in a mixture of agave or maple syrup, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, and garlic. Sear the hell out of it and serve on steamed veg.
- use silken tofu as a replacement to eggs in baked goods.
- shakes: add a tbsp or two of silken tofu to your shake for some protein.

mmm.:flowerforyou:

OOhh I love the tofu steak on veggies- sounds amazing! Thanks!

susioryan

In Mark Bittman's cookbook How to Cook Everything he suggests baking tofu and it ends up brown and crunchy on the inside and custardlike on the inside. It is a great alternative to frying. I press the tofu (firm) between paper towels with a heavy castiron pot on top for about 30 minutes or more to get the extra water out. Then I marinate it with a sesame ginger garlic marinade and bake it on 350 for 1 hour. Toss with steamed broccoli and brown rice. Yum! Also can use for it for your stirfries.

clevethin

I always keep a couple tofu (firm) in the freezer. Freezing and then thawing the tofu gives it a different texture- very similar to ground chicken or beef! I then use this just as I would either of these meats, such as in tacos or any other ground meat recipe.
Only one of my children were unreceptive to tofu, and this tactic made him a believer. Now he'll eat it any way that I make it! :smooched: