LOOKING for: Tofu Meal Plan

21 years ago

I'm looking for a good tofu recipe. I'm not vegetarian and have never even tried tofu before, so I really have no idea what to do with the stuff, but my girlfriend loves it and I'm making her a birthday dinner and would like to surprise her with something she'll really like. Also of note: I have virtually no cooking skills, so easier is better, but not a necessity as I can always seek advice from my Mom who is a wonderful cook.

I'd appreciate suggestions.

Thanks.

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Comments (5)

splinter
21 years ago
tofu acts like a sponge... it soaks up any flavour you put it in. it's great crumbled into lasagna... hardly noticeable. or cut it into small cubes and add to a stir fry. good luck! :o)

try:
http://www.tofu.com/recipes.html
http://www.vegweb.com/food/tofu
http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/tofu
http://www.soy-protein-tofu-recipes.com/soy-recipes.htm
paulmyoung
21 years ago
Hi,

My favorite use is to get a block of tofu and freeze it for 48 hours. Then thaw it (takes at least 24 hours in the fridge) and cut it into 1/4 inch thick slices. You can then pan fry it for for about 5 minuts on each side, using a little oil. Season with onion, black pepper, soy sauce or salt. I also like sage and rosemary on mine.

Makes a very tasty chicken substitute. One note, I strongly suggest avoiding the tofu that is sold into the sealed packages that don't require refridgeration. The texture is much less desireable than the kind sold in tubs in the refridgerator case.

Paul
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Since some of mine are on Zaar, I will warn you to read my page first before trying them. It is under the name house. There is a disclaimer there on the current database and the recipes located on Zaar. As to easy, look nothing could be easier as long as you know how to do tofu. Since we aren't taught by our parents it isn't easy. First There are two types. One is the Mori Nu type aka silken. It is soft like a cottage cheese or cream cheese. It is best in smoothies and desserts such as pudding Don't try to drain it by pressing unless you plan on crumbling it. The other, waterpacked is firmer. If you freeze it, it is much tougher and more meatlike but will resemble a sponge. Esp if you freeze, drain. Simply put on a slanted board and put a heavy plate or pan on top. Let sit until the water stops running. Now it is ready to marinate. Tofu has taste. However it is so bland everything else overshadows it. Use your favorite 'sauce'. At our house we sometimes just pour sundried tomato dressing or raspberry pecan dressing over it and crumble and serve on a salad. The catch is marination time. The longer it sits, the more it will taste like what you are soaking it in. For a Western Beginner I recommend at least over night. Me? well heck I nibble it as I cut it so... However when we started the wife out on it, I soaked it overnight. Now what to do? Lets see Crumble and put on salad I make a dish that uses the tofu, our favorite bread dressing and veggies mixed in for a casserole. If you are lacto add a vegetarian cheese on top and melt. I make our favorite stir fry sauce, marinate and simply pan fry with no oil [use cooking spray for this]. Bake until golden brown and serve with sides Toss cooked or uncooked in a stir fry Make Chocolate pudding or Vanilla pudding BBQ it Toss in your favorit stew Make Dumplings such as Buddah's Jewels for a fancier meal Mix with Seitan and make a loaf to replace turkey on thanksgiving After you start working with it, the net has oodles of recipes that you can pick up in a hurry. If you follow the link off my Zaar page, it will take you to where I now keep the recipes and I vouch for them as accurate. There is a long page of tofu recipe on the site under Vegetarian/Vegan on this site. Some are for advanced users and some are for beginners. The Orange Lacquered Tofu and Ricker's Tofu Roast are my favorites. The chocolate pudding ain't shabby either. Note Ricker's tofu roast uses Seitan in the mix. That is simple to make. 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten [you can find that in the bakng section usually by Hodgson Mills or Bob's Red Mill] and 1/2 cup water, mix, knead 5 minutes boil in your favorite broth for an hour then use, refrigerate in broth or freeze in broth for future use. And if you run into trouble give a yell. Humm maybe I better thaw the garlic pepper tofu for supper. Psst if you run into any smoked tofu? Give it a try. I love it.
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When I still had girls at home, one of their favorites was Shepherd's Pie. Mine was made with leftover mashed potatoes over a filling of ground beef and vegetables. They also liked beef stew with biscuits, I made the stew in a dutch oven and just added unbaked biscuits to the top after the stew was cooked and baked just long enough to bake the biscuits. Meatloaf was a big favorite and has already been mentioned. Calzones made with homemade bread dough and stuffed with everything from pizza toppings to ham and cheese to leftover broccoli with cheese sauce. Those can also be made using frozen commercial bread dough. Macaroni and cheese was a favorite and although I sometimes made chicken and dumplings we more often had chicken over biscuits. We often had breakfast for supper, pancakes, waffles, eggs, "breakfast burritos" with scrambled eggs, cheese and salsa, English Muffins with ham and eggs and a side of fruit salad. My girls both loved rice so we'd have Spanish Rice or fried rice or chicken and rice soup, or they just ate cold rice for breakfast with milk and sugar, like breakfast cereal. Having something they could pick up and eat on the way to some school function or sporting event was handy, so sometimes we'd have sloppy joes or hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches or cheesesteak sandwiches with the meat cooked in the crock pot. I actually used the crock pot quite a bit, preparing the food the night before then just taking the prepped food out of the refrigerator in the morning and turning the crockpot on. Pot roast, corned beef, brisket, ham, bean or split pea soup, scalloped potatoes, pork roast, even desserts can be done in the crock pot. I know how you feel, I used to just dread the "duty cooking". As a single mother with a full time job it was a chore to find something that I could make after I got out of work that didn't cost very much and that everyone would eat and I could make in half an hour. When the girls got older I made them do the weekly menus. They would sit at the kitchen table with cookbooks and make the "menu" for the next week, then I'd go shopping for ingredients. Sunday was my day to choose, the girls chose 3 days each. I got to cook something new sometimes and they couldn't complain much about meals they had chosen themselves. Good luck! Annie
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baci
18 years ago
Tofu can taste like meat if you season it right. Here is a real easy dish Â once you get it organized it takes about Â½ hour:

Ingredients:
Firm tofu
Veggies (carrots, onions, broccoli or asparagus, mushrooms)
Garlic
Jasmine rice
Curry spice
Teriyaki or mushroom sauce

What makes this dish is a firm tofu (fresh, available as Asian markets is best), shitake mushrooms, & jasmine rice. The tofu needs to be drained very well or it is soggy.

Get some firm tofu, rinse it, pour out the liquid, & let it sit over night.
Put rice in a steamer or start cooking it.
Cut, cook, & blanch the veggies.
Add some oil to the pan, & put in curry powder. Add the tofu, onion & fry until brown. They should probably be cooked separately, but I cook them together to save time.
Add the garlic
Add the veggies, teriyaki sauce, & serve over the rice.

A nice condiment is pickled leeks, available at Vietnamese markets.
girlgroupgirl
18 years ago
My favorite is Grit tofu from their "Golden Bowl" The Grit is a fantastic vegetarian place in Athens GA.

1 container of extra firm tofu (best from your store's refridgerator section and not the boxed tofu)
a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast
soy sauce or tamari sauce
oil for frying or deepfrying or a non-stick skillet

Although they deep fry the tofu at the restraunt, I pan fry it.

I slice the tofu in half, place it on a plastic cutting board and then prop this up with a plastic lid or jar lid so it's angled into the sink. Place a piece of plastic wrap, or a clean towel on the tofu and balance a thick telephone book on top. This will press the extra water out. I drain for 1/2 an hour.

Cube your drained tofu and toss into your skillet. I use a non-stick skillet with no oil. It browns the tofu nicely. Brown tofu on all sides, then turn off the heat. Quickly sprinkle on about a tablespoon of soy or tamari sauce, then let it sizzle a bit until it dries up. Finally, toss the nutritional yeast on and coat your tofu.

SUPER DUPER DELIOUSLY YUMMY!!! We eat this several nights a week as 'croutons' on large salad as our main course!

GGG
noodlesportland
18 years ago
Buy firm or extra firm tofu. Drain. Cut in 1/4 inch thick lengths. Marinate in 4 TBLS of each: olive oil, sesame seed oil, soy sauce. Add one tablespoon of fresh grated ginger(optional) and one chopped clove garlic (optional). Let sit in frig for 1 hour or more. Best if grilled on outdoor grill. second best-broil in oven.
I have been a vegetarian for 30 years and this is a great recipie. Serve with basmati rice and a green vegie such as stir fried broccoli.
If your friend has been vegetarian for long she/he will not want the tofu to taste like meat. You lose, and really do not like, meat tastes after a while.

LOOKING for: Tofu Meal Plan

Comments (5)

splinter

paulmyoung

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