Tofu help

if you seen Forrest Gump and heard of Buba's Shrimps., well Tofu its the same, you can do whatever you please with tofu. Its a great protein., the firmer the more protein, but more fat, so balance it out of how firm you want it.

Tofu and other soy-based products are linked to thyroid problems, so just don't go crazy with too much soy. Almost all soy in this country is GMO too, so it's not the health food they market it to be. Just fyi.

I haven't tried this yet, but it's on the menu for this week:

Curried Tofu w/Rice

4 Servings

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 20 min.

Ingredients
1 package (12.3 ounces) extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions
Sprinkle tofu with seasoned salt. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute tofu in oil until lightly browned. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, curry, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in tofu; heat through. Serve with rice.

Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup tofu mixture with 1/2 cup rice equals 240 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 540 mg sodium.

I agree with her! I don't touch the stuff.

I only buy the extra stiff stuff...and cook it like you would chicken...it absorbes the flavours you cook it with...so when I make a stir fry i sautee the tofu in with onions, garlic, mushrooms and then add the sauce in after it's all sauteed. then add your veggies, the rest of the sauce and noodles or rice.

I've been working with tofu for quite some time now and there are mixed reviews on whether or not soy / tofu is healthy for you. All I can say from my own personal experience and research is that it is beneficial.

My favorite (and quick) recipe reminds me of eating a fresh mozzarella salad.

Extra firm tofu (cut up into bite-sized chunks)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped scallions
diced fresh tomatoes (optional)

Toss all ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

I also make meat crumbles with them and use them for things like chili.

tofu meat crumbles
1 block extra firm tofu
1 vegetarian beef bouillon
salt & pepper to taste
cooking spray
1 medium onion chopped fine
1 green bell pepper chopped fine
3 cloves garlic minced

Drain tofu, freeze overnight and allow to defrost. Drain again. With a fork, or your hands, crumble the tofu in a bowl. Saute' onion and pepper on med-high heat for 3 minutes. add garlic and saute for a minute more. Add crumbles and remaining ingredients. Saute and stir for an additional 5 minutes.

You can add that to anything you would normal use ground beef for. If you wanted to create a tofu burger with it, add egg to help bind it.

I cook with it quite a bit. I too only use the extra firm lite stuff. I love the curry recipe, it's close to what I make except I use curry in a bucket. I also really like to marinate it -- same as other meats (chicken, beef, or fish marinade)-- sometimes a few hrs or overnight then bake it in about 1/2 inch slices in the over @ 375. Play with it to find the texture & moisture level you want.

FYI - I got preoccupied last week with laundry and 'overcooked' the tofu so they were more like toast (but not burnt). I just crumbled it over salad and it was a knock-off crouton.

Best of luck!

I think soy, like any other "wonder food," has probably been over rated. It's not the cure for everything, but it's not bad for you and can be good for you in reasonable amounts. The tofu at my local grocery store says on the package that it's not GMO, so some non-GMO soy is still available in the USA. Asian markets might also be a good place to find a range of tofus, including imported ones.
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Agreed

Hey there everyone! I love tofu, but was also "scared" to eat it at first too. Plus my husband kept worrying about my kids eating it too often. I am attaching a link to an article that helped us a lot! This along with other research has eased our minds, and we now enjoy tofu once or twice a week. Also, for anyone who needs a tv personality to tell them it's ok, Dr. Oz said the same thing as this article on his show a few months ago. (I don't need his endorsement, but someone else might.)

As far as how to prepare it, you have been given many great suggestions! I'm going to try a few that were posted here. I personally drain the liquid in the package, and then slice the block of tofu into about 6 to 8 slices. I place these slices in between several layers of dish towels, put a plate on top of the towels, lay a heavy book on it, and leave it to absorb for about 20 minutes. This gets all the moisture out and then you can marinate in anything. I cook it in a skillet or roast in the oven. Delicious! I also make tofu ricotta sometimes and eat it uncooked on toast (and put it in lasagna). I took some time to like that, but now I do, I really really do... and so do my kids and hubby! Here's the link to a positive tofu article.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/staywellforfall/the-truth-about-soy-foods-2396850/

I really like tofu and being vegetarian it is a great way for me to get some protein. The newest thing I've tried is golden sesame tofu. I've been missing my favorite Chinese restaurant's sesame tofu (deep fried of course) so I gave this recipe a try. My husband and I really liked it (and he is a meat-eater) - so much so that I made it twice in two weeks. Here is the link http://dianacooks.com/2009/05/02/golden-sesame-tofu/
Its not as complicated as it sounds, but I made some changes. I couldn't find mirin so I used 1 T of rice vinegar and 1 T of sweet chili sauce, skipped the red pepper flakes, dusted the tofu w/ cornstarch (not that healthy but better than deep fat frying), and used scallions. It is great left over as well.

Tofu Tip: If you freeze tofu, thaw it and drain it well, it has a "meatier" texture.

Another quick recipe that I like is Tofu pot pie. Since becoming veg - I've really missed certain comfort foods - pot pies being one of them. This turned out good and hit the spot.
Ingredients:
Pepperidge Farm - Puff Pastry Sheets - 1;
Campbell's - Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - 1 can
Nasoya - Super Firm Tofu - Cubed (I measured 80 grams (8.4 oz) with my food scale)
Onions - Sweet, raw, 1 onion
Carrots - Raw, 0.5 cup, chopped
Generic - Garlic Raw Clove, 1 raw clove
Oil Olive 1 Tbsp
Frozen Whole Kernel Golden Corn, 2/3 cup
Sweet Peas Frozen, 2/3 cup

Directions:
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they're tender, stirring often.
Stir the gravy, vegetables and tofu in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Spoon the tofu mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
Unfold the pastry sheet and place over the tofu mixture. Trim excess pastry. Crimp the pastry with a fork to seal.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Serves 6: Calories Per Serving: 357; Carbs - 30; Fat - 21; Protein - 11