Tofu ideas....please!

ummlovelovesyou
ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
I'm a vegetarian and after I was going thru my weekly meals....I cut out a lot of carbs from before I use to work out/changed diet (and I swim, so I'm not TOO worried about having a bit more than usual), and I only consume 12% protein on a weekly basis! AHHH!


Does anyone have any good meal ideas/recipes for me? Thanks, much appreciated

:flowerforyou: Olivia

Replies

  • RaeLB
    RaeLB Posts: 1,216 Member
    tofu pad thai! mmm
  • chele76
    chele76 Posts: 28 Member
    I have a new addiction - soy crumbles. They are just like having ground beef, but soy based! Super low in calories and high in protein. You can use them so many ways (in sauces, tacos!, sloppy joes, etc...) check em out.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    marinate it in bbq or use spray oil and fry it with pepper and ketchup I've found is really good. I saw somewhere someone must have put some olive oil or maybe even nothing at all and baked it. =] It goes well on sandwiches too. or kind of smash it a bit and mix it with taco seasoning for tacos or burritos.
  • eddie8131
    eddie8131 Posts: 600 Member
    Idea 1: Marinated Firm or Extra Firm Tofu "sticks" (slice the block lengthwise then into like 8 pieces) that are grilled on a George Foreman type grill (the new Griddler would be good too), served with peas and mushrooms.

    Idea 2: "Creamy" Tofu, cauliflower and potato soup. Bascially it is those ingredients and onions run through the blender.

    If there is interest I can give more detail. Thanks.
  • traceracer
    traceracer Posts: 303 Member
    bump! Love tofu!!!
  • gigiangelique
    gigiangelique Posts: 233 Member
    silk tofu is really good for tofu scrambels and making "alfredo sauce"
  • therealkittymao
    therealkittymao Posts: 194 Member
    I LOVE vegweb.com!!! It's a HUGE recipe database, and a lot of the stuff listed there is VERY easy to make! One of my favorites is the Tofu Loaf: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7688.0

    This is my friend Cadry's vegan cooking blog: http://cadryskitchen.com/

    This is a list of the most popular recipes on vegweb.com: http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=recipes;start=0;sort=views;desc

    And this lady has a vegan podcast that gets great reviews, I'm going to start downloading: http://www.compassionatecook.com/publications/the-joy-of-vegan-baking

    (I am not vegetarian myself, but I love cooking vegetarian/vegan meals a lot).
  • callikia
    callikia Posts: 226 Member
    And can someone tell me how to duplicate the Japanese restaurant's fried tofu at home?! *cries* I just can't seem to get the right taste/texture..especially that crispy outside! (This, and healthy mac-n-cheese that tastes good are my "holy grails" of my healthy cooking trials right now...)
  • RaeLB
    RaeLB Posts: 1,216 Member
    And can someone tell me how to duplicate the Japanese restaurant's fried tofu at home?! *cries* I just can't seem to get the right taste/texture..especially that crispy outside! (This, and healthy mac-n-cheese that tastes good are my "holy grails" of my healthy cooking trials right now...)

    extra firm tofu (or if you have less firm tofu on hand cut it up into small pieces put it on a towel put another towel on top of it and put some weight on top of it to get all the excess water out - i use books)
    cut it up & pan fry it squishing it with the spatula to get all the water out - that will get it nice and crispy
    you can use different seasonings or marinades you get different flavours
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
    I've hear that the reason the Japanese restaurant's tofu is like that is because they freeze than thaw it and that must do something with moisture? Not sure i haven't tried that.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    And can someone tell me how to duplicate the Japanese restaurant's fried tofu at home?! *cries* I just can't seem to get the right taste/texture..especially that crispy outside! (This, and healthy mac-n-cheese that tastes good are my "holy grails" of my healthy cooking trials right now...)

    I spoke with a friend of mine who owns a Japanese fusion restaurant... when he does crispy fried tofu, he will do a fine-grind on panko crumbs... lightly coat the E.F. Tofu cubes in sesame oil, and then coat in the panko-powder... they come up crispy-good every time!

    He will even season the panko powder with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chinese 5-spice... THIS Ive cooked at home and OH MY FREAKIN' GAWD its AMAZING!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Firm tofu is really good crumbled into marina sauce over spaghetti (whole grain, of course) or in other Italian dishes.

    Cube firm tofu and soak in reduced sodium soy sauce, then toss in corn starch and fry until crisp. These are delicious on a salad.

    Mix garlic or onion seasoning mix with silken soft tofu to make a delicious spread for a sandwich or wrap.
  • ummlovelovesyou
    ummlovelovesyou Posts: 1,024 Member
    Thank you everyone! I will try some of these out ;)
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    And can someone tell me how to duplicate the Japanese restaurant's fried tofu at home?! *cries* I just can't seem to get the right taste/texture..especially that crispy outside! (This, and healthy mac-n-cheese that tastes good are my "holy grails" of my healthy cooking trials right now...)

    extra firm tofu (or if you have less firm tofu on hand cut it up into small pieces put it on a towel put another towel on top of it and put some weight on top of it to get all the excess water out - i use books)
    cut it up & pan fry it squishing it with the spatula to get all the water out - that will get it nice and crispy
    you can use different seasonings or marinades you get different flavours

    This.

    And if you like your food spicy, try frying it in Szechuan oil. Makes a great sandwich.
  • HealthyAcademic
    HealthyAcademic Posts: 85 Member
    Some tofu tips.

    I use a Tofu Xpress. It's a gadget that makes pressing tofu much easier and cleaner. Pressing the tofu will result in a more dense and meaty texture. You want a firm or extra firm tofu from the refrigerator section. I like to press, marinade, press again.

    Freezing tofu will change the texture dramatically. All of the moisture collects together and when it defrosts all of that water melts out. It results in a much more spongey texture.

    Use silken soft tofu in smoothies and creamy soups. You can also whip it.
  • fiercegamergirl
    fiercegamergirl Posts: 6
    I don't know how to cook very well but I have had sesame and soy tofu on occasion and it is great. I imagine you could use it with vegetables, and even some brown rice in a small portion, and make a great dish. Tofu is very versatile and you can prepare it so many ways. Good luck! Post any nice recipes you come up with.
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
    BBQ tofu: sorta of mash tofu in a pan, add BBQ sauce and serve on a bun. i swear it tastes just like a pulled pork BBQ sammich. SO FREAKING DELISH.
  • CharlieLopez2005
    CharlieLopez2005 Posts: 114
    I'm not vegetarian/vegan, but I like to use the House Food's brand of organic extra firm tofu (0 carbs) to bake french fries (I love french fries, but I'm on a low-carb diet).

    Preheat oven to 375.

    Dry up the tofu with some paper towels as much as possible and then cut up into french fry pieces (try to be as even and consistent as possible to ensure even, consistent baking in the oven).

    Place tofu fries even onto a cookie sheet or baking pan, make sure they don't touch one another.

    Pour some extra virgin olive oil into a small bowl and use a small brush to lightly coat the tofu french fries.

    Season to taste (I like to use Lowry's seasoning salt).

    Once oven is preheated, place tofu french fries into oven for 12 minutes. Then flip over each fry for another 12 minutes. Then voila, you're done! Let cool for 2 or 3 minutes for extra crunchiness.

    It looks like french fries, but tastes like tofu. I like to season with a little more salt at the end and use Heinz's low-carb ketchup to dip.
  • allnewellie
    allnewellie Posts: 156
    tofu pasta (google tofu shirataki noodles) tossed in vegan indian sauces
    EF tofu marinated in chili sauce, then fried in a really, super hot skillet with about 2 tbsp of oil
    EF tofu heated through, then tossed with spinach, garlic and slivered almonds
  • JPDad
    JPDad Posts: 147
    Silk Tofu - Make a coconut curry sauce and add vegetables to the stir fry. Serve over rice
    Extra Firm Tofu - Marinade in a spicy BBQ sauce and grill until heated through.
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    I made this last night

    http://hotfrommyoven.blogspot.com/2011/08/spicy-lemongrass-tofu.html

    and it was SOOOO good! I had to stop myself from sneaking bites of it while the rest of my meal was cooking. Which was this, BTW....

    http://willcookforfriends.blogspot.com/2011/12/spicy-peanut-suace-its-whats-for-dinner.html

    I omitted the sesame seeds from the tofu and tossed the 'fu in with the veggies (I used mixed veggies and edamame instead of just broccoli), noodles, and sauce. Yummy!
  • veggievixen79
    veggievixen79 Posts: 109 Member
    yummmm this thread is making me hungry....
  • shivaslives
    shivaslives Posts: 279 Member
    Getting enough protein can be a struggle, especially if you're vegan. Even if you do eggs and/or dairy, it can be tough without getting a lot of carbs or fat. Tofu is a good source of protein and there are a lot of great suggestions here on how to prepare it (some of which I'm going to try also) but it can require an awful lot to get sufficient quantities of protein. For example, an entire block of extra firm tofu only has a total of 24 g of protein. For a big guy like me, that's only about 35% of my daily requirement and I can't eat an entire block of tofu a day. I've had to resort to protein powders to make up a big part of the difference. Since I'm a lacto-ovo-veg (13 years), I use the whey powder, which is a bit more recommended. However, you can also get soy powder at 20g protein a scoop and shake it up with your favorite juice for good protein boost.
    Good luck with your change and keep at it! You're doing great.

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  • callikia
    callikia Posts: 226 Member
    And can someone tell me how to duplicate the Japanese restaurant's fried tofu at home?! *cries* I just can't seem to get the right taste/texture..especially that crispy outside! (This, and healthy mac-n-cheese that tastes good are my "holy grails" of my healthy cooking trials right now...)

    I spoke with a friend of mine who owns a Japanese fusion restaurant... when he does crispy fried tofu, he will do a fine-grind on panko crumbs... lightly coat the E.F. Tofu cubes in sesame oil, and then coat in the panko-powder... they come up crispy-good every time!

    He will even season the panko powder with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chinese 5-spice... THIS Ive cooked at home and OH MY FREAKIN' GAWD its AMAZING!

    I will be trying this next time! Hopefully this week! (Requires me to stop by the store on my lunch break in the city because the store here doesn't carry EF tofu.)
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