I like it fried with stir fries. Tofu can be tricky to fry as it simply stays mushy.

One good trick for cooking is to cut it to size and freeze it. Depending on the type of tofu it may take on a beige to yellow color but the freezing gives it a chewier and spongier texture- a little more meat like and many find this a more appealing way to eat it. I love it. After thawing by the way, if it seems pretty wet, put it between a couple paper towels and gently press with your palms to get some of the water out.

Frozen and thawed tofu becomes more pourous and takes marinade well. I thin marinade will do well with just a dunking but a thick sauce may require and hour or more.

Another way to get used to tofu and learn how great it can be is to substitute chicken for tofu in a few Thai dishes when you go out. Pad Thai Tofu= yum!

Firmer varieties than silken (the softest) are a little better suited for cooking.

michaelp

I don't like tofu stir fried...or any other way I have had it...but for the soft stuff made into a faux icecream with chocolate and vanilla etc....that's yummy....but I don't like slices or cubes of firm white what's it even if it has taken the marinade well.

I use tofu often in stir fry, noodle dishes and just for snacking.
Press the liquid out of the brick before marinating. Once it is dry, it absorbes the marinade fairly fast. I either pan fry or bake before adding it to stir fry.

I actually like the taste of most tofu. But I try to stay away from eating too much soy products so I haven't been eating it lately. When I do eat tofu, I like medium firm tofu with ground meat and re-hydrated Shiitake mushroom in oyster sauce. It's a very nice dish.

Al

I have blended in the FP it with the eggs for quiche. I used the firm but I think the soft would be better for this use.

I like it cubed and tossed into soup or stir fried. But I like the taste of tofu on its own.

I'm not a huge fan of tofu either. I will eat it occasionally in a restaurant(especially at my favorite Thai place), but after a few failed attempts at home I've decided it doesn't need to come home with me from the grocery store.

I prefer the more firm kindm (it's a texture thing), and I press it to get all the water out. Then it will fry up nicely or soak up the flavor of whatever sauce you cook it in. A Thai restaurant we used to go to had a tofu satay that tasted so much like chicken satay that it often fooled people when I shared it at lunch.

Unfotunately, now that I've learned to cook it and like it, I'm not supposed to have much of it.

thanks for the responses. But now I am curious. al and Bean both suggest that it isn't as good for you as I thought. I could google it, but I would rather hear from you all.
Thanks,

Jo

I've heard that tofu is an acquired taste, but I loved it from the first time I tried it. Of course, I first ate it at the table of my Japanese "second family" and so had it prepared by people who were quite familiar with it. Later, living with a Chinese family, I learned to like it in even more ways.

Silken tofu, the kind you bought, Jo, is used more in soups, dressings and desserts. Firm tofu is the most versatile, and is what you find mostly in stir fried dishes. Extra firm is designed specifically for grilling.

Tofu is prepared in so many ways that I can't imagine not being able to discover at least one type of preparation to suit the tastes of everyone! If you really "want" to like it, lol, my suggestion would be to sample as many different types of tofu dishes as the restaurants near you offer. When you find one you like, then go about learning how to make it.

Basically, tofu has a very delicate flavor (some insist it has none!) and it's texture can seem odd to folks not accustomed to it. Well, I think calamari steaks have no flavor, and they're a lot more work to chew! Well,like calamari, it's all in the sauce...at least, the flavor is.

If it is the texture you find boring, you might try pressing your curd. Slice a block into whatever regular sized pieces you want for your recipe. Place the tofu on a cutting board or other flat surface from which water can drain. Place another board or plate on top of the tofu and add a weight. A snap lid tupperware bowl or jug full of water. The weight should be heavy enough to put significant pressure on the tofu without smashing it. Leave it to drain for anywhere from a half hour to several hours, depending on the texture you're looking for. It mightn't be a bad thing to experiment by cutting a block into several pieces, removing a piece after half an hour, an hour, and an hour and a half etc., then cooking them up together to decide what texture you enjoy.

A quick tofu dish that folks generally like even if they aren't big tofu fans involves searing tofu in a heavy iron fry pan coated with vegetable oil (I like to add a few drops of sesame oil as well, for aroma and flavor). You want the oil fairly hot, but not smoking. Don't be alarmed if the tofu sticks at first. It will form a "crust" and release after a while, as long as the pan is well seasoned. When it does, turn it over until it forms the same "crust" on the other side. Drain and serve warm or room temp with a dipping sauce. This can be a simple mix of soy sauce, white vinegar, and hot chili paste, with or without sugar to taste and minced green onions. A Thai spicy peanut sauce is also excellent, a Japanese miso dengaku sauce or a sweet coconut-curry sauce. I've even used barbecue sauce! The texture of the tofu will depend on whether (and for how long) you pressed it. Small pieces of tofu, prepared this way make a nice addition to a green salad served with your favorite vinaigrette or as a substitute or addition to chicken in your favorite Chinese Chicken Salad.

Tofu is a regular on my dinner table.

A couple of suggestions:

dcarch

"....after a few failed attempts at home I've decided it doesn't need to come home with me from the grocery store."

I agree with Bri. I;ve tried and failed several times with tofu also and decided it is MUCH better when someone else makes it.

Alexa

We eat tofu about once a week. I don't use silken tofu regularly. Once in a while I buy it to use in breakfast smoothies. But for For meals I use firm or extra firm tofu. I find the texture is better after it's been frozen.

If I have the foresight, I'll wrap it in a dishtowel and put it on a plate in the fridge overnight, with another weighted plate on top of it. This helps to gently squeeze some of the moisture out, allowing it to absorb more marinade.

I buy the pre-marinaded kind sometimes for stirfries. DH seems to prefer that. For stirfries, I brown the tofu in the wok first, then remove and cook everything else, and then return the tofu to the wok before serving.

This recipe is one way that I get it past DS with no complaints. It's slightly modified from a version I found on allrecipes.com

Tofu Lasagna

1/2 package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 12oz package firm tofu, crumbled
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups of roasted or steamed vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, broccoli rabe, etc)
1 16oz jar of tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and remove from heat.

In a medium bowl combine tofu, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, milk, spaghetti sauce, parsley, basil and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Spread a layer in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Drain lasagna noodles. Layer noodles with the sauce mixture, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

Oh, I forgot to mention...

for storing tofu, more water=longer freshness. Once you open a package, rinse the tofu well, and any you don't use immediately should go into a container with lots of clean water, which should be changed daily.

When tofu goes bad, you'll know it. At first, the taste will just be a bit sour (rather like the first stage of milk going bad) and then it will get slimey, moldy and stinky...it is made out of beans, after all.

Have to admit tofu isn't a favorite of mine. Texture thing for me. Have tried it in soups and stir fries. When there are many other ingredients in the dish I can eat it. But just by itself...no thanks. NancyLouise

If you're looking for a meat alternative and you don't like tofu, I'd recommend Quorn. It's a vegetarian product, and I've had many meat-eating friends and family enjoy it. Most are shocked at how close it tastes to meat.

I can use it in any recipe that uses chicken normally and it works beautifully. The nuggets are awesome, and the naked "breasts" can be used in anything you'd make with regular chicken breasts.

I find them in most grocery stores and definitely stores like Whole Foods. A little expensive but a tasty alternative to tofu. I don't like to eat much soy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quorn products

I also use tofu, I prefer the firm stuff to the silken stuff, although I've been known to put the latter in smoothies for the kids.

Now, of course, my doc says too much soy will compromise thyroid function, so I don't eat it as much as I used to.

It's one of those things that I like, I don't love it and I don't hate it, it's OK. I like it fried or baked, like dcarch's first photo, but I do not like it plain, like the tomato picture.

I did get some that was marinated and grilled out of the Whole Foods deli and didn't like that at all, for some reason. I always put it in hot and sour soup and I like it in stir fries. It doesn't really seem to have a flavor of its own, it takes on whatever I cook it with or marinate it in.

But try the firm stuff, you might like that consistency better, and it's good in with fruit. I think I even have a tofu ice cream recipe somewhere, although I've never made it.

Annie

Though I like tofu if I had to choose between tofu and a medium rare New York strip, the beef would win every time! I will lust after a nice steak now and then but have never had a tofu craving. ;)

LOL, Eileen, I've never had a tofu craving either, so I'm with you on the beef!

Annie

Silken tofu is used more for smoothies and as a cottage cheese/ricotta type thing, especially the soft kind. I keep silken tofu on hand, but only the extra firm kind, and even that isn't all that firm. I just like that it has a much longer shelf life than the kind that comes in a water bath from the fridge department. I also buy pre-marinated, pre-baked tofu in asian and italian styles, and sometimes smoked. Those are the kinds I use most often. I also have occasionally marinated and baked my own tofu, but that takes a lot more planning and focus than I usually have in the kitchen. I've posted directions for marinating tofu a couple of times on the forum, maybe they will show up in the search engine.

I mostly use tofu in stir fries and casseroles, I throw it in sometimes with roasted vegetables, and occationally as a sandwich salad spread, like for "eggless egg salad" or "Hamless salad" which is my own invention. This week I am eating pasta primavera with cubes of italian marinated tofu thrown in for extra protein. That's a pretty typical example. I have used the smoked tofu to give a smokey flavor to soups and baked beans.

As for tofu not being good for you, that one comes with a lot of qualifiers, I think it is a ridiculous blanket statement, just as it is ridiculous to say that tofu is GOOD for you. It depends on a lot of other factors. Here are some of the issues--not all tofu is low fat, tofu has fat so if you are on a super low fat diet then check the fat content in the tofu you eat. It does come in lowfat versions, but since I'm not big into counting fat grams I don't know much about it. The fat in tofu is not saturated, but it's fat. Some people are allergic to soy. There are phytoestrogens in tofu that MIGHT interact with some medications and be a possible problem for some people who are at high risk for certain cancers. But if I smoked and was overweight in general and ate a lot of processed foods, tofu would be the least of my worries in that department. If you're not specifically at risk for some reason, then I think tofu in moderation is great, especially if you're trying to cut down on saturated fat and meat. That's why I eat it. Oh yeah, and tofu has some kind of additives in it that some people don't like. I've skimmed some of the issues years ago but since they didn't apply to me, I have pretty much ignored them. I also think it depends on HOW MUCH tofu you eat, and since I only eat a couple times a week, I'm not too worried. Some fake meats have some of the same issues since it comes from soy too I think. I dunno, I'm 50 and so far no ill effects have shown up. I have low blood pressure and all my blood is good with cholesterol, etc. No diabetes yet either, knock on wood. But time will tell. I think genes are the key, so if you have cancer prone genes (which I do not) etc., then your mileage may vary with tofu. But then you'll have to weigh tofu's dangers against meat's dangers and all the other stuff.

lpink, my doc didn't say anything about cancer at all, only that it would inhibit thyroid function and so too much shouldn't be eaten after you reach um....well....my stage in life. Yeah, all right, it's menopause, OK? (grin)

My boss takes a full replacement dose of thyroid and she's not allowed any soy products at all because of her medication, but again, that's the thyroid thing.

Other than that (and the high fat issue if you don't read labels), I haven't heard that it's bad for you at all, so maybe I ought to check...

Annie

A simple recipe - with yummy results. First of all, as others have mentioned, try to gently get as much water out of a slice as you can. Put some canola or olive oil in an iron pan, and heat. Add the sliced tofu and sprinkle with soy sauce and nutritional yeast. When crisp, turn slices over. Add more soy and yeast if you desire. When crisp, place on a whole wheat roll with a touch of mayo, then some slices of avocado,some sprouts or pieces of romaine. Enjoy!

I like tofu. I first ate it at a Japanese restaurant years ago. It was cubed and we dipped it in soy sauce. During my quasi-vegetarian phase, I started experiemtning with it more and grew to really enjoy it. I've only used the silken or soft varieties when adding to scrambled eggs, omelets, quiches, and things where is could be easily incorporated. Most of the time I use the firm or extra firm.

I squeeze out excess liquid by laying slices onto a paper plate lined with paper towels. then I cover the slices with more paper towels and another paper plate and weigh everything down with whatever I happen to have on hand. I usually let it drain at least a half hour or more.

I like the chewy texture after its been browned in some oil. I've used tofu as a filling for lasagna just like Suzytwo and in "steaks" like Dcarch's first picture. A favoirte is breaded tofu slices topped with homemade sweet & sour sauce. It's great in Chinese style soups and in any kind of stir fry or fried rice.

Regarding its health benefits or problems, I think Lpink is right about its use. Everything depends on how much of it you eat. Pretty much like any other food available to us. But I really like it. Sometimes just the thought of any kind of meat or chicken or even fish just does not appeal to me. That's when tofu comes in handy.

I said I am not supposed to have it (although I can get awy with a wee bit now and then); most of ya'll can probably have all you want. :)

Jo, unless you have thyroid problems, enjoy the tofu. Everyone is different, and our tolerances for certain foods vary from person to person.

OK, this may not appeal to you, it's an accidental recipe that turned out pretty good. My DH really liked it -- I didn't tell him there was tofu in it. Here's the story.

I have a friend who is vegan and at my recent martini party I made a vegan dip with her in mind. The recipe I found on the web called for extra firm tofu with some specific spices mixed in via food processor. I substituted their spices with zatar. So basically just blended the tofu with a bunch of zatar. It was good but there was enough leftover that I knew I'd never eat it all before it went bad.

So I browned some ground beef, boiled some pasta, and mixed that up with the tofu. E-Z. It turned out really good. I normally split up leftovers of dinner into individual containers in the freezer to take to work for lunch. Whenever I make something that DH really likes, he asks if we can just have it for dinner again instead. This was one of those dishes.

I really like tofu but have had some challenges in cooking it. This post is making me think I should try again. I often order it when we go out. If I want some tofu but don't want to have another cooking failure making it I go over to the health food store and buy smoked/flavored tofu and make a sandwich from it or rough cut it into a salad.

Does anyone put tofu in smoothies? I have a smoothie every night when I get home from work and I normally use protein powder along with fruit. Tofu might be a nice substitute especially if it makes the drink creamier.

Thanks.

Kate

First soy was the wonder food, gonna cure all that ails us. Now it is poison. It all depends on who you ask. One study says this, another that...one expert sings it's praises, another condemns it. Soy is the leading American agricultural export, a huge money concern so it's not surprising that so many conflicting studies and opinions exist. Call me cynical.

Even when it comes to the thyroid issue, there is no consensus. Study results conflict and often the methodology of any given study isn't provided with the results when they hit the general media and when they are, they are almost impossible for a regular guy or gal on the street to comprehend. For example, one study that had alarming results involved women consuming 60 grams of soy protein a day. Well, 60 grams equals a little over 2 ounces...but that's of the protein, not tofu itself, so how much tofu would you have to eat to consume 60 grams of the protein? Even that isn't all that easy to figure. 1/2 cup of tofu is listed as containing between 10 and 20 grams depending on where you look. Perhaps it has to do with what type of tofu. Well, even at 20 grams of tofu per half cup, you'd have to consume a cup and a half of tofu every day to reach the 60 gram mark! Goodness, who is going to eat a cup and a half of tofu every day??

That reminds me of a study I read about way back when, on an artificial sweetener (saccharin maybe?) that had truly alarming results. Turns out, the lab animals were fed an amount a human couldn't ingest without drinking a case and a half of diet soda a day. How useful is that information?? If I drank a case and a half of plain water every day I'd probably develop some sort of health problem!

New study shows relationship between drinking water and butt callouses!! The headlines would scream! Of course, the water wouldn't have caused the callouses directly, those would come from the extra hours every day sitting on the toilet!

I hope that wasn't too crude, but really I think we have to take a lot of these studies lightly. People pay for them and people make their livings from them, and everyone has an angle.

I think the old rule is still the best:

Everything In Moderation, Nothing To Excess!

Here is a link that might be useful: Soy and Thyroid

Thank you everyone for your well thought our replies. I realize now the tofu I used wasn't silken (that was the soy milk in the fridge) but rather firm. I tasted it again today and it has improved. The spicey peanut saucee and green onions have risen to the occasion. I am thinking of taking a tablespoon of it as filling in a wanton (fried, of course). With that one sentence, my concerns about health and tofu, just became secondary.
jo

Lpink, I have a tofu question. As I stated before, I like and use tofu frequently. Years ago I read about the freezing method and gave that a try too. I added the thawed, drained, and crumbled tofu to a flavorful mole sauce. But I ended up throwing it all away. Instead of enjoying the texture more, I found the frozen/thawed tofu to have an undesirable chalky like feel to it. At the time, I thought I would have been better off just browning the tofu slices before adding them to the sauce. Is that what it should have been like? Or was I just super sensitive to the texture change?

My "consensus" comes in the form of my lab results, how I feel several hours after eating eating tofu, and the expertise of a doctor who is keenly interested in customizing thryoid treatment to the patient and had me keep very detailed records of food intake, sleep cycles and symptoms for months. Regardless of whether the studies say it's toxin or magic pixie dust, my endocrine system has it's own opinion and has been very convincing on the subject.

Renee, that's how my boss got there too, because everyone's body is different. She simply cannot eat soy, it affects her thyroid medication. (shrug) And that's how it is for her.

My old doc was a very smart man. When he said "not too much" I believed him. As has been mentioned, moderation in all things. Even water, LOL.

Kate, I put the silken tofu in smoothies with fruit. Ashley's current favorite fruit smoothie is strawberries, a banana, some orange juice, a chunk of tofu and enough milk to make it "drinkable".

Annie

Oh yes please realize I wasn't trying to inflame a tofu/health debate. Since people are so different in their lifestyles it really does depend on alot of factors. What I'm saying is just like what rachelellen is saying, that it just depends so I wouldn't write tofu off for health reasons any more than I would embrace it as the cure all. Individual mileage may vary. There are some people who can't eat tofu or shouldn't eat tofu, no doubt about it. My brother is allergic to soy and has a histamine reaction to it. Soybean oil too for him. That's one reason he is such a picky eater, soybean oil is in so many things. Soy is one of the more common allergens. Not to mention it is a source of phyto-estrogens, which may or may not be good for you depending on which research you read. So if soy's not your thing, no problem.

Now, if you want to add soy to your diet because you want to cut down on saturated fat, eat low on the food chain and help the planet a little, or just be cool, then there's a lot of advice out there. Since soy has such a bland taste, eating it plain is probably not the way to learn to love it. But it's bland taste yet relatively high protein level is the beauty of the stuff. It is very adaptable.

I'm not a huge fan of frozen tofu. About the only recipe I have that calls for first freezing the tofu is one for tofu sloppy joes. Frozen then thawed tofu has the texture and somewhat taste of a sponge, IMHO. The issue for some people is that tofu doesn't have that chewy texture that they would like. Well, I can see if you're thinking tofu is a 'meat replacement' that would bug you. If you want chewy texture, you're going to want Textured Vegetable Protein, not tofu. Tofu is bound to disappoint if you want meat but eat tofu instead. Now, if you just want to eat something that has protein and tastes good, then I suggest adding tofu to highly spiced dishes, things like well seasoned stir fries or curries. Or putting it in casseroles with a lot of other flavorful ingredients. It's good in lasagne, for example.

Now, for a chewier texture with tofu, that's the idea behind baking tofu. What you basically do is slather on a marinade on the tofu (it doesn't penetrate tofu like it does meat) and then bake it for about an hour, checking to see that the marinade isn't burning and turing in rebasting it about halfway through. That dries out the tofu and gives it a chewy texture. Usually I just us a bottle of some kind of commercial dressing like italian or asian to use as the marinade, but it's cheaper to make your own and you can give it the taste you like. Actually most of the time I just buy it already pre-baked and seasoned. That stuff, which they sell vacume sealed in plastic, keeps indefinately in the fridge and freezes OK, although you will have some sponginess issues. The reason tofu gets spongy in the freezer is the water in it freezes and then when it thaws it leaves holes in the tofu where the water ice crystals were. The drier the tofu is to begin with the better it will freeze.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soy allergies

Thank you Annie. I'll give it a try.

Kate

I have a tofu chocolate pie recipe I can post if you like, that's a good use for silken tofu. I brought it to a company picnic once and everyone liked it because they didn't know it had tofu. It was somewhat lower in calories and fat than the traditional, but still a relatively rich dessert. You can also mix it with sugar and cocoa or sugar and lemon juice to make non dairy pudding. I have used tofu pudding in little fruit tarts made with the phyllo cups, a dollop of jam and a dollop of tofu pudding. I like that stuff, but diet food this is not! :)

As chi83 mentions, Quorn products are delicious and not made of soy; rather, they're a mushroom derivative. They make a 'roast' which can substitute for chicken or turkey slices and even regular meat eaters don't mind the taste. The 'chicken' nuggets are our favorites, too.

Helene

I have a recipe for raspberry mousse using tofu, flavored gelatin, honey, powdered not fat milk and ice cubes. It is really good and I have used other Jello flavors with good results, too.
I will see if I can find it to post.
I took it to a family gathering and didn't tell anyone it was tofu based. The men seems to like it and asked that I share the recipe with their wives. You should have seen their faces when I told them it contained tofu.

I have used tofu to make vegan stuffed grape leaves. I use it instead of lamb or beef but pump up the savory seasonings (onion, garlic, oregano, mint, a hint of cinnamon etc.) and lemon juice. I also add toasted pine nuts and some olive oil.

Not to quibble, but Quorn is not a mushroom product, but is made from a soil mold, grown in vats, fed with glucose and other vitamins and minerals.

There was some controversy about the marketers trying to use the word "mushroom," probably innocently enough...accusations of misrepresentation and all that...probably made by folks in opposing industries (but that's just my cynical side talking again.)

I believe it's only been marketed for a little over 20 years...which makes me a bit uneasy about it being that it's one of those foods designed by Man, not God/nature for our consumption out of material we would not normally consume in any but minute, and accidental quantities.

I don't guess I'll run out to the market to look for it, but I wouldn't refuse to eat it if I was in someone's home and that was what they were serving...again, everything in moderation.

Jo, I have to highly recommend the cookbook "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman. He has a lot of info in there on cooking with tofu, lots of creative ideas. Baking it, brasing it, broiling it, in curries, burgers (most I've had have been mushy, but maybe you won't mind that), stews, deep fried, in dumplings, wontons or egg rolls, fake egg salad, grilled, rolled into cabbage or other green leaf rolls, scrambled, pancakes, pate (I like it that way), in quiche, smoked, in soups and stir fries.

I'm not the best person to ask for creative cooking ideas though, I'm almost strictly a hash cook and I usually just throw store bought pre-marinated tofu into whatever hash I'm making for the week, be it a stir fry or pasta or stew. At least that's how I cook these days mostly unfortunately.

Tofu is really more like lowfat cheese in consistency, but it doesn't melt or have good cheese flavor. But it has a creamy texture, not a chewy one mostly, unless like I said, you get a certain kind and cook it certain ways. The block kind sold in some stores is much firmer than the silken kind that comes in the cardboard containers, but you have to use it up relatively soon.

Here's my tofu pate recipe, which I love. I just don't make it because it makes so much I can't use it up fast enough.

Tofu Pate - from "Vegetarian Times" magazine

3 large cloves garlic, minced (I only use two, I'm not a garlic fan)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (you can leave this out or use less)
12 oz. firm tofu, drained (I've also used the 10 oz. firm silken tofu packages for this)
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives (I've also used just a little can of plain black olives, they are much cheaper)
2 TBLSP chopped capers
Optional: 2 TBLSP toasted walnuts or pine nuts, 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil or 1-2 TBLSP minced fresh basil, purple is cool.

Process in a food processor. Serve on crackers or bruschetta.

I almost always leave out the EVOO when I make this.