Diving into the world of tofu! Any ideas?

I don't have the nutrition info on it, but here is a recipe I learned when I lived in Japan. I've modified it a bit for my family.

Mabodofu
1 lb turkey sausage or plain ground turkey (the original recipe called for pork sausage)
2 cups chopped veggies (I use carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, whatever you like best)

Brown and crumble the meat in a little bit (about 2 tsp) of olive oil. Remove it to another bowl and stir fry the veggies in the same pan until they are a little soft (3-5 minutes). Add the meat back in and mix in

1 cup of water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp powdered ginger

Stir it well then cut up into cubes
1 package firm tofu (extra firm works well, too)
Add the tofu to the meat and veggies. Once the liquid starts to bubble, mix in a small bowl
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp corn starch
Add the corn starch mixture to the meat, veggies and tofu. When it starts to thicken, you are done. I serve this over sticky rice but you can also just eat it without the rice.

I reccomend "Tofu 2 Go" in the sesame ginger flavor. Its great in stir frys, just chop it up and throw it in at the last minute to heat it through. Tofu shiritaki noodles are a great substitute for pasta (I find them at Safeway in the produce section, next to the soba noodles). The texture is a bit difficult to get used to at first, but if you slather enough spagetti sauce on them and they are great. If you are going for plain tofu, firm is best for stir frys and soft is great for shakes and as a substitute for ricotta cheese. (I put tofu in my lasagna, and my husband is none the wiser). Also, I posted a recipe called "faux pho" a couple of days ago that had tofu in it. It was super yummy and very filling.

My first tofu cooking experience was a vegan pad thai recipe. Lots of random weird ingredients, but turned out pretty yummy.

It was from a cookbook and way over complicated, but I learned the extra firm tofu is easy to work with.

:drinker:

:laugh: Agreed, tofu shiritaki noodles are difficult to get used to. Don't let them discourage you from eating tofu all together though! As for the noodles, I promise you do get used to them after a while. I've learned to cook them a bit longer then the package says to because it softens them up. Did I mention you need lots of sauce for the noodles to be good?

This is really simple and I may have posted this before-
I love tofu on anything. My favorite way to prepare it is to press the water out (I buy firm and usually Panda brand but it's made in Michigan which is where I live). Cut it up into slices and put into a sandwhich bag.
Make a marinade out of equal parts olive oil and basalmic vinegar and add garlic, s&p and some other herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, etc). Pour the marinade over the tofu and let it sit for a half an hour to a day.
Put tofu on a broiling pan. Set shelf in oven on 2nd to highest rack and broil the tofu for about 4-6 minutes on each side. This gives it a good non-rubbery texture and great flavor.
From here I will mix it with pasta and veggies (and eat it dry or throw a little olive oil or broth on it) or my favorite, on a salad with some other veggies and fresh mozzarella! I can't lie, sometimes I just eat it plain, it's just so good.

I used to cook with Tofu often. Baked tofu is okay seasoned. There is a great cook book called The New Soy Cookbook. The benefits of tofu are great. It is packed full of soy protein which has been proven to aid weight loss. A study from Brigham Young University proved that 20g of soy protein added to your diets daily significantly aids weight loss. I am a Vegetarian. I am not partial to tofu, but I love other soy products. Boca burgers, Soy protein shakes, fresh soybean cooked with orange zest and a little marmalade. There are many great tasting soy options.

I also like to use tofu where I would use ricotta cheese, like in a lasagna or stuffed shells. Just blend it up with spinach and use it to stuff pasta. The family doesn't know the diff. Also, Trader Joe's has some great flavored tofu (teriyaki etc) There are nice to toss into a salad with mandarin oranges and almonds. You don't even need a dressing