ISO tofu recipe???

[javelinpr]

so, ive never eaten tofu. i bought a package of tofu with the idea of cooking it somehow for the first time. Ive seen emeryl green cook it several different ways but im not sure which one would be the best. Ive seen it fried in a salad or with sparagus and other vegetables and such. I want a tasty low fat way of cooking it. Just dont have the smallest idea on it.

what do you guys suggest??

thxs!!

EDIT: posted it here because i didnt knew where this belonged. so the recipe can use anything. In fact i dont want a vegetable with tofu recipe i want something more meaty and tasty im not a big fan of vegetables.

 

[mcnerd]

Interesting that you are not a big fan of vegetables so you choose a vegetable product (Tofu) that is used primarily by vegetarians.

Here's a link to a few recipes: Tofu Recipe

 

[larry_stewart]

As a vegetarian, Im not a great fan of tofu. Unfortunately, for me, the more unhealthy it is, the better it tastes. That being said, the fried tofu has the best taste and texture in my opinion.

As far as healthy options go, you can cube the tofu and toss it in a broth ( chicken) or a won ton (like ) soup or in hot and sour soup ( which is my favorite).

I remember having tofu in a garlic sauce which probably had ground pork in it as well ( which i did my best to pick out since im a vegetarian)

Ive heard ( but havnt tried) that if you freeze the tofu, then defrost it, it takes on a more meaty, chewy texture. If this is the case, u can use it in chili as well ( although i wouldnt).

Fried tofu, is a whole different ball game, with more tastier uses, just not as healthy.

Tempeh ( kind of a pressed soy bean/ grain thingy) and seitan ( made from wheat) have a better, more workable texture. And are more versatile in the kitchen.

Many people will say that tofu absorbs everything , and only tastes like what u cook it/ marinate it in. In my opinion, this is not the case. Sure it absorbs it, but still has that tofu taste to it ( good or bad, depending if u like it or not) and has that kind of jello-like consistancy ( which some people cant get used to ).

Just what ever you do, dont base all vegetarian food on tofu and sprouts ( which most people do) As a vegetarian, sure they are healthy, but not something id look foward to eating. Sure there are exceptions.

 

[larry_stewart]

There was one recipe i tried years ago which wasnt bad. I dont remember it but i can give u and idea. Basically, cut firm tofu into cubes. In a ziplock bag, place a nice spice mixture ( indian spices, or chili spices ....) add the tofu, shake it up so all the tofu is coated with the spices ( like shake and bake). Dump the cubes on a non-stick pan, spray with a little pam and bake ( i dont remember for how long or what tempe). These things were called ' tofu croutons', and they were nice to snack on. The baking ( if i remember was a low heat for a long period of time) dehydrated the tofu somewhat, and made it a more pleasant texture. And in this case, really does taste like the spices u put on it.

 

[blissful]

I'm not much of a tofu eater but I have made something that was like a tofu cheese. First I put paper towel folded, above and below it, then weighted it with a dish to draw all the moisture out. Then marinated it in soy sauce and seasonings, it drew in the tastes because it was drier. Then baked it to dry it even more. It took on a more solid texture and could be similar to cheese though it doesn't melt. It's not jello-y that way. You could use it on a salad or in a soup or stew.

 

[larry_stewart]

It's not jello-y that way.

I wanted to use the word " jello-y " also just wasnt sure if i should write jelloie, jelloee,jello-y... which is why i just went to jello-like

But in addition, they do sell some dried, or pressed or much more firmer tofu which usually has been marinated, or has some kind of flavor infused in it. This actually tastes a lot beter and has a much better consistency than the regular tofu stuff. And it is a similar texture to a harder cheese, but with a little chew to it. Probably something you can only find in an asian market or some kind of specialty market though.

 

[BreezyCooking]

I've gotten some very tasty recipes from the "Eating Well" magazine website. Particularly nice since most of them steer clear of the common Asian recipes tofu is famously used in.

 

[LPBeier]

When I was cooking at a camp I had about 20 vegetarians and two of their favourite tofu dishes were a fried rice I did with onion, rice, soy sauce, roasted peppers and cubed tofu and tofu slices marinated in a mixture of lemon juice and herbs then lightly sauted.

 

[vyapti]

A simple way to cook tofu is to cube it, toss it in a marinade, can be as simple as soy sauce and a splash of sherry, and bake it, turning every 10-15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed/evaporated and the tofu begins to dry. I like tossing tofu into salad with this method. I also like using BBQ sauce, which makes for a tasty, albeit sticky, treat.

Whatever you do, make sure you drain the tofu first. I put the block between two saucers, weight it with a can of soup and allow to drain for 20 minutes. This will make a huge difference.