What exactly can you do with Tofu???

[ShawtyCat]

I personally have never eaten this stuff and have heard all my pseudo veggie friends rave over it. I have even passed it by many times in the supermarket. So what do you do with it? All I have ever seen is Tofu Sandwiches. And when you do buy Tofu, what is the best brand to get?? I have also heard from others that Tofu is pretty darn bland. Is this true? Or are my veggie friends right?

[riverrun]

I've only done a little work with tofu but from what i learned is that u pretty much want to marinate it in something (what ever ur choice of flavor). As far as cooking it treat it like apiece of meat when doing so kind of like chicken, you can deepfry it, saute, stirfry(my favorite with vietnamese hot sauce) and even make soups with it. Check out some asian cooking books they do alot with it after all it's soy bean curd.

[phatch]

You can substitute many meat dishes with tofu or seitan.

You can freeze it to create a meatier texture. Thaw before cooking. If you want just a firmer texture, pressing it under some weight to force out extra liquid is good too.

It will pick up flavors from just about anything so it's good for stretching a dish and adding protien and texture. Good in many Asian soups.

For a dish featuring tofu, one of my faves is fried tofu chunks with some soy, maple syrup and a touch of sesame oil and cilantro.

I've seen recipes for it in bread but I don't know why I would bother with that.

There are many varieties and textures available. Aoid the soft and medium unless a recipe specifically calls for it. Use Firm for most cooking. I don't remember how silken tofu is different from other tofu, but someone will enlighten us, I'm sure.

Borrow a tofu book from your library to get an idea of what you want to try first.

[shroomgirl]

Marinated and grilled
Fried and added to Asian dishes
Silken made into puddings and sauces or dips...even mayo

[Kimmie]

Types of Tofu

Three main types of tofu are available in American grocery stores.

Firm tofu is dense and solid and holds up well in stir fry dishes, soups, or on the grill... anywhere that you want the tofu to maintain its shape. Firm tofu also is higher in protein, fat and calcium than other forms of tofu.

Soft tofu is a good choice for recipes that call for blended tofu, or in Oriental soups.

Silken tofu is made by a slightly different process that results in a creamy, custard-like product. Silken tofu works well in pureed or blended dishes. In Japan, silken tofu is enjoyed "as is," with a touch of soy sauce and topped with chopped scallions.

Buying & Storing Tofu

Tofu most commonly is sold in water-filled tubs, vacuum packs, or in aseptic brick packages. Tofu is usually found in the produce section of the grocery store, although some stores sell tofu in the dairy or deli sections. Tofu is sometimes sold in bulk in food cooperatives or Asian markets. Unless it is aseptically packaged, tofu should be kept cold. As with any perishable food, check the expiration date on the package.

Once the tofu package is open, leftover tofu should be rinsed and covered with fresh water for storage. Change the water daily to keep it fresh, and use the tofu within a week.

Tofu can be frozen up to 5 months. Defrosted tofu has a pleasant caramel color and a chewy, spongy texture that soaks up marinade sauces and is great for the grill.

Tips For Using Tofu

The soft consistency of tofu and its mild taste make it a perfect food for anyone. It is a good source of protein for elderly people who prefer dishes that are easy to chew and digest. Soft tofu that has been pureed with fruits or vegetables is a good first protein food for infants. Toddlers can enjoy chunks of cooked tofu for snacks or meals.

Try some of these ideas
- Add chunks of firm tofu to soups and stews.
- Mix crumbled tofu into a meatloaf for a pleasant light dish.
- Mash tofu with cottage cheese and seasoning to make a sandwich spread.
- Create your own tofu burgers with mashed tofu, bread crumbs, chopped onion and your favorite seasonings.
- Marinate tofu in barbecue sauce, char it on the grill and serve on crusty Italian bread.
- Add a package of taco seasoning to pan-fried, crumbled tofu, or a mixture of tofu and ground beef to tofu tacos.
- Blend dried onion soup mix into soft or silken tofu for a cholesterol-free onion dip.
- Stir silken tofu into sour cream for a reduced-fat baked potato topper.
- Blend tofu with melted chocolate chips and a little sweetener to make a chocolate cream pie.
- Replace all or part of the cream in creamed soups with silken tofu.
- Make missing egg salad with tofu chunks, diced celery, mayonnaise and a dab of prepared mustard.
- Substitute pureed silken tofu for part of the mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese or ricotta cheese in a recipe. Use it in dips and creamy salad dressings.

Also, check out this Online Tofu Cookbook

[Shimmer]

Tofu chunks (liquid pressed out) marinated in sesame oil and soy sauce and sesame seeds, fried in peanut oil. Not too healthy, but not too unhealthy either.

Tasty!

"This Can't Be Tofu" has good recipes in it, as do all the vegan cookbooks.

I used to make vegan scones with tofu in them!

Tofu, by itself, has no flavor. You really must do something WITH it in order for it to be palatable. Because it is soy, using it as a substitute to make smoothies, "sour cream," and dips provides extra healthy stuff. It will conduct flavor well, so adding it to pastries improves flavor, I have found. I'll have to go home to find my vegan scone recipe for you.

Freezing it is a good idea, even after it has been defrosted it retains its crumbly texture.

Mash it up and mix it with turmeric, dill, and other spices and a little oil to make fake egg salad.

Have fun! Don't give up after one try. Try several different things, several different ways. Some health food stores have things like Tofu Helper that create a lot of interesting meals.

~~Shimmer~~

[brreynolds]

at least by itself. If I had a team of FBI agents and a week to look, I could possibly find some flavor in it, but it hasn't turned up in any samplings I've done of it. Fortunately, it does pick up flavors from what it's cooked with. A vegetarian neighbor of mine makes a quite tasty dish of scrambled tofu (I think using the soft variety) with a little chopped onion, garlic, and some curry powder. It tastes remarkably like a curried scrambled egg dish.

The other respondents have given a lot of suggestions for tofu used as a substitute for meat. Oriental cuisines also use tofu as a "stretcher," basing a dish on it but putting a little meat in for flavor. Examples would be a Szechuan dish of tofu and a little ground pork in a spicy sauce; a Korean dish that uses a pork and sesame forcemeat as a topping for small slabs of tofu; and any number of others.

[foodnfoto]

I believe that a tofu-experience will always be a disappointment if you try to substitute it for meat. Meat is meat. Tofu is tofu. Learn to cook it and appreciate it for what it is. That said, here are a few ideas for cooking it that will make it very tasty and appealing to even the staunchest carnivore (ie. my husband.)

Marinating before cooking will add flavor and texture to tofu. Try a type of soy based sauce called Bragg's Aminos TM-it's available in most natural food stores. Cut tofu in cubes. Sprinkle generously with Braggs' and marinate for 15-20 minutes. Roast on a baking sheet (spray with cooking spray, the stuff sticks) at 425F for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally until edges are golden brown. Try the same treatment with a marinade of 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger.

Contradicting myself, one all time favorite in my house are tofu rueben sandwiches. I slice the tofu in thick slices, marinate in Bragg's, and roast. Then assemble sandwiches with caraway rye, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese slices, sauerkraut and the prepared tofu. Brush bread with melted butter and toast on a griddle as you would a grilled cheese sandwich.

Of course, I use firm tofu with all these dishes. I always buy organic tofu. Although tofu bought in asian markets is tasty, I find the open watery buckets bacterially suspect. Also, soy beans are grown using GMos and many pesticides and fertilizers. Although these beans are meant for feed and soil improvement, oftentimes they are passed on to the human food market at dirt cheap prices. Many tofu makers are happy to help their profit margins by using these beans in production. Avoid anything but certified organic tofu!!

[Kimmie]

by Foodnfoto: Contradicting myself, one all time favorite in my house are tofu rueben sandwiches.

I would try that, especially with homemade caraway/rye!

[chloe23]

Tofu is great with miso soup. It's also in hot & sour soup. One of the dishes in Chinese cuisine is mao pi tofu (sp?) This dish has tofu, pork, and some asian hot sauce in which you stir fry them. And add some garlic for more favor...it's really good. Too bad I don't have the recipe

[kuan]

That would be Ma Po tofu. Ingredients are garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, hot bean paste, sambal oelek (optional), soy sauce, tofu, ground pork.

Kuan

[cape chef]

I understand that Milton Parker added the Tofu Reubon to his menu at the Carnegie deli.

[ShawtyCat]

WOW So much information. So many great recipe ideas, Im gonna have to print this page. I recently got The Japanese Kitchen and The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking Techniques and Recipes and they have background information on tofu and its uses. They also have a recipe for making your own tofu. Doesnt look too hard to make. That sandwich that foodnfoto posted looks delicious. I knida equate tofu as a mild cheese taste and texture in my head. Doesn't it look like brie??

Im gonna buy some on my next shopping trip this week. Ill let you know how it went. I also heard that tofu and toddlers go great together so Ill let you know how my little boy likes it. My daughter will stay far away from the stuff like she does most everything else. Very picky eater.

Thanks again!

Jodi

[foodnfoto]

Wow, Cape Chef! I wonder where Milton Parker heard of it? I have only known two people to serve the Tofu Rueben-a friend of mine who owned a restaurant in Key West called the Orchid Tree and myself. It's always been a hit where ever I've served it. The secret is marinating the tofu in Bragg's Aminos-without it, it's really bland.
I wonder if this might be a new game-Six Degrees of Tofu Rueben? I'll go there and check it out.
BTW, isn't the Carnegie Deli where all those tourists were murdered last year?

[cape chef]

Dear foodnfoto,

I was just kidding about the deli serving a tofu reubon

Sorry