so I’m a new vegetarian, and needing ideas or I’ll starting scarfing down the baloney in the fridge.
Tofu is evidently a vegetarian staple, and lots of recipes call for it. Do you have to do anything special to it, or just buy a chunk of it at the local store and proceed to cutting?
And about free range eggs…is there any company in the US that truly has “free range” eggs? How about a brand with vegetarian cheese (the kind not made with rennet from the stomachs of dead calves), are there common brands that I could buy in my local grocery store? Or would I be better off going to a health food store? How do the prices compare?
Thanks!!
Myself, I’m not a big fan of tofu. It can be tasty if it’s seasoned well, but the texture doesn’t appeal to me. There are a few other products out there that are vastly superior. They can be a little tougher to find, and tend to have several names, all of them weird. I don’t own a single vegetarian cook-book-- I just adapt from conventional recipes, I find that the results are superior.
Wheat Gluten, although it sounds pretty unappealing, has a very meat-like texture. If you buy it dried, you can marinade it any way you like and use it in place of chunks of meat. It is also sold in cans, although it’s more expensive that way. The tinned stuff tends to be very soft, and less “meat-like.”
TVP, or TSP, (same thing-- Textured Soya/Vegetable Protein,) can be pretty good. The granules can be used like ground beef, and chunks are all right in stews. A bit bland if you don’t season it well though.
Tempeh is a sort of brick of fermented whole soybeans. Sounds gross, eh? It’s actually pretty good. A bit chewy, and tends to be salty. Great in stirfries.
If you’re very lucky, you can find a Buddhist Vegetarian store nearby. They specialize in “meat substitutes” that you buy fresh or frozen. Really good.
There are plenty of recipes at this site that utilize tofu, tvp, and tempeh. Probably a good start.
Nope, that’s about it. Back in the olden days you’d have to buy it in squares from the Co-op and it would be floating around in water and you’d have to change it every day or so. Now they have new stuff, such as ‘Mori-Nu’ Silken style tofu that comes in a little box, which is available in the grocery store near where I live. Lasts for about a half a year and works great. Small enough you can use the whole box usually. I throw it in soups and stir-fries. Also have a great banana-chocolate mousse recipe that is 99% tofu that tastes great(really!). I don’t use it other than those things though, that’s just me.
You can stick your therapy and forget your massages. The most relaxing thing in the world is cutting tofu. We have fights in our family about who gets to cut the tofu
Tofu comes in several textures or consistencies. (Soft, firm, and extra firm are the most common) It’s important to get the right kind for the dish you’re making. Soft is good for making smoothies, puddings, as a thickener for sauce, etc. For stir-fries, sandwiches, casseroles, and the like, extra firm is best. (Firm will do in a pinch) Tofu has a high water content, so the key to preparing the extra firm variety is to press as much of the liquid out as possible. If you buy pre-packaged blocks you can cut a small hole in the wrapping and gently squueeze a lot out. After that, wrap the tofu in cheesecloth or put it between two paper plates, put it in a colander, and set a heavy can on top for an hour or two. Then you need to marinate it, since tofu doesn’t have a lot of flavor by itself. (Slice the tofu before marinating. Soy sauce is good, or vegetable broth, or anything you’d marinate meat in.) Some people recommend baking the tofu on a cookie sheet in a very slow oven, but I’ve never had really good results that way. I prefer to cook the slices in a non-stick skillet with just a little oil over low heat until they dry out and start to turn a golden brown. If you freeze tofu it gets a flaky texture similar to fish, which can be a nice change.
You can make your own wheat gluten (also called seitan - pronounced shay-tan), but that’s complicated. Same thing goes for the TVP. I’d start out with tofu, or with the packaged meat substitutes such as Morningstar Farms, and work my way up to the trickier items.
Juniper, that’s a good link. (I 'specially appreciate the seitan/wheat gluten recipe-- I make my own tofu from time to time, but home-made gluten would kick ass!)
When I make tofu, I press it as much as I can get away with-- the firmer the better. I’ll try your freezer tech- sounds like just the thing.
my ‘classic foods of china’ suggests refreshing tofu. to do so, pour boiling water over to cover and let sit for a half hour. firms it up a tad. heres an easy and good chinese tofu recipe.
scrambled eggs and tofu
one box mori-nu or half a tofu chunk, refreshed, cubed and drained on paper towels
2-3 scallions, sliced thin
4-6 eggs beaten with a little rice wine, salt and pepper
(if using 6 eggs, use all the tofu chunk and throw in a few more scallions)
a little bit of oil
heat oil in skillet, saute scallions for 30 seconds, add tofu, saute another 30 seconds, pour eggs over and scramble till soft.
serve over rice. cooks in minutes and is really tasty. a staple in the essvee household.