How gross is tofu?

AmberJslimsAWAY

and what do you do with it?! It's just a bag of sponge... But I want to try to use it in cooking. simple, non-yucky recipes?

LuckyLeprechaun

You could make a stir fry. The tofu just takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you use, so choose something you like, add a bunch of veggies, and ta-da!

ionlyhavesporx

I've tried time and time again to like tofu... but I just can't stand it.

UponThisRock

My understanding is that tofu basically takes one the flavor of whatever you cook it with.

If you're asking yourself what the point is of cooking with it in the first place...that's a very good question.

hello77kitty

I love tofu! I love it in a spicy stew or kimchi soup. It goes well with Asian food, if you don't like Asian food..then I don't know what to tell ya.

TeaBea

Non yucky and tofu ? ......hmmmm

Nope .... I can't think of anything

AmberJslimsAWAY

Ive had it at chinese places, where they just have the little squares, and it's fun to squish against your teeth, but that's the only point I see....

tiptoeketo

You can add it to smoothies- you wont even taste it in there.

fteale

Coat it in cornflower and fry it.

daffodilsoup

You wouldn't eat raw chicken fresh out of the package, so you gotta look at tofu the same way.

I've had my best success with tofu if I press the moisture out, freeze it, thaw it and marinate it, usually in soy sauce, ginger and lime juice. Then I slice it up and stir fry it with lots of veggies! The freezing gives it a great chewy, toothsome texture.

If you're not into that, it's also tasty if you cut it up, bread the pieces, and bake them as nuggets!

BeesKnees181

Tofu is great...always drain it for at least 20 minutes before you cook with it. Check out the MFP vegetarian groups for recipes and tofu prep ideas.

_VoV

Ive had it at chinese places, where they just have the little squares, and it's fun to squish against your teeth, but that's the only point I see....

If you aren't a fan of tofu at a good Chinese restaurant, then it just may not appeal to you at all. There are other good sources of plant protein, if that's your interest. I see no point in trying to cook something which texturally isn't pleasurable to you.

spinachdiva

BAKE IT! It's delicious, and gets very firm. This is taken from the happy herbivore cookbook:

Press your tofu---wrap it in towels and add some weight (a book or a can or two on top of a cutting board for like 20 minutes).
Preheat your oven to 350.
Cut up your tofu into 8 strips.
Brush each side with soy sauce.
Spray a cooking sheet with spray, lay the tofu on it. Spray the tofu with cooking spray.
Bake for 15 minutes, and then turn over and bake for another 15 (keep an eye on it).

The outside is tasty and crisp while the inside has a delightful soft texture. Delicious on sandwiches and salads, or thrown into stirfries.

mrskesler

I love tofu....I pat it dry, and then:
Crumble it into pasta sauce
Cube and marinade it in any Indian flavoured sauce
Slice and pan fry with a bit of soy sauce and garlic
Cube and add to soup
Crumble into an omelette

Reasie26

You wouldn't eat raw chicken fresh out of the package, so you gotta look at tofu the same way.

I've had my best success with tofu if I press the moisture out, freeze it, thaw it and marinate it, usually in soy sauce, ginger and lime juice. Then I slice it up and stir fry it with lots of veggies! The freezing gives it a great chewy, toothsome texture.

If you're not into that, it's also tasty if you cut it up, bread the pieces, and bake them as nuggets!

this.

You have to do the freezing, thawing, pressing if you want to use it in a stir-fry type dish!! Very important! To experience the potential - try the tofu at Pei Wei!!! It's fabulous! Then you'll know what it CAN be if you cook it right!!!

Took me a long time to figure out tofu! We also have a tofu press now, which makes the pressing a lot easier and Earth-friendlier!!!

puddintane

i love, love, love, tofu!! one of my favorite things to make is a buffalo tofu cheesesteak sandwich!!

thepetiterunner

Pfft! Tofu isn't gross - you just have to find a way to cook it the way you like it

There's tons of great recipes out there. I'd just google "tofu recipes" and have a gander. Allrecipes.com usually has good ones. Look for ones with lots of positive ratings.

Befriend the Tofu my dear, you won't regret it!

techigirl78

I like to put the little squares on top of my salad at work.

I also like it in miso soup.

Reasie26

i love, love, love, tofu!! one of my favorite things to make is a buffalo tofu cheesesteak sandwich!!

Yum!!!!!! Sounds dee-lish!!! Where can we find this recipe!?

hiker282

Blech! Absolutely can't stand the stuff. Another reason I'll never go vegan/vegetarian. If it would have to be a source of sustenance, I would rather just die.

CosmicBella

i love, love, love, tofu!! one of my favorite things to make is a buffalo tofu cheesesteak sandwich!!

Yum!!!!!! Sounds dee-lish!!! Where can we find this recipe!?

I second that!... Recipe, please !!!

cheshirequeen

tofu doesnt taste like anything, so it doesnt taste bad or good. i make a scrambler. throw in all the veggies, veg cheese and veg meats(im vegan). also the silken tofu i use for smoothies and have even made a peanut butter pie with it. and cheesecake. whatever you can think of, you can put it in. good luck.

Reasie26

An actual recipe for you (my favorite) - tastes very much like Panda Express's Spicy Orange Chicken (used to be my favorite)

Spicy Orange Tofu
Makes: 1-2 servings, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 block extra firm tofu (frozen, thawed, drained, and pressed)
   
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
   
½ cup water

¼ cup orange juice
 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
 
3 tablespoons vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or adjusted to your taste

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup water


Hot cooked rice



Directions: 

Cut tofu into bite sized pieces and sauté in 2 tablespoons oil until browned.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, sauté garlic and green onions in 1 tablespoon oil until garlic is golden.

Add water, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium.

In a small cup or dish, mix together cornstarch and water until thoroughly blended.  Pour cornstarch mixture into sauce, stirring constantly.  Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until sauce thickens to your liking.  Remove from heat and combine with tofu until completely coated. 

Serve over rice.


You could also add some veggies to the tofu mix - bell peppers, onions, carrots - whatev...

ohmywonwon

I love tofu in a sweet and sour stir fry or san choy bow

L00py_T0ucan

Ive had it at chinese places, where they just have the little squares, and it's fun to squish against your teeth, but that's the only point I see....

Some places (particularly Buddhist restaurants) are really good at preparing tofu in different textures - they don't just offer it as the little white squares to squish against your teeth. Sometimes the bean curd is dried in flat sheets and rolled up, sometimes it's cubed and fried (nice combination of smooth inside/crunchy outside), etc. They do a lot of interesting mock-meat dishes.

That said, you might just not like tofu. I love it, but i love it as tofu and not masquerading as say, a hot dog. :sick: (tofu pups - ew)

You can prepare your gross 'sponge' :noway: :laugh: with all sorts of aromatics and condiments - I agree with the folks saying that it will absorb the flavor of whatever you are cooking w/ it.
-ginger
-garlic
-scallions
-soy sauce
-sesame oil
etc.

You get the idea. Have fun!

hexrei

Are you vegetarian/vegan? If not, I can't see a lot of reason to use it, it's not particularly tasty. Go with trimmed and grease-drained meat instead.

L00py_T0ucan

Blech! Absolutely can't stand the stuff. Another reason I'll never go vegan/vegetarian. If it would have to be a source of sustenance, I would rather just die.

Really? the main reason I won't go Vegan/Vegetarian is BACON :smooched:

estjames

I made Tofu Alfredo with it from a SparkPeople recipe that I like. Other than that I do not like making it for myself since I think when I make it is gross, but sometimes I get it from a restaurant since they know how to prepare it.

frugalmomsrock

I *LOVE* tofu. I make tofu scramble for breakfast/brunch, I make tofu kabobs, I freeze it a couple days, thaw, and strain it really well and then use it for BBQ'd tofu slices, I put it in stir fry or pancit (similar to stir fry). It's good. It can taste like whatever you want it to. You can use it instead of eggs in cheesecake, make pudding out of it.... it's endless!

PeaceLoveVeggies

Ive had it at chinese places, where they just have the little squares, and it's fun to squish against your teeth, but that's the only point I see....

:noway:

GlenWalterGal

For me it's the texture I can't get past. I have no idea what to do with it except cut it into squares and that's when I get the icky texture...