ISO Intro to Tofu

[Aunt Lisa's Kitchen]

My two cents on tofu...have you ever tried the "White Wave" brand that I usually only find at Whole Foods stores?

It's already flavored with tempting names like "Italian" and ""Oriental" etc. It's delicious and the proper firmness right out of the package.

I use it in place of chicken in casseroles and/or burritos and also like this:

-Braggs Aminos
-Zucchini sliced
-Carrots sliced thin
-Tofu chunks (White Wave brand, italian flavor)
-Fresh spinach

Saute everything together (except spinach) until vegetables are no longer raw. At very end, add leaves of fresh spinach and let wilt in the heat.

Serve this gorgeous veggie and tofu parade over your favorite rice.

YUMMY!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Here are two of my favorite tofu recipes. Even my husband, who's not a big tofu lover wolfs these down. While they look similar, there is a big difference in flavor.

"Home-Style Bean Curd" (adapted from "Madame Chu's Chinese Cooking School)

Ingredients:

1 square extra-firm or firm bean curd, drained & cubed
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1/4 pound ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken (approx. 1/4 of your standard-size supermarket package - I divide, wrap, & freeze the rest for future recipes)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
4 dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked, or 4 fresh Shitake mushrooms - stemmed & cut into quarters
2 tablespoons dried Cloud Ear mushrooms, soaked (optional)
1 small can sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed & drained
1-2 stalks Bok Choy or Chinese Cabbage, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 scallion, cut into 1" lengths (optional)

Combine sherry, soy sauce, & sugar. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan, add the ground meat & stir for around 3 minutes. Add Bok Choy or cabbage & cook for 3 more minutes. Add sherry mix, along with mushrooms, cloud ears, bamboo shoots, garlic, & red pepper flakes. Mix well. Add bean curd & stir gently. Add 1/2 cup of water, lower heat, cover, & cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add Hoisin sauce & scallions if using, stir & serve over hot rice.


Szechuan Spicy Bean Curd (adapted from "Madame Chu's Chinese Cooking School")

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 square extra-firm or firm bean curd, drained & cubed
vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1 scallion, chopped (optional)
1-2 stalks Bok Choy or Chinese Cabbage, sliced (optional)
1/4-1/2 pound ground meat (any type)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon hot sesame oil OR regular sesame oil
Approx. 1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

Combine broth with soy sauce, sugar, & cornstarch & set aside. Heat a few tablespoons or so of oil in wok or large skillet. Add ground meat, if using, & stir for around 3 minutes. Add Bok Choy, if using, & stir an additional 2 minutes. Add scallions, if using, garlic, ginger, sherry, & red pepper flakes & stir a few times. Add bean curd, stir gently, then add broth mixture & bring to a boil while continuing to stir gently. When heated thru & slightly thickened, turn off heat & sprinkle sesame oil over the top. Stir one more time, sprinkle 5-spice powder over, & serve.

Unlike most stir-fry dishes, this one can be covered & kept warm until ready to serve.

 

[cupcakelover]

Anyone have any tips for baking or broiling tofu? I love it fried, but am on a restricted diet. I'd like to enjoy tofu, but need a way to prepare it without any fats or sugars. Thanks in advance!

 

[StirBlue]

I made fried rice using tofu which was very good. As of late, I made the same recipe except with shrimp. I think we like the tofu better. But I will be looking for paneer (Indian cheese) or a variation of it. Sounds very interesting.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Cupcakelover - one of my favorite magazines - Eating Well - also has an online site (Healthy Recipes, Nutrition Information, Free Weight Loss Program - Eating Well) where they maintain a library of many, if not all of their recipes. They've had quite a few delicious recipes that I've tried over the years involving baked & broiled tofu. I'd definitely check them out for suggestions. Plus, all their recipes come with nutritional counts - very helpful for those on special diets.

 

[boufa06]

Anyone have any tips for baking or broiling tofu? I love it fried, but am on a restricted diet. I'd like to enjoy tofu, but need a way to prepare it without any fats or sugars. Thanks in advance!

You could bake a leek and tofu quiche. To do the filling for the pastry shell, slice 2 large leeks and saute in olive oil. In a bowl, mash 2-3 cups medium tofu, add 2 tbsps lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper, and then add to the sauteed leeks. Pour filling into the pastry shell and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for about half an hour or until set and lightly brown.

If you are an aubergine lover, you can stuff it with a tofu & mushroom mixture. First broil 2 large aubergines until soft, scoop some flesh out and chop them. Prepare filling by sauteing chopped onion and garlic first before adding chopped mushrooms. Remove from heat, add crumbled tofu, aubergine flesh, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Stuff aubergine skins with the mixture and bake in the oven for about half an hour. When done, serve with tomato sauce poured over them. To prepare sauce, heat blended tomatoes and basil in a saucepan and then add seasoning.

 

[Little Miss J]

Cupcake lover this is probably a dull recipe but I love tofu and have been trying a couple of different recipes (have move recently and now can actually buy more than one brand of long life silken firm tofu!).
Ok, I am sure the experts are going to tell me I am doing this wrong but this is how I did it :grin: I squished a block of firm for about 1/2 hour between plates lined with paper towel and put a dictionary on top (to weigh it down :grin. Then sliced into 1/2 inch slices and marinated in garlic, soy sauce and seasame oil then drained it and popped it in a dish and baked it in a moderate oven. I just had it with salad and took it to work the next day....got some funny looks but no one was brave enough to ask what it was and if they weren't asking I wasn't telling...

 

[Corey123]

I tried eating tofu at work one day last week in a stir fry.

To me, it made me fell as though I was eating pieces of soft fat from some baked beans! Yuck!! I imagine that in time, I must try to aquire a taste for it.

 

[Treklady]

Cliveb...you crack me up.

This is one of my most favorite recipes, but since no one will eat it here, I rarely if ever make it, but I love the taste. I got this when I was a vegetarian, and low and behold, my daughter is now one and will not eat, it, but she does not like Mayo. Here goes:

Tofu Tuna Salad
1 lb firm tofu
2 scallions-minced
1/2 cup mayo
2 T soy sauce (Tamari may be substitued)
1 T lemon juice
1t kelp powder optional (I never used this one)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Freeze tofu for 24 hours.
Thaw tofu. Break into big chunks and squeeze out excess water, and then put them in a medium sized bowl. On the side, in a small bowl, stir together all other ingredients, mix well and add to tofu. Enjoy.

 

[PA Baker]

Has anyone ever tried making a tofu Parmesan? I was thinking I'd try doing it like chicken parm--dredge slices of tofu in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs, cook it on the stove in a little olive oil and then top with melted cheese and sauce. Does that sound do-able?

 

[Yakuta]

Hi Clive, I actually find even paneer tasteless. I would grade tofu and paneer pretty close in terms of flavor quotient.

I think what helps paneer is that it is normally used in Indian preparations that are loaded with sauces - example palak paneer (creamed spinach with spices) or mattar paneer or with methi leaves (peas and a bitter green that is unique to Indian cuisine).

Tofu is the same thing. If you marinate it and then cook it with veggies in a sauce (could be type of kung pao sauce or anything else that has a lot of flavor) it tastes good.

I like smoothies made out of Silken tofu (there is a slight after taste but it's a good way to get soy protein in your diet, although I would just add yogurt which tastes better).

I also like tofu in anything that is flavorul - One of the favorite items I love it in is Hot and Sour Soup. The Soup has so much deep flavor that it permeates through the tofu and gives it a punch.

For the individual who asked if tofu can be baked. I would say why not. I have attempted it and it comes out well. I actually marinated it with soy and some garlic and ginger. Then coated it in a mixture of cornstarch and egg and allowed it to bake (space it apart and spary with oil). Flip it after several minutes and let it brown on the other side. You can use this in any chinese preparation at the end (after the veggies are stir-fried) and you get a nice crunch from the batter on the tofu.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I dont really do tofu but its pretty good as a ricotta substitute I took soft tofu mixed in some parmesan,garlic,parsley egg and a bit of salt and used it between a sort of eggplant, tomato sauce casserole.Italian based type meal but I also used mozzarella
The thing with tofu is its really bland but will take on any flavors you give it very well.