Tofu Help Needed

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maia41
maia41 Posts: 8 Member
Have a pack of tofu and no idea what to do with it. I've been told that I need to drain it, suggestion was to put it between two plates and press with a weigh to get all the liquid. I've googled for recipes and it seems that tofu is very good for you. All the recipes I've found have lots of ingredients and you need a second mortgage to afford to make them. I've got some packets of Schwartz spices would it be ok to just chop the tofu and mix these in?

Replies

  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
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    Basically Tofu is flavorless so it will take on the flavor of anything you mix with it..cheap or expensive
  • VeggieHero
    VeggieHero Posts: 19 Member
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    My favorite way to eat it is scrambled. Just google scrambled tofu, there's a ton of recipes and you can add whatever you have at home.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    My favourite way to prepare Tofu, baked. Super easy and great texture. You can have your tofu any way you like afterwards. You don't have to follow the rest of the recipe.

    http://pin.it/SVgvKa3

    When preparing tofu it is very important to use the right firmness. Soft tofu may be eaten like a pudding with a little sweetener for instance, and if I am baking extra crispy as described above I buy extra firm. Pressing between two plates as you have read will make it firmer.

    The home made teriyaki sauce in the above recipe is heavenly but if you don't want to mess around with a lot of ingredients you can simply buy it ready made.
  • Mrsdjd
    Mrsdjd Posts: 25 Member
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    I like it scrambled, used as eggs in eggs salad and just fried, maybe added to a salad. Whole foods name brand tofu is quite firm and great for kebab on the grill.
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,141 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    My favourite way to prepare Tofu, baked. Super easy and great texture. You can have your tofu any way you like afterwards. You don't have to follow the rest of the recipe.

    http://pin.it/SVgvKa3

    When preparing tofu it is very important to use the right firmness. Soft tofu may be eaten like a pudding with a little sweetener for instance, and if I am baking extra crispy as described above I buy extra firm. Pressing between two plates as you have read will make it firmer.

    The home made teriyaki sauce in the above recipe is heavenly but if you don't want to mess around with a lot of ingredients you can simply buy it ready made.


    Definitely listen to this person. They are correct. If you want super easy baked tofu, what I do is to drain and press it (like listed above). Then I cut it into 4 "patties". In a little container, I mix a couple tablespoons of soy sauce and a teaspoon of hickory liquid smoke. Brush the mixture onto the patties on one side, sprinkle on garlic powder, salt and pepper. Put them face down on a baking sheet with non stick spray. Then, brush the second side and sprinkle just the same. Spray a little non stick on that side, too. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Flip them over and bake another 15 minutes. You can then use these in lots of different ways. The easiest is to slip them into a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and avocado mash (smash an avocado and add salt, pepper and a dash of red wine vinegar - mix it all up.)

    It's all about the preparation. Go with the flavors you know you like :) Enjoy!
  • maia41
    maia41 Posts: 8 Member
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    The make is Blue Dragon, it extra firm silken style. It came in my 1p box from approved foods. It says on the pack to drain and rinse under cold water and pat dry. Do you have to cook it or can you just chop it up. I intend to have a salad for dinner today, so it could go with that.
  • nevadavis1
    nevadavis1 Posts: 331 Member
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    Silken is a little different. I prefer to bake regular (not silken) extra firm tofu. For silken I'd blend it into a smoothie honestly. Or make the pudding (you can melt chocolate and blend it up with the tofu for a really good pudding). I don't think you can press silken tofu as it will crumble.
  • sarahshinks2233
    sarahshinks2233 Posts: 55 Member
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    maia41 wrote: »
    The make is Blue Dragon, it extra firm silken style. It came in my 1p box from approved foods. It says on the pack to drain and rinse under cold water and pat dry. Do you have to cook it or can you just chop it up. I intend to have a salad for dinner today, so it could go with that.

    Silken wont really cook up like the other recipes suggested. I've used silken tofu in smoothies and as a base for "cheese" sauces. It might work for scrambled tofu, as well but I've never personally tried that.
  • LottieLouise17
    LottieLouise17 Posts: 2 Member
    edited June 2017
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    maia41 wrote: »
    The make is Blue Dragon, it extra firm silken style. It came in my 1p box from approved foods. It says on the pack to drain and rinse under cold water and pat dry. Do you have to cook it or can you just chop it up. I intend to have a salad for dinner today, so it could go with that.

    As its extra firm silken tofu, I use it to make tofu 'ricotta' for a spinach cannelloni recipe or a tofu baked 'frittata' that includes lots of roasted veg (this one requires a blender/food processor).

    I adapt this spinach cannelloni recipe (I make a dairy free belchamel sauce, don't add pine nuts, use frozen spinach, and make a nicer tomato sauce). Low fat, low calories and makes loads. For the 'frittata', I follow this tofu filling for a quiche (excluding the hummus - 3tbsp is an awkward amount) but I don't make the potato crust and just add cooked new potatoes to the mix, and bake the filling as instructed. Perfect for 2-3 people, filling, and lovely in the summer with salad.
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,141 Member
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    Silken is definitely treated differently. I use silken to make vegan sour cream, mayo and fettuccini.
  • ElizabethBorden
    ElizabethBorden Posts: 15 Member
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    I like to throw mine in with my veggies in a stir fry mix. I don't use store brand sauces so I can control the sodium, but there are a bunch of different ways to season up a stir fry.