Is there a secret to make tofu absorb any flavor??

FatPixiee
FatPixiee Posts: 59 Member
edited November 17 in Recipes
I have recently started using tofu in things like spaghetti and chili partly because it's healthy and partly because my boyfriend is used to chinese cooking and thinks ground meats are too hard. So I last used it in the spaghetti. I tried my hardest to season it, adding spices like I would ground meat. I also added vegetables and sauteed it for a while then added the sauce. Ok, so the tofu had absolutely zero flavor. Is this just how it has to be or is there some way one can season the tofu more thoroughly?

Replies

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    Press it thoroughly and marinate it. If it is pressed well, it will soak up the flavors of the marinade like a sponge. I press mine in tea towels under a heavy cast iron pan, usually with a few tomato sauce cans on it for good measure. I try to press for at least a half hour. Then marinate for at least that length of time.

    You could also try a vegan product called Gimme Lean 'sausage'. You can crumble that up in your spaghetti sauce too. Also Boca (in the freezer section) has 'meat' crumbles. And then there is always good old TVP.... textured vegetable protein. It's a dried, processed soy product. You reconstitute it with a flavored liquid like veggie broth and then add it to your sauce. I've passed off TVP chili and no one even questioned if there was meat in it. ;)
  • FatPixiee
    FatPixiee Posts: 59 Member
    Ah. Yes I definitely didn't press it the right way. Thanks for the suggestions. I basically have to use something softer than meat so my boyfriend will eat it. For some reason the texture of the ground meat just irks him.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    TVP is great - I even buy bob's red mill at discount stores for $5/bag, but tofu needs to be fully pressed for stir fries, etc. Google will show you so many great techniques.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Laurend224 wrote: »
    Press it thoroughly and marinate it. If it is pressed well, it will soak up the flavors of the marinade like a sponge. I press mine in tea towels under a heavy cast iron pan, usually with a few tomato sauce cans on it for good measure. I try to press for at least a half hour. Then marinate for at least that length of time.

    You could also try a vegan product called Gimme Lean 'sausage'. You can crumble that up in your spaghetti sauce too. Also Boca (in the freezer section) has 'meat' crumbles. And then there is always good old TVP.... textured vegetable protein. It's a dried, processed soy product. You reconstitute it with a flavored liquid like veggie broth and then add it to your sauce. I've passed off TVP chili and no one even questioned if there was meat in it. ;)

    What Lauren said!



  • johnsonb0921
    johnsonb0921 Posts: 35 Member
    Freeze it for a few days first. The water crystals will create pores in the tofu that a) allow it to absorb more flavor, and b) makes the tofu itself denser and chewier. Freeze it until solid, then let thaw completely, and press the excess water out before marinating.
  • stiobhard
    stiobhard Posts: 140 Member
    edited May 2015
    not all tofu is equal... its like cheese... not only because the process of making it is very similar to some cheeses... but the variations between makers too... personally i like really firm tofu... wildwood or my recent discovery "san san tofu" (an asian brand). if you really want the tofu to absorb something... do like terry hope romero recommends in her book... dip it olive oil and soysauce ... bake in a pan then cover in a really flavorful sauce and bake some more.... the farm dips in straight soy sauce when breading tofu but that can be a bit too salty pretty fast... you can marinate it like you would meat... usually i just sautee it plain till its golden (not too crispy) and drop into soup or mix into stir fry... the sauce that way should engulf it... at vietnamese places they seem use alot of lime juice before grilling it.... and that might penetrate more... there was a place in nyc called dojo that would string hijiki seaweed through slabs of it...i suppose its a japanese recipe... ive had tofu in japanese restaurants but it really was puffed up and quite a different thing than i generally like...there are really infinite uses in asian cuisine...but i think if you consider it like cheese (the seventh day adventists actually call it bean cheese) rather than like meat... (just not cheddar... thats not what i mean) your expectations might become more flexible... ive never pressed it... seems unnecessary...if you have good tofu... but terry romero does refer to that process and so does the farm cookbook i think... i havent cooked it with a spaghetti dish in years but i would think if you slow cooked cubes in spaghetti sauce for a good while... it would be a very tasty addition to your pasta....
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