Tofu Secrets
When I went to college for the first time I remember going to the cafeteria during orientation lunch time and perusing the salad bar. In one of the buckets was little white cubes which after closer examination I figured was tofu. I had never actually eaten tofu before and thought, what the heck, no time like the present so I scooped a few of those babies on my plate. When I tried one I thought it was disgusting. It had both a disturbing texture and flavor. Anyone who says tofu is bland needs their taste buds checked. I thought at the time that anyone who actually professed to LIKE tofu was kidding themselves. Yep, I thought, this confirms that I do NOT need to be a vegetarian ever. It was many years before I would brave tofu but when I did I think I was determined to find a way to eat it without it being so gross. The truth I have discovered is that eating plain old tofu is about as appetizing as eating raw eggs but when used in things and cooked properly it is so very versatile and adds a good deal of body and texture to any dish. So I thought I would share a bit of what I have discovered of this protein and nutrient rich food and some ways I have found to use it in cooking that have made it a must-have at my house. I have made dishes with tofu for guests who never knew its presence. One lady upon learning she had just eaten it said I should think about teaching a class on cooking with tofu. As far as tofu is concerned though I don't yet feel I have arrived because I know there are so many other ways to use it. For instance, I have yet to use them in sweets like for making dairy-less whipped cream which uses silken tofu. I am mostly familar with ways to use firm and extra firm tofu in savory dishes.
The first ways I experimented with tofu was making faux-ricotta cheese. I absolutely LOVE tofu-ricotta. I actually find myself snagging bits of it from the blender when I am done making it. It actually tastes better than milk-ricotta. It is very easy and I have used it in all kinds of things like lasagna and stuffed shells. When cooked it looks almost identical to ricotta cheese with the curding. It allows for making these Italian yummy dishes dairy-free if that's your thing or just simply making things lower-fat. In a blender I combine until smooth:
1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu squeezed as much as you can manage to remove the water. Squishing it in a cheese cloth is most helpful but in your fist will do in a pinch.
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 -1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp tried oregano
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup raw cashew peices
It's really the lemon and garlic that transforms it and the cashews add something that I am not sure how to describe. If you don't have cashews on hand it is still good but I highly suggest them.
Tofu is actually great on salads, over pasta, or whatever you want to put it on but NOT raw. I prefer to broil it because it is healthier than frying and you can achieve a texture similar to fried tofu if you freeze it first and then defost it. Once it's defrosted you want to remove as much liquid as possible which is actually easier when it has previously been frozen. People tell you that tofu soaks up whatever it is marinated in but I find that to be incorrect UNLESS you have frozen it, defrosted it, and then squeezed out a good bit of juice. I cut it up in little cubes. I like smaller cubes and I wouldn't cut them any bigger than 1" square. You can marinate them in anything. I like to use lemon or lime in whatever marinade I use because citrus tends to counteract the unpleasant natural taste of soy that I so dislike. An easy and simple marinade is soy sauce, lemon juice, and garlic powder. It doesn't take long to marinate this way, just 30 min or so. To broil them you spray down a pan with some pam and lay them out. Put them in the broiler and allow them to crisp on the exposed side. Then you want to stir them when they look like they are crisping a bit to turn most of them over to get the other sides. The amount of time to broil varies depending on your size and I find I have to take a few out along the way because they get done sooner than others. For me it's around 10 minutes total.
I have also fried tofu. I know it is excellent deep fried because I have had it at Thai places but I don't do that at home. Might as well be eating fried chicken with all that fat. I have pan fried it though. My favorite method is to freeze and defrost it and cut it up in cubes like I described before. Marinate it in a little lemon juice and soy sauce and coat it in a beaten egg. Bread it with some cornstarch and then fry it in a little oil turning them over as they cook to crisp each side. Then you can use it in Asian stir-fries. Brad craves my General Tsau's tofu made this way. You could make "orange tofu" or "sesame tofu" using this method but just coating it in the appropriate sauce after you fry it.
I love tofu, in moderation of course, like anything else. I know there's this "tofu scare" going on relating to people who eat too much of it and it causing hormone problems but from what I understand I would stick to organic tofu to avoid this and non-genetically modified if you can find it. Further, I only use it about twice a week. Every day is a bit much for anything really, especially protein-rich foods. If you'd rather not cook it yourself feel free to come over to my house and request it!
The first ways I experimented with tofu was making faux-ricotta cheese. I absolutely LOVE tofu-ricotta. I actually find myself snagging bits of it from the blender when I am done making it. It actually tastes better than milk-ricotta. It is very easy and I have used it in all kinds of things like lasagna and stuffed shells. When cooked it looks almost identical to ricotta cheese with the curding. It allows for making these Italian yummy dishes dairy-free if that's your thing or just simply making things lower-fat. In a blender I combine until smooth:
1 lb firm or extra-firm tofu squeezed as much as you can manage to remove the water. Squishing it in a cheese cloth is most helpful but in your fist will do in a pinch.
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 -1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp tried oregano
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup raw cashew peices
It's really the lemon and garlic that transforms it and the cashews add something that I am not sure how to describe. If you don't have cashews on hand it is still good but I highly suggest them.
Tofu is actually great on salads, over pasta, or whatever you want to put it on but NOT raw. I prefer to broil it because it is healthier than frying and you can achieve a texture similar to fried tofu if you freeze it first and then defost it. Once it's defrosted you want to remove as much liquid as possible which is actually easier when it has previously been frozen. People tell you that tofu soaks up whatever it is marinated in but I find that to be incorrect UNLESS you have frozen it, defrosted it, and then squeezed out a good bit of juice. I cut it up in little cubes. I like smaller cubes and I wouldn't cut them any bigger than 1" square. You can marinate them in anything. I like to use lemon or lime in whatever marinade I use because citrus tends to counteract the unpleasant natural taste of soy that I so dislike. An easy and simple marinade is soy sauce, lemon juice, and garlic powder. It doesn't take long to marinate this way, just 30 min or so. To broil them you spray down a pan with some pam and lay them out. Put them in the broiler and allow them to crisp on the exposed side. Then you want to stir them when they look like they are crisping a bit to turn most of them over to get the other sides. The amount of time to broil varies depending on your size and I find I have to take a few out along the way because they get done sooner than others. For me it's around 10 minutes total.
I have also fried tofu. I know it is excellent deep fried because I have had it at Thai places but I don't do that at home. Might as well be eating fried chicken with all that fat. I have pan fried it though. My favorite method is to freeze and defrost it and cut it up in cubes like I described before. Marinate it in a little lemon juice and soy sauce and coat it in a beaten egg. Bread it with some cornstarch and then fry it in a little oil turning them over as they cook to crisp each side. Then you can use it in Asian stir-fries. Brad craves my General Tsau's tofu made this way. You could make "orange tofu" or "sesame tofu" using this method but just coating it in the appropriate sauce after you fry it.
I love tofu, in moderation of course, like anything else. I know there's this "tofu scare" going on relating to people who eat too much of it and it causing hormone problems but from what I understand I would stick to organic tofu to avoid this and non-genetically modified if you can find it. Further, I only use it about twice a week. Every day is a bit much for anything really, especially protein-rich foods. If you'd rather not cook it yourself feel free to come over to my house and request it!
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