TOFU LOVERS ONLY

enkennon

This is really embarrassing BUT I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years and tonight is my first time cooking tofu. We shall see how this comes out! I'm using nasoya. I'm pressing it now, going to cut it up into cubes, marinade it in some sesame oil and garlic and then bake it on 400 for 40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.

What do you think MFP?!

Am I doing it right?

Tell me your favorite tofu recipes!


Sincerely, Erica

hearts895

Tofu scrambles are delicious - just take firm tofu, crumble it up, and mix it with vegetables like green onions and mushrooms. You can add egg or egg white to make it a little more dense. Season with low sodium soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and your favorite herbs. Its especially delicious when you put it in a tortilla and add some salsa over the top.

Tofu in miso soup is good too - take the shelf stable Mori Nu brand Lite Tofu for the smallest calories, cut it into small chunks and cook it in some miso soup broth. Makes a very low cal Japanese-style snack.

Pan fried tofu cubes are weirdly addicting lol, just make sure not to use too much oil. Serve on the side with any veggies or add to any soup.

Those are some of the mainstay ideas I've grown up eating with my family. I also know that some people make vegetarian lasagna with soft tofu. The best chocolate chip cookies I've ever eaten substituted tofu for butter/milk so I know you can bake with it too.
Enjoy!

pocketmole

from what i understand, you shouldn't use oil-based marinades with tofu because tofu contains so much water. they don't really mesh well together, so water-based marinades are best if you want to get the most flavor penetration (sexy).

whenever i pan fry tofu i usually toss the cubes in a dusting of corn starch first. it gives them a nice, very light crust that i really enjoy

bethlaf

Drain tofu
1/2 c cornstarch
1t pepper
1/2t garlic
1/2 t sugar
1T sesame seeds
combine cornstarch and seasonings

slice tofu into about 1/3 inch thick strips
dredge in cornstarch
place on heated (325 Degrees) griddle
add SMALL bit of butter to the grill ,
cook 3-7 minutes till lightly browned, flip and repeat, when completely cooked
tofu will be yummy the edges crispy and toasted and DELICIOUS!!!
serve with thinned hosin sauce

enkennon

Yum! It all sounds good so far!! I tried the simple baking method out tonight but the tofu came out a little bland so i know for nect time to add more flavor! ... Still good though!

E

beckydragonpoet

Bump

Mimoki

Oh tofu curries are the best, check out shesimmers.com. Just replace all non veggie stuff with tofu and etc. Yummmers!

vegan4lyfe2012

I've been cooking with Nasoya Lite Firm tofu for a long time, but just this past week I gave freezing a try. Drain and press your tofu, then put in a freezer bag and freeze overnight. Thaw it out the next day and re-press. It really firms up. Cut into 4 "cutlets". Then, brush a mixture of lite soy sauce and liquid smoke on them. It soaks right in. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, flip over and bake another 5. They are AMAZING and I don't want it any other way now!

kklemarow

I make a simple stir-fry about 4 times a week (I'm addicted). Marinade/sauce below:

Marinade:
Soy sauce
Sriracha hot sauce
Agave nectar
Fresh ginger & garlic

After marinating pressed/cubed tofu, throw into a wok with veggies and cook until desired consistency is achieved. Then, add some natural peanut butter and top with either sesame seeds or crushed peanuts.

So simple and SO tasty.

SarahDavs

I've been eating Tofu my whole life. I like to just take it out of the liquid, press in a towel then cube it. You can saute it and add seasonings in the pan, or bake it and sprinkle seasonings on that way, or shake it up in a bag before hand. I like it hot or cold, with vinaigrette or soy sauce. I like to bread it and saute too. My favorite is just Firm tofu with a little salt and pepper. But you can put your own favorite seasonings on it. I prefer to bake it for a shorter time then usually recommended on recipes, because I like the consistency to stay soft on the inside (kind of like the consistency of paneer cheese) or it will dry out.

meeper123

ilove tofu I prefer extra firms texture and I scramble it like eggs or cube it for stir fry tofu is very forgiving just make sure you season it well

bronnyd

This is really embarrassing BUT I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years and tonight is my first time cooking tofu. We shall see how this comes out! I'm using nasoya. I'm pressing it now, going to cut it up into cubes, marinade it in some sesame oil and garlic and then bake it on 400 for 40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.

What do you think MFP?!

Am I doing it right?

Tell me your favorite tofu recipes!


Sincerely, Erica

I would recommend baking it for about half that time, personally. At 40 minutes you may end up with dry, rock hard tofu cubes. In my experience it's really easy to overcook...and you can't really UNDERCOOK it (heck, I've eaten it raw before) so I would err on the side of less time.

babydiego87

i think i must be part of a small minority of vegetarians who cant stand tofu. ive tried scramble, grilling etc. just tastes horrible to me. the only time ive been able to stand it is in a thai restaurant.

krithsai

i think i must be part of a small minority of vegetarians who cant stand tofu. ive tried scramble, grilling etc. just tastes horrible to me. the only time ive been able to stand it is in a thai restaurant.

I can do tofu in soups. But no other way Maybe I've never done it right.

Zylahe

Drain tofu
1/2 c cornstarch
1t pepper
1/2t garlic
1/2 t sugar
1T sesame seeds
combine cornstarch and seasonings

slice tofu into about 1/3 inch thick strips
dredge in cornstarch
place on heated (325 Degrees) griddle
add SMALL bit of butter to the grill ,
cook 3-7 minutes till lightly browned, flip and repeat, when completely cooked
tofu will be yummy the edges crispy and toasted and DELICIOUS!!!
serve with thinned hosin sauce

Hmm i place mine on a bed of rice andsmother with sweet and sour (HK style)
And its amazin?

Also if you freeze tofu itchnages its texture, always good to know if you want something different.
And dont forget to try silken tofu for. Cheesecake style dessert.....

Shawnzgirl78

*bump*
Never thought I would be drooling over the idea of eating tofu but you people are marvelous with your ideas!
I MUST try this dish, it sounds delish!

krithsai

*bump*
Never thought I would be drooling over the idea of eating tofu but you people are marvelous with your ideas!
I MUST try this dish, it sounds delish!

Agreed! Some of these ideas are too good to pass up on! Will definitely try!

dimsumkitty

I looooove tofu and I'm not even vegetarian

But if you really want perfection in your tofu, I'd follow this recipe by Kenji from Serious Eats. He takes getting food perfect seriously.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/02/vegan-food-mapo-tofu-vegetarian-sichuan.html

Or just any Mapo Tofu recipe really

Caitable

MMMM Mapo dofu recipes...the best thing about learning Mandarin was learning how to properly make this. Personally I like Firm Tofu, Press it to remove extra water and marinate over night to give it time to reabsorb the flavors and moisture from the marinade. I've do used everything from a basic teriyaki to caribbean jerk

enkennon

Mmmm these are all great tips! I have been eating tofu for a few days now I love it!!!

deanjou59

My favorite tofu recipe is from eating well! It is quick and yummy! It serves two!

Ingredients
1 8-ounce can pineapple chunks or tidbits, 3 tablespoons juice reserved
5 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons brown sugar
7 ounces extra-firm, water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 large bell pepper, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips






Preparation
1.Whisk the reserved 3 tablespoons pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Place tofu in a medium bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Let marinate for 5 minutes. Add cornstarch to the remaining sauce and whisk until smooth.
2.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the tofu to the skillet using a slotted spoon. Whisk any remaining marinade into the bowl of sauce. Cook the tofu, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes total. Transfer the tofu to a plate.
3.Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add the tofu and pineapple chunks (or tidbits) and cook, stirring gently, until heated through, about 2 minutes more.


Nutrition

Per serving: 263 calories; 12 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 4 g fiber; 368 mg sodium; 549 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (280% daily value), Vitamin A (50% dv), Calcium (25% dv), Magnesium (18% dv).

Exchanges: Exhanges: 2 fruit, 1 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat

rosebarnalice

I make an awesome white veggie chili with it.

Just look up a "white chicken chili" recipe and substitute extra firm tofu cut into smallish pieces.

AleciaG724

I love it any which way - so much fun to experiment with it!

Try tofu jerkey... drain, freeze, drain. Slice into thin strips, you'll get quite a few pieces. Marinate in soy, liquid smoke, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, a pinch of sugar & a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Lay them out on a sheet pan - if you have a cooling rack you can put them on then on sheet pan, even better. Then bake at the lowest setting on your oven, should be about 200 degrees or less. Flip them over every few hours - it takes about 12 hours total. They get very leathery, a little salty-spicy & great to chew on.

Also blend up 1 pkg silken tofu with 1/4 c. agave syrup, zest from an orange, 1 tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of salt & 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Blend for a full minute. Chill in fridge overnight - don't stir after chilling, it will get runny. Great on pancakes, fruit salad, etc. or by itself.

crissykclai

I love tofu, I'll pull some recipes and post them tomorrow. Thanks for the new ideas everyone!

BeachIron

I'm not even close to being a vegetarian, but I miss the little dude with the cart and the whistle, and the great izakaya with varieties of fresh tofu and yuba, in Japan. It seems like it is impossible to get decent tofu in the U.S. so I stopped eating it again.

wild_wild_life

Bump. I usually just force it down. These look like better ideas. Thanks!

WickedGarden

I buy extra firm organic (98% of US tofu is GMO).

I really don't do anything special with it, I just use it like a meat substitute, or if I just want more protein. Cube and toss it in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Stir-Fry, curry, miso soup. I have even just put sesame oil and soy sauce in a pan with green onions, pan seared it and dumped it over bean threads. I honestly don't even bother with the pressing part.

Sometimes I change it up and buy the fried bean curd (known as fried tofu).