Tofu really does not taste like much at all, so you really need to marinate it - in whatever you like.
I usually use soy sauce, ginger, lime, garlic and a little chili paste, but you can use whatever flavors appeal.
Here's how I do it, but I'm sure there are as many methods as there are cooks!
I use extra firm, organic. Take it out of the package, rinse and wrap in a clean dishcloth. Put it on a plate with something heavy on top. (I use a telescope counter weight, just because there are a lot of those around, you could try a cast iron skillet or anything handy.) the idea is to squeeze out the water.
After about 30 mins, I cut the block into thirds, then, each third into 8 or 9 slices.
Marinate for 30 minutes-1 hour in a tupperware container, in the fridge.
Place slices on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in an oven at about 350, turn at 20 minutes and bake about 15 minutes more.
(Just watch it, your time may take more or less, but it is not that delicate, so don't stress.)
You can then use your tofu chunks in stirfries, sandwiches, salads, soups etc.

Thanks for the easy (I like easy!) Tofu cooking info.

Have you found any fake meats, like mock turkey, to be appetizing?

Tofu! One of my favorite subjects. As some of you know, my DH and I had a tofu business for a number of years.

In shopping for packaged tofu, I always look for magnesium chloride in the ingredients. This is getting harder to find, unfortunately. Most manufacturers are using calcium chloride and/or calcium sulfate, which I think makes the tofu slightly bitter. I use extra-firm, organic, which is more likely to contain magnesium. But it doesn't always.

The Internet is full of great recipes using tofu. For someone starting out, tofu lends itself well to Italian dishes. For instance, mix up some plain tofu in the food processor with a squeeze of fresh garlic, some dried parsley flakes, and a small amount of parmesan cheese, and use this in place of ricotta when making stuffed shells. Tofu Goes West is a cookbook--out of print but available used on Amazon--that has lots of recipes like this. Tofu Pan Pizza is one recipe from that book that my family loves.

Gardenspice is right that there are as many methods as there are cooks. I never marinate my tofu. :-)

You don't "have to " eat tofu if you are a vegetarian, or a vegan.

My daughter is vegan and doesn't eat much tofu. She is healthy.

Don't ask me how... cause I really crave some meat and I do eat some almost daily.

But, I am lucky, she is on her own.

Moni

For beginning tofu eating, I would recommend thoroughly browning or frying the tofu (after using the draining advice above - makes a big difference!). Dice it in small squares and then fry it (with oil or without) until it browns. This helps the texture considerably in my opinion, since most people who are new to tofu don't like the soft/squishy kind. You can add it to anything - chili, soups, burritos, stir fry, spaghetti sauce.

Tofu scramble is really good, with plenty of onion and garlic and other seasonings. I make it with soyrizo, which is a soy-based chorizo-flavored product. I like to make breakfast burritos for a protein-packed breakfast.

Smoothies are a good way to get tofu, mainly the silken kind. If you have PF Chang's near you, they have really good tofu dishes. Lettuce wraps, and the Ma Po Tofu. I'm trying a homemade version of the tofu wraps and I'll report back if it's any good.

I know you only asked about tofu, but there are also tons of other vegetarian protein sources. Even the biggest tofu lover will get tired of it eventually! Check out tempeh and seitan. You usually have to look in more natural markets (think Whole Foods or Trader Joe's) or Asian supermarkets. Beans, quinoa, nut butters, edamame and greens all have high levels of protein. Some basic meals that would give plenty of protein would be pb&j on whole wheat, a wrap with hummus and veggies, tofu or veggie stirfry over quinoa, chili made with tons of beans...so many options.

The fake meats are good for transitioning. I think Quorn tastes the best, but it's pricey and all of the fake meats are processed. If she can avoid them and instead focus on whole foods, then that's the best route but sometimes it makes the transition easier to use them for a while. They really do taste good and you can buy them "naked" and prepare it just like you would a normal chicken breast or hamburger meat. (link below - the Garlic and Herb cutlet is AWESOME) It would be easy to make a vegetarian version of whatever you're making. I do that with chicken recipes all the time. I would actually recommend trying some of these, as even omnivores I know like them, and it really does make it easier as a new vegetarian, especially if it involves other family members!

Almost any recipe can be easily made vegetarian. Often as simple as just taking the meat out and switching to veggie broth instead of chicken broth. You don't HAVE to have a large piece of protein with every meal. It'll balance out.

One thing I would like to stress is not to worry about the protein as much. Of course we need it but not at the levels that the average American consumes. I have been a vegetarian for 14 years now and I have never met someone who is protein-deficient. My blood levels are fine and I generally don't even eat eggs or dairy, and minimal tofu. Eating a well-balanced, plant-sourced diet will give her everything she needs, though if she's going vegan she'll want to supplement with B12.

I don't know how old she is, but I would encourage her to participate as much as possible. There are TONS of vegetarian blogs out there that have recipes and pictures that are inspiring to eat a more well-rounded diet.

A lot of my friends went vegetarian in high school like I did, but I was the only one who stuck with it so it might just be a phase. I'm biased so I hope it isn't but I promise you can be perfectly healthy on a vegetarian diet, if not moreso than a traditional one! I hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quorn products

Oh, and I find the fake deli meats to be disgusting! Some people like them but I thought they were a waste of money as I took one bite and spit it out. Definitely check out Quorn (frozen section) as they are superior to other brands, imo.

Two veggie daughters here! One eats fish on occasion. We have been through many of the veggie options. Quorn is a favorite, but also check Morningstar and Boca products. There is Veggie Patch

I have never tried the fake deli meats, but I did try the turkey type Quorn, once at a party and once at home to see what it was like. I thought it was pretty good, but I tend to eat the "fake meat" stuff pretty occasionally. Like Chi said - good for transitioning, I think.
I have eaten garden burgers for years - some are more like meat, some are more like grains.
The veg boca sausage is good every once in a while, but not something I think of as healthy.
I did recently try the Boca crumbles in a veggie Chili and in tacos and while they were good, I'm happy with just beans, but TG raved.
I really love beans - white bean soup, red beans and rice, orca beans stew with poblanos, black bean tacos - there is an endless supply of hearty bean recipes and I suggest you and your daughter try a few. An easy way to make a lot of soup and stew recipes veg is to simply replace the stock with veggie stock. Also, canned beans make for a quick meal with rice, tortillas or just veggies.

May I also suggest she try Quinoa? My dd is vegetarian and has stomach troubles so this has been her main source of protein for a few months. It is a complete protein, meaning one doesn't have to eat a carb with it to metabolize the protein. She also eats some tofu and as someone else said, Trader Joe's has several kinds, even pre-flavored (marinated?) ones that are pretty good and easy.

Silken tofu is great in smoothies, if she likes those. I tried and tried and tried and just never got to "love" tofu. Vegan for a year, I found that a lot of fake meats were really very processed. Also good in puddings and desserty things. I have blended it with seasonings to make "custard" for quiche as well.

Most of the ground meat style crumbles are okay in a sauce or a burrito type filling. I also liked to mix the dried tvp with cooked lentils and brown rice as a ground meat sub. Good as a base for shepherds pie, tacos, spaghetti, etc.

Did not much care for the lunch meats, all had that strange wheat gluten flour taste that gags me. Seitan is an aquired taste that I never aquired, and a lot of chicken breast subs are made of that.

Also Tempeh, could never find a way to combat the bitterness. I soaked, I boiled, I steamed, I marinated, I fried, blech.

My favourite thing was smoked tofu, sliced thin and browned until crispy. Sometimes I would brush with a mix of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle on some nutritional yeast flakes beforehand. Vegan bacon!

I do like a softer milder tofu stir fried with veggetables in a sauce over rice, but it has to be really fresh. Around here I can find it in asian stores as "fresh chinese style bean curd". Usually not packaged, but in a large vat and they scoop it for you.

Extra firm water packed tofu, drained, sliced, and frozen, then defrosted and any liquid squeezed out is very good also. It changes the texture to make it more spongy. Then I dust with cornstarch, pan fry in oil until crispy, and eat dipped in sweet and sour sauce LOL.

Dances.

I'll 3rd the Quorn suggestion, delish! I can never find the sausage links anymore though, and have had to switch to Morningstar, which is ok. They are good in breakfast sammies though. I prefer the links to patties.

I like the Yves Veggie Cuisine Deli Slices (especially the ham and bologna, even though I never liked either of those when I ate real meat), but can't stand the tofurkey slices. But I love tofurkey german sausages and brats...as a matter of fact I had one last night with sauerkraut. She just has to experiment and see what tastes good to her.

I cook tofu like gardenspice and chi83 do. Try and buy firm or extra firm, and then press the water out, then either bake or fry in olive oil. Season with whatever I'm seasoning the rest of the dish with. Only buy soft if you are blending it in to something, like a smoothie, a dessert, etc.

One of my faves is tofu reubens. I thinly slice extra firm tofu and bake or pan fry till it's a little crispy on the outside. Make homemade 1000 island dressing with a little ketchup and mayo and put that on toasted bread. Then add sauerkraut and melt swiss cheese on the tofu and put it all together. They are really yummy.

I also recommend quinoa, and also edamame (whole soybeans you steam or boil) for protein. I use quinoa in place of rice in lots of dishes, or make stirfrys or cold salads with it. It goes well with anything.

I love gardenburgers but hate boca burgers (too beef-like). Black bean burgers are really good too. You can sometimes find them frozen but they aren't too hard to make yourself.

Another good veggie meal is falafel sandwiches! I've yet to perfect the consistency of the falafel balls (because I don't deep fry), but I need to practice more.

Jenn, have you tried the Trader Joe's falafel? I've never tried making them myself but I really like theirs!

I have tried the fake deli meats and all I can say is, if God intended me to eat tofu turkey he would have put feathers on soybeans.

Tofu sold in bulk, as mentioned by Dances, is your best shot at getting a high quality product. We always sold our tofu in 25-lb. buckets. We manufactured several grades of firmness, and sold them all this way. The blocks of tofu should be removed from the refrigerated buckets by a store employee wearing disposable gloves. Beware of markets that place the bucket on the floor of the store and allow customers to stick their hands in and take what they want. Eeek!

If you are lucky enough to find tofu sold this way, keep it covered with water in the refrigerator when you get it home. Change the water every day (every other day might be okay). It should keep a week or longer this way.

I can't help because I am hypothyroid and there is still some controversy about soy and thyroid.

I don't avoid soy but I don't seek it out. Never cared for tofu.

I could never a vegetarian of any kind. I have canine teeth for a purpose.

chi83- no I've never tried it. I don't live near a TJ's anymore so I rarely go there, unfortunately. Making your own is easy, but a little tricky to get the right consistency. I tried a combo of pan frying and baking them but they still kinda fell apart...tasted good though!

Oh, by the way, I tried the Potbelly Oatmeal Choc. Chip Cookie yesterday. You were right, delicious!

chi83- no I've never tried it. I don't live near a TJ's anymore so I rarely go there, unfortunately. Making your own is easy, but a little tricky to get the right consistency. I tried a combo of pan frying and baking them but they still kinda fell apart...tasted good though!

Oh, by the way, I tried the Potbelly Oatmeal Choc. Chip Cookie yesterday. You were right, delicious!

I have eaten tofu several times, but only made it once. I fried and chopped it up like ground beef with peppers, onions and garlic and A1. We used it as the "beef" for tacos.
It looked and tasted quite a bit like beef. After we were done and cleaned up, my sweetie asks me " I thought you were making tofu". HA - he never even knew!

I can take it or leave it. If served it, I will eat it, but I don't bother to fix it myself.

Carolyn

Wildchild, I'll remember not to get too close to you unless I'm wearing a turtleneck. :-)

We have so much to learn! As much as I find this all to be kind of a bother to do, I especially want my dd to know how to balance her meals before she leaves for college in a few years. She is 16 now and is at a good weight for her height. Truthfully,I fear she will take the path of least resistance and eat fast easy food. At the very least I want her to know how to fix some vegetarian meals and balance them. Your replys mean so much more to me than asking a checker at Trader Joes. We'll take notes from your posts so we can make better decisions while shopping.

I'm going to find a few good books for her, vegetarian for dummies perhaps. Dh and I aren't planning on changing for her but she has our support if she is willing to figure this all out. At school today she ate PBJ, more bread and pears. She often will have a salad. After school she ate an anti-pasta salad with vegatables in it.
Next week it will be something new. Thanks Kt.

I think it's great that you are supportive. My mom never was and she always thought I did it just to annoy her LOL.