Is there a such thing as a good tofu recipe?

[kenny]

....... or is delicious-tofu and oxymoron?
I bought three of these today at Costco and want to know how to cook it.

Yes, our old orchid is about to flower.
(Every thread needs a picture, don't you think?)

 

[somethingshiny]

Cover it in a steak??

 

[Cehrabehra]

Yes - I LOVE tofu but there are a few things to keep in mind... some tofu (called Douf here in china) has a very STRONG flavor and I don''t always like those, but cut it small and put it in with some meaty mushrooms and a good sauce and it''s amazing. The very soft japanese tofu is often deep fried and then put in stews and it just melts in your mouth when you eat it and has an amazingly subtle flavor that reminds me of a milky cheese or something. One of the best ways to masquerade tofu is to use a pastry blender on it until it''s small little bits and then use all the traditional stuff for making egg salad (mustard, mayo, onion, celery etc) and honestly I couldn''t tell the difference on that dish.

I have yet to enjoy it when it is trying to pretend to be meat. I only enjoy it when I can enjoy it for what it is and not what it is pretending to be..... except the egg salad thing lol

 

[lightningbug]

Oh my goodness, Kenny ~ yes! The absolute KEY to tofu is to marinate it, because tofu absorbs flavors like a sponge.

Pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees, slice the tofu into cubes, strips, or slices, and lightly toss it with a marinade. A good basic marinade is:

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs dark sesame oil
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp grated ginger root
1 garlic clove, pressed

(You can also add a little Chinese chile paste or chipotles in adobo for kick.)

Bake it uncovered (stir it a couple of times) for 30-40 minutes until it gets chewy. Serve it over rice, with some long green beans, broccoli. pea pods, or other veggies on the side.

This is a standard recipe. I think I got it originally from one of the Moosewood books but have since memorized it.

 

[Sha]

For sure!!! My DH has done lovely tofu recipes....he does a great tofu stir-fry with peppers and tomatoes and carrots - yum!! My favourite recipe is his tofu cheesecake. IT''s DELICIOUS!!!! I couldn''t stop eating it! Tastes just like the real thing!

 

[lightningbug]

Date: 5/6/2010 9:24:52 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
Yes - I LOVE tofu but there are a few things to keep in mind... some tofu (called Douf here in china) has a very STRONG flavor and I don''t always like those, but cut it small and put it in with some meaty mushrooms and a good sauce and it''s amazing. The very soft japanese tofu is often deep fried and then put in stews and it just melts in your mouth when you eat it and has an amazingly subtle flavor that reminds me of a milky cheese or something. One of the best ways to masquerade tofu is to use a pastry blender on it until it''s small little bits and then use all the traditional stuff for making egg salad (mustard, mayo, onion, celery etc) and honestly I couldn''t tell the difference on that dish.


I have yet to enjoy it when it is trying to pretend to be meat. I only enjoy it when I can enjoy it for what it is and not what it is pretending to be..... except the egg salad thing lol

Cehra, I didn''t know that you''re in China. Cool!

 

[BeachRunner]

I love tofu. I''m not a vegetarian, but could be; I just love vegetarian food.

I cook tofu in stir-fry. First, I''d recommend an extra-firm tofu as it holds together better when/if you decide to stir-fry it. I actually bread my tofu in bread-crumbs and saute it in some olive oil. I add brown rice and veg. Yum!

It''s very true that tofu absorbs the flavor of anything you cook it in. I''ve eaten tofu in soups, stir-frys, noodle dishes, etc.

Have fun w/ your tofu!

 

[CasaBlanca]

My fav is Tyler Florence''s creation....HERE

I just noticed your other thread about loosing weight. So instead of using white rice, use BROWN. Cut out all white things in you diet. White Flour (breads, pastas etc), Potatoes (sweet are ok), Rice, SUGAR. Begin to lessen your salt intake too!

White stuff is no good for a svelte new and improved KENNY.

Except white tofu.

I usually press my tofu for hours. Placed on paper towels or cloth and press it down with weight. Change the absorbing material often. Get it as dry as possible. Then grill, saute or stirfry. As other suggested, marinate ahead.

 

[HopeDream]

Cute bird!!

How about bacon wrapped tofu ?

I realy love chilled silken tofu with soysauce (Hiyayakko) - on a hot day there''s nothing like it

Then there''s the classic Mapo dofu

 

[Dreamer_D]

I love tofu. The key is marination and also using sauces. Anything you would use on meat would taste really good!

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 5/6/2010 10:13:10 PM
Author: CasaBlanca
My fav is Tyler Florence''s creation....HERE


I just noticed your other thread about loosing weight. So instead of using white rice, use BROWN. Cut out all white things in you diet. White Flour (breads, pastas etc), Potatoes (sweet are ok), Rice, SUGAR. Begin to lessen your salt intake too!


White stuff is no good for a svelte new and improved KENNY.


Except white tofu.

usually press my tofu for hours. Placed on paper towels or cloth and press it down with weight. Change the absorbing material often. Get it as dry as possible. Then grill, saute or stirfry. As other suggested, marinate ahead.

Yup, this is important. Tofu has a lot of liquid in it and when added with oil, watch out! Breading your tofu helps w/ this and also makes a crispier texture.

 

[joxxxelyn]

The trick is to get it to soak up the flavors of whatever you marinate it with. To do this, you need to drain it well, slice it, and then dry it out. Basically, open it, make slices about an inch thick, and then lay them over a clean towel. Lay another clean towel on top and press gently as to dry out the tofu. Then, you can add some marinade. I like shoyu sauce. You''ll want to soak it for a few hours and then dry it again. At that point, you can coat it with a thin layer of oil (or just the baking sheet if you want to cut the fat). Then, bake it for a really long time on low-ish heat. If I remember correctly, it''ll take at least an hour on 300 degrees. Check it periodically. This way, the tofu gets a nice crunchy edge to it and browns a bit and retains sufficient flavor.

The only other way I know of is to pan fry it until it browns. My mom used to that but it took forever. Basically prepare the same way by drying it out but instead of baking it, pan fry it. I found it to be very time intensive. But that''s probably because I don''t know how to do it right.

 

[joxxxelyn]

Oh, I can''t believe I forgot miso soup. Miso soup is a staple with any sushi dinner. Unfortunately I haven''t put effort into really figuring out how to make it, but you''d need to go to an Asian grocery store (which you may have where you live) and get the correct seaweed and broth. I would ask a clerk there. In fact, you''ve reminded me that I want to try making miso soup again.

 

[TravelingGal]

If you don''t like tofu to start with, I don''t see how it would taste good this way or that way. I love the taste of tofu right out of the container, but that''s just crazy me. I just love it wrapped wtih plain ol'' stinky kimchi (Korean picked spicy cabbage.)

 

[oddoneout]

Date: 5/6/2010 9:24:52 PM
Author: Cehrabehra
Yes - I LOVE tofu but there are a few things to keep in mind... some tofu (called Douf here in china) has a very STRONG flavor and I don't always like those, but cut it small and put it in with some meaty mushrooms and a good sauce and it's amazing. The very soft japanese tofu is often deep fried and then put in stews and it just melts in your mouth when you eat it and has an amazingly subtle flavor that reminds me of a milky cheese or something. One of the best ways to masquerade tofu is to use a pastry blender on it until it's small little bits and then use all the traditional stuff for making egg salad (mustard, mayo, onion, celery etc) and honestly I couldn't tell the difference on that dish.


I have yet to enjoy it when it is trying to pretend to be meat. I only enjoy it when I can enjoy it for what it is and not what it is pretending to be..... except the egg salad thing lol

I've made the mock egg salad with tofu. It was really good. I like frying (with some healthy oil) cut up tofu with some veggies and then put it over brown rice, couscous or whole wheat pasta. Also you can bread it and make mock chicken fingers. Tofu is kind of tasteless so it tastes like what you put it with. You could get a vegetarian cookbook or look up recipes online too (Vegetarian Times [the magazine] has good recipes on their website).

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 5/6/2010 11:29:58 PM
Author: joxxxelyn


Oh, I can''t believe I forgot miso soup. Miso soup is a staple with any sushi dinner. Unfortunately I haven''t put effort into really figuring out how to make it, but you''d need to go to an Asian grocery store (which you may have where you live) and get the correct seaweed and broth. I would ask a clerk there. In fact, you''ve reminded me that I want to try making miso soup again.

one of my funniest stories of my daughter was when we were waiting at a sushi place for some takeout and it was gonna be a while so we got some miso soup... we''re both happily drinking away at the broth when she exclaims, "Yay! Tofu!" and I looked over at her and her face *fell* before my eyes as she turned to me in the most serious face and said, "Oh my god, I''m so weird." LOL She was a little too excited...

 

[megumic]

Date: 5/6/2010 9:45:03 PM
Author: lightningbug
Oh my goodness, Kenny ~ yes! The absolute KEY to tofu is to marinate it, because tofu absorbs flavors like a sponge.


Pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees, slice the tofu into cubes, strips, or slices, and lightly toss it with a marinade. A good basic marinade is:


1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs dark sesame oil

3 Tbs soy sauce

2 tsp grated ginger root

1 garlic clove, pressed


(You can also add a little Chinese chile paste or chipotles in adobo for kick.)


Bake it uncovered (stir it a couple of times) for 30-40 minutes until it gets chewy. Serve it over rice, with some long green beans, broccoli. pea pods, or other veggies on the side.


This is a standard recipe. I think I got it originally from one of the Moosewood books but have since memorized it.

THIS! Cut the tofu into rectangles (about 1" by 2") and marinate it overnight. Then throw it in a frying pan with a teeeeeny bit of spray, or bake it or grill it. Also, you can sub the sesame oil with rice vinegar and it adds a delicious flavor!!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Kenny,

Great pic! I love tofu!!! I do not care for it plain and usually have it in a stir-fry, pad thai or a curry. I usually buy firm or extra firm. To make a curry, I take the whole block, wrap in a few paper towels, then a kitchen towel, put on a plate with another plate on top and then put something heavy-ish on top of that. After 10-15 minutes, I slice the tofu and then throw it in a hot wok with olive oil aleady heated, until it is brown on both sides. Remove from wok, and add any veggies you want. I usually do red and green peppers, onion, brocolli, boiled potatoes cut into pieces and sometimes yellow and green squash. I love the yellow Thai curry paste, so I heat coconut milk with the yellow curry, then add to the veggies, add tofu. Done. Serve over rice. This is one of my favorite homemade dishes. Yum, yum, yum. The flavor of the curry really makes the whole dish, including the tofu, a treat!

You can do anything with tofu that you would do with meat! Sautee in a pan with cumin and chili power, peppers and onions, to make tacos, enchiladas or burritos! Yum.

Tofu Rancheros is super-delicious!

In all my years of eating tofu, I have never marinated and baked it, so I will have to try some of the above suggestions.

Cehrabehra,

Your story about your daughter is adorable!

Yay, tofu!

 

[Rachel9]

DH''s tofu parmigiana:

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
salt and black pepper to taste
1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu sliced 1/4 inch thick and frozen for a few minutes [easier to work with]
2 tablespoons olive oil [or canola]
about 10-12 oz of marinara sauce
1 4 ounces shredded mozzarella

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Place tofu slices in bowl of cold water. One at a time, press tofu slices into crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, turn, and brown on the other side.
Place a thin layer of sauce in an 8 inch square baking pan. Arrange tofu slices in the pan. Spoon remaining sauce over tofu. Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan.
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes

 

[April20]

My mom made tofu stroganoff a lot when we were growing up. She''d slice it along the narrow side, creating smallish rectangles, run it thru cornmeal and then brown it on each side. She made a gravy out of the drippings and added sauteed onions. I think she might have thrown a little nutritional yeast in there somewhere along the way (into the gravy). It was actually really good.... every now and then I really want some.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Kenny, I think you live in California right? There are a ton of Asian restaurants that you can try out. Order some tofu dishes and see which ones you like. I like to eat Asian-style tofu because that''s what I grew up with (I''m Chinese/Japanese), dh is Korean.

Chinese- Mapo Tofu (with spicy sauce and minced meat), Homestyle Tofu (sometimes called tofu with brown sauce and veggies). If you''re making these from home, either of these sauces can be purchased at an Asian Market (99 Ranch)

Korean- Soontubu (Hot tofu stew) this is a bubbling hot tofu stew, and you can choose vegetarian, seafood, beef, kimchi, and all kinds of different flavor tofu stews. Served with steamed rice, and all kinds of little side dishes. You can also buy Soontubu soup bases at Korean markets

Japanese-Cold tofu salad with bonito flakes and scallions, Miso soup with tofu, sukiyaki (hot pot) with tofu.......


If you need any recipes, let me know.

 

[kenny]

Thanks so much for these suggestions.
It will take some time to try them all.

Yummmmmm.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I love tofu too - I cook it with onion and garlic and soy sauce with a bit of olive oil in a frying pan. I like mine to be pretty crispy - almost burnt sometimes.. yum!

 

[zoebartlett]

I love tofu!

I usually include it in these dishes:

* chicken stir-fry
* some type of egg scramble (I usually add salsa, a little cheese, and sometimes black beans.)
* chicken soup (rice or pasta, baby spinach, and canned tomatoes)
* tofu, rice, and stir-fry sauce

 

[sphenequeen]

Date: 5/7/2010 6:08:30 PM
Author: April20
My mom made tofu stroganoff a lot when we were growing up. She''d slice it along the narrow side, creating smallish rectangles, run it thru cornmeal and then brown it on each side. She made a gravy out of the drippings and added sauteed onions. I think she might have thrown a little nutritional yeast in there somewhere along the way (into the gravy). It was actually really good.... every now and then I really want some.

I would pay good money for this recipe

 

[Lynn B]

ABSOLUTELY!!! I LOVE TOFU!

There are some amazing things that can be done with tofu. Like someone said above, the first thing to remember is that it absorbs the flavors surrounding it like a sponge, and the 2nd thing to remember about tofu to remember is that not all *types* of tofu will work in *all* recipes. There's firm tofu, extra-firm tofu, silken tofu, etc., etc., and they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Two of my favorite tofu recipes below:
(This recipe uses firm tofu)
Fettuccine and Tofu with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce

And here's a rather unusual dessert recipe using tofu:
Chocolate Mousse

Both recipes are Cooking Light recipes, so they are healthy AND delicious!

 

[lightningbug]

Date: 5/8/2010 1:14:23 PM
Author: Lynn B
ABSOLUTELY!!! I LOVE TOFU!


There are some amazing things that can be done with tofu. Like someone said above, the first thing to remember is that it absorbs the flavors surrounding it like a sponge, and the 2nd thing to remember about tofu to remember is that not all *types* of tofu will work in *all* recipes. There''s firm tofu, extra-firm tofu, silken tofu, etc., etc., and they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.


Two of my favorite tofu recipes below:

(This recipe uses firm tofu)

Fettuccine and Tofu with Finger-Licking Peanut Sauce


And here''s a rather unusual dessert recipe using tofu:

Chocolate Mousse


Both recipes are Cooking Light recipes, so they are healthy AND delicious!

Nom nom nom. The only thing bad about tofu chocolate mousse is that it tastes so good it''s hard not to eat all 8 servings at once.

Kenny, we made the marinaded tofu for dinner last night in your honor. Too bad we didn''t have the bird to go with it. To watch, I mean...not to eat.

 

[kenny]

Date: 5/8/2010 1:27:59 PM
Author: lightningbug

Kenny, we made the marinaded tofu for dinner last night in your honor. Too bad we didn''t have the bird to go with it.

What?
No shrimp?

 

[joxxxelyn]

I''d just like to take a moment to second the mock egg salad suggestion. I forgot that my mom used to make that, and hands down it blows regular egg salad out of the water. Yum!