Tofu virgin here!

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tayca9174
tayca9174 Posts: 37
in Recipes
I'm interested in trying tofu but it looks gross. And wiggly. And toxic. I have no idea how to buy it, cook it, or eat it. Suggestions? Recipies?

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  • Get_Me_Fit
    Get_Me_Fit Posts: 44
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    i LOVE tofu. Basically, if your cooking, and you add tofu, the tofu takes the flavor, but not the "guilt" part that comes along (: I use it for meat alot, like bacon. It doesnt really require prepping, (except if you want to cut it. I like to dice it and add it to things) Go for it!
  • fimary
    fimary Posts: 286 Member
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    bump, also have lifted tofu in the supermarket and put it back a bit unsure of it.
  • R_is_for_Rachel
    R_is_for_Rachel Posts: 381 Member
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    great for chinese/thai dishes -just use the tofu instead of meat.

    tofu is pretty flvourless but picks up flavour, so we always marinade it before use (also if its fresh then you need to compress it first to lose some of the water) but basically marinade it in anything you want.
    also slice it up into whatever size chunks you want
  • tayca9174
    tayca9174 Posts: 37
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    great for chinese/thai dishes -just use the tofu instead of meat.

    tofu is pretty flvourless but picks up flavour, so we always marinade it before use (also if its fresh then you need to compress it first to lose some of the water) but basically marinade it in anything you want.
    also slice it up into whatever size chunks you want

    How do you compress tofu? And how do you know if its fresh?
  • Zino1
    Zino1 Posts: 5
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    How do you compress tofu? And how do you know if its fresh?


    Get a couple of Cookie sheets (tray), on the bottom one put down a couple of paper towels. Put the Tofu on the paper towels, put a layer of paper towels on top of the Tofu, then put the 2nd cookie sheet on top and put something heavy (cast iron pan ,,,=etc) on top of the cookie sheet. (i normally buy 4 bricks at a time so i compress that many at a time).

    if you only buy one brick, you may not need cookie sheets ... maybe a couple of small saute pans ....

    Let sit for about an hour .....
  • janet0513
    janet0513 Posts: 564 Member
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    Definitely start with an asian dish (pad thai is my fav). I buy the firm and just use a couple paper towels to get out some moisure (as with other proteins, if they are wet they don't brown well). Slice it small and brown it with a little oil (like you would with chicken) and add your other ingredients. The kids love it like this. Play around with recipes. It doesn't have a whole lot of flavor so make sure you add it to something flavorful.
  • jenniprr
    jenniprr Posts: 119
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    This is my favorite tofu recipe! It is for tofu tacos. It calls for garden herb tofu but I just use plain.

    Ingredients

    1 (16 ounce) package garden herb tofu, crumbled
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1/2 cup chopped onion
    2 teaspoons chili powder
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 lime, juiced
    1/2 cup tomato sauce
    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    10 medium taco shells, heated
    2 cups shredded lettuce
    2 tomatoes, chopped
    1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
    1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
    1/4 cup salsa

    Directions

    Over a medium heat fry the tofu, oil, garlic and onion in a large skillet for 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt, lime juice and tomato sauce to the skillet and stir. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. Spoon mixture in a serving bowl.
    Spoon the tofu mixture into taco shells. Top the mixture with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, Cheddar cheese and salsa.

    From: All Recipes
  • TheLukePhone
    TheLukePhone Posts: 30 Member
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    On the less healthy side, Deep fried tofu is sooooo good. :) That was my first adventure with tofu, and it was very tasty.

    You can desert tofus, very much like a cross between a pudding and a jello, and in different flavors. The Sunrise Maple Caramel flavor is great! They also do coconut, mango, etc, and only 90 cals per serving (which is actually a pretty satisfying size). I like it as a post workout snack, or as a sweet tooth treat. Very yummy and high in protein.

    I havent cooked with it before, but I've tried it at restaurants in the past, and it was really good. If you are into hot and sour soup, the local places here all use tofu in it.
  • MdmAcolyte
    MdmAcolyte Posts: 382 Member
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    I buy tofu and mash it up and use it in place of recipes using ricotta or cottage cheese... MMMMmmmm!!!

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