ISO Intro to Tofu

[PA Baker]

I've never cooked with tofu and only eaten it a couple of times, but I'd like to start incorporating it into our diets more. Can anyone give me some tips on how to buy it and how to prepare it? For DH, I think it'll need to be "hidden" in meals, to start. For my daughter, since she's only 10.5 mo, it needs to be plain. I'm thinking she'd enjoy eating little pieces of it as finger food. How would I cook it for her, or do I even need to cook it?

[subfuscpersona]

Originally Posted by PA Baker

I've never cooked with tofu and only eaten it a couple of times, but I'd like to start incorporating it into our diets more. Can anyone give me some tips on how to buy it and how to prepare it? For DH, I think it'll need to be "hidden" in meals, to start. For my daughter, since she's only 10.5 mo, it needs to be plain. I'm thinking she'd enjoy eating little pieces of it as finger food. How would I cook it for her, or do I even need to cook it?

Tofu is already cooked. It only needs to be reheated, so add it to dishes at the last minute just long enough to heat it up. It is very bland and goes well with many foods.

Storage: store in container in the 'frig, covered completely with cold water. Change water completely about every 3 days (however, tofu really should be eaten within a few days of purchase for best taste). Supermarket tofu is sold in packages containing water, but you should open the package and replace the water when you get it home.

re daughter: check with pediatrician first about giving her tofu (I'm thinking I read something a long time ago about introducting tofu to very young children and maybe they needed to be a certain age???...). If ok, it would make great finger food. Here's a link about tofu for babies http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/tofu.htm

Mashing tofu and mixing it with other mashed stuff (even hamburger or meatballs) is one way to hide it, but basically I don't believe in trying to disguise food so if DH won't eat it, too bad. For baby, if you make your own mashed veggies for her, just add a little tofu to the mix.

What kind of cooking do you do? Then we could target recipes for you. Obviously, it is a good addition to almost any kind of stir-fry dish. It is also great in soups. (My kids would eat tofu if I put it in chicken noodle soup which they loved). Add it to stews. Its so bland it is very versatile.

[buckytom]

you could drop tofu from a crane on new year's eve...

believe it or not, tofu fried in garlic and hot pepper oil, then tossed with browned onions, diced zucchini, and sliced peppers in tomato sauce is pretty good. if mr. baker likes garlic, and/or hot stuff, go heavy on those to give the tofu and sauce good flavor.

and it can be used mixed with ricotta in lasagna, or any recipe that calls for ricotta.

and of course, it always goes with "any veggie in the fridge" stir fry.

[thymeless]

The firm can take a longish cook if you're not moving it around too much. It absorbs more flavor that way.

Another fun thing to do with it is to cut firm tofu in slabs about 1/2 inch thick. Then freeze them. When you're ready to cook, thaw them out and squeeze them like a sponge. Marinate them as you would meat, cut them up in cubes or strips. YOu'll be left with a fine sponge-like mass that's firmer and more meat like in texture than normal tofu.

Somewhere I've seen a recipe for a tofu Reuben sandwich. As I recall the tofu was marinated in Bragg's Aminos. I'll post it if I can find it.

if you have an Asian market, there ae bottled tofu products that are fermented and spiced. Those are interesting too.

[thymeless]

I found the recipe finally. You can find Braggs Aminos in health food stores, or even the health food section of many grocery stores.

Slice the firm tofu in thick slices, is best with tofu that's been frozen and squeezed. 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.

Then assemble sandwiches with caraway rye bread, 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.

This marinade is also good with tofu:
Try the same treatment with a marinade of 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar and 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger.

[marmalady]

Don't be skeeered to try tofu - you can use it in so many things! A few tips and some recipes, below -

- If you're going to fry it, place it on a plate covered with paper towels, another layer on top, and a heavy plate over that, to get some of the moisture out of the tofu. Also, try and find the 'extra-firm' or firm.

A real Japanese 'treat' is to do the above, then coat 1/2 inch slices of the tofu in flour, and fry on each side til golden brown. Then top with some scallion, soy sauce, (traditionally) bonito flakes, maybe a little grated ginger.

The different textures of tofu go with different foods; the firm/extra-firm as above; firm/medium to cut in chunks and use in soups and stews; and then there is the 'silken' or really smooth tofu, which is great when whizzed into a sauce or dip.

TOFU/SUNDRIED TOMATO DIP
10 sun dried tomatoes
2 roasted red bell peppers
1 large cloves garlic
1-2 canned chipotle chiles
1 15oz. can white beans
5 ¼ oz. firm silken tofu
1tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ cup olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste.

Soak tomatoes in just enough water to cover til soft, about 30 minutes; squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible; chop coarsely.
In food processor, combine tomatoes with red peppers, garlic,and chiles; process to a puree; add beans and process til combined. Add tofu, cumin and oregano and process til well blended. Slowly add olive oil in a thin stream, blending well. May be stored refrigerated, two days. Serve with raw vegetables, breadsticks, or pita or tortilla chips.

[htc]

If it needs to be hidden, best to maybe try using the silken tofu to incorporate into dips and salad dressings. And also a great way to get people to be more open to tofu is to get the deep fried tofu. If you have an Asian store close, pick a package up. It can come in little cubes or larger pieces. You can also fry it up yourself, but that's too much work for me.

Couple ideas that are yummy. If you can get the pre-deep fried stuff, use a knife to poke a slit on one side and stuff ground shrimp in (season the shrimp) and then pan fry it again to cook the shrim. I've even tossed it on the grill to cook. Family will love it.

Or take the firm tofu and cut it into very large cubes, big enough to butterfly. And take the cube, cut half way through and then stuff with pork. Pan fry this til meat is cooked and then use fresh or canned tomato to make a tomato sauce, season as needed. Eat with rice.

[PA Baker]

Originally Posted by buckytom

you could drop tofu from a crane on new year's eve...

LOL, Bucky! Can you believe no one drops tofu around here? Goats, donuts, wrenches, bologna, yes, but not tofu! One of these years your family will have to come here to experience it for yourselves!

Thanks, everyone, for your great tips and ideas. I think I'll be putting them all to use!

[bethzaring]

tofu REALLY benefits from marinades. Tofu has a flavor that I would try dearly to mask. It is bland, but the tofu I am used to needs to have that flavor overridden. Soy sauce is good, saute with onions or garlic, as well as the other excellent suggestions already given.

I used to work at a bakery that would add a bit to their ww bread. The owner who developed most of the recipes used there, said the tofu was hygroscopic, just like honey is, and would help keep the breads fresher longer. Now the batches of bread I made was a 30 loaf batch and maybe a couple of pounds of tofu was added, so maybe just a T. per loaf would work.

I used to trade goats milk for home made tofu. When she stopped making it, I stopped eating it.

[cliveb]

LOL, Bucky Tom!
I once threw a bucket of Tofu off the top of the Empire State Building...
and got arrested for discarding litter!!

If you didn't know, I'm a 97.5% vegetarian; ie, I occasionally eat a bit of chicken or a shrimp. I've tried tofu boiled, in soup, fried, marinated, stuffed, fermented.... and I can honestly say it tastes of nothing. It is a non-element in my cooking.

That doesn't mean you can't use it, of course! I came to an agreement with myself not to buy any more tofu, but that's a personal thing. I'd rather use paneer (Indian cheese), which at least has a little more texture to it.

Any criticisms will be warmly received. You cannot imagine how much I WANT to enjoy tofu - but in 15 years, I've been disappointed again and again!!!