I Have A Block of Tofu. How Do I Eat It? (Your Favorite Tofu Recipes)

Cafe Society
1

I bought it in a moment of health-food zeal even though I have no idea how to prepare it. Well, I’m sorta new to the health-food thing, having survived on fried potatoes and pizza for a good portion of my adult life. The tofu was one of my first steps into the mysterious and vaguely frightening realm of Healthy Eating.

Dopers, what are your suggestions? Given that I am even somewhat uncertain as to the nature of this product, other than it can be used as a meat subsitute, I don’t quite know what to do with it.

The package now sits in my fridge, where it has been since I bought it, a visual reproach. “You must eat me!” it whispers. “You can’t let me go to waste. There are starving children in Africa!”

2

Mail it to Africa.

Then go eat a hamburger.

3

Just get out a spoon and start eating it like peanut butter.

4

There are several ways of going about cooking tofu. First of all, it would help to know if it’s soft or firm tofu.

Great thing about tofu is that it does pick up the flavors of whatever you’re cooking it in. Marinating it in just about anything and then cooking it will taste good.

A favorite recipe of mine (we’ve done this several times at work, and it’s a huge hit) is: Stir-fried Tofu & Shiitake Mushrooms in Black Bean Sauce

Doing it in a pad thai, or a stirfry, or just about anything will work. Epicurious has some really great recipes.

5

Tofu is all about what you cook it IN rather than any taste it has itself.

You can make a really great pasta sauce using it instead of ground beef…

Cut into small cubes (half an inch square, or so)

Marinate it in soysauce, chopped ginger and garlic.

Fry until all sides are crispy brown (This is where I start eating it straight)

Add into tomato-based sauce like you would ground beef.

So yummy.

-n

6

I like baked tofu. If it is firm, slice it into pieces about a quarter of an inch thick and bake until medium brown.

Tofu and scrambled eggs is good too. I would pput the tofu in the skillet first and let it get nice and toasty or melty and then add the eggs.

7

There’s nothing specially “healthy” about tofu - it’s just bean curd. Vegans and other warped types valiantly insist on using it as a “substitute” for other foods. It’s not a “substitute” for anything nutritionally - it is what it is.

How about ma po? This is delicious (the following recipe needs a couple of chili peppers added to ot, IMO, or beter still some chili oil from an asian store)…

http://www.world-recipes.info/china-chinese/mapo-tofu.htm

8

Tofu Benin With Tomato-Peanut Sauce, in the Vegetarian Times recipe database. Mmm-mmm!

9

If it is proper, fresh tofu and not horrible long-life stuff then just chill it well, put a little block into a dish, and pour over soy sauce. (Light if possible.) Then add a squirt of wasabi, or some finely chopped green onions, or a blob of fresh grated ginger root (my favourite.) Yum on a hot evening. Very cooling.

10

It’s a good idea to boil the tofu before frying it, as it makes it firmer and less spongey. I got the tip from this site: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/chefs/mollie/mollieint3.html (the interesting bit is found a little more than halfway down on the page).

I usually marinade the tofu after it’s boiled and drained and still warm.

My recipe for a good, “standard” tofu marinade:

4 tbs. soy sauce
2 tbs. honey
4 tbs. cider
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs. cooking oil

Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and add the boiled tofu (diced or sliced). Leave to marinade for a few hours, or overnight if time. Drain the tofu. The marinade can be used as a sauce if you like.

I got this recipe off the 'net some time ago, but the page isn’t available anymore.

11

It’s the horrible long-life stuff. I was pretty impressed by the amount of time I have before the expiration date.

It seems pretty firm. The package is actually kind of fun to play with. Nice and squishy.

12

For something quick, try “egg salad”.

Crumble up the tofu in a mixing bowl, so that it’s about the same size pieces as a diced hard-boiled egg. Add mayo and mustard to taste. I generally go real light on mayo, heavy on mustard, and also add in a dab of pickle relish, some scallions, and maybe some diced green bell pepper, and perhaps, if I feel like it, a sprinkle of curry powder.

It takes about 2 minutes, and it tastes pretty much like egg salad.

13

I suggest tossing the tofu in a bowl, a toilet bowl, and then mix (flush it) very well and then join [b}Johnny Bravo** at the burger stand.

14

I agree with Niggle that it’s best if fried until golden brown (as that makes it lose the odd rubbery/spongy texture, apart from any other reason), at which point it’s nice in spicy sauces and stir-fries. However, when I’ve had it to eat from Chinese, Thai, or generic vegetarian places, they’ve never done this and it’s always served in its pristine whiteness, which makes me wonder why not: am I defiling the tradition of the tofu?

15

Whenever* I use tofu I cube it, wrap it with a towel, and put a stack of plates on top. Five minutes later, all the water’s been squeezed out; the tofu is absolutely firm and will really soak up flavors.

*Exception- melted dark chocolate chips, tofu, banana, dash of red wine vinegar, all in the blender. Chocolate mousse you won’t believe isn’t the real stuff.

16

I recently wondered whether I could make some sort of creamy pasta sauce out of it, as I don’t eat dairy. So I threw a bunch of different things together in the blender and it tasted really good. Some of the stuff is just the stuff we have sitting around the house, but my dad probably got it at a healthfood store in the city. So if you feel like making another trip, here’s the approximate recipe:

1 cup tofu
3 tablespoons tahini(mushed sesame seeds)
2 tablespoons brown mustard
2 tablespoons yellow flaky yeast supplement stuff
Some garlic powder
chili powder
turmeric
and salt
and enough water to make it creamy.

It tastes good on pasta by itself, or with tuna fish and onions. It’s almost reminiscent of mayonnaise, but not really. I don’t really remember how much of everything there was, so fiddle with the recipe until you like it.