Readers, meet tofu. Tofu, meet readers.
Welcome to Tofu 101: a guide to the what, why and how of all things tofu. Class is now in session!
What
Tofu is made similar to cheese, and starts with extracting soy milk from ground, cooked soybeans. The soy milk is heated and salt is added to separate it into curds and whey. After the whey is drained from the curds, the curds are pressed together and presto – you’ve got tofu!
The more the tofu is pressed, the firmer it becomes. The most common varieties you’ll see in your grocery store include soft or silken, firm and extra firm.
Silken tofu is great for adding to smoothies or scrambling like eggs, while firm or extra firm (my fave) is best for using in everyday dishes.
Why
Tofu is a great source of protein for those looking for a meat alternative, and it’s also high in calcium, iron and contains no cholesterol. Furthermore, it’s inexpensive (I generally pay $2 a block, which yields 4-5 servings) which means it plays nice with a budget.
Plus, it’s so versatile! Cooking tofu is very similar to cooking chicken, and there are a number of different ways you can use it, including grilled, baked, stir fried, crumbled, or even raw.
The nutrition and versatility is great, but the TASTE is what I really love. Tofu is like a sponge – it soaks up all the flavors you cook it with. You can quickly toss it with a sauce just before cooking, or let it soak up all the flavors of the dish you’re using it in.
I also really like eating tofu raw, adding it to cold salads and such. It’s got this mild, almost plant-like flavor. I know that sounds weird – but it’s good!
What I’m sure you really want to know though is, what’s the texture like? Well, if you’re using extra firm tofu, I’d say it’s like…hmmm…really, really thick & firm jello?! It doesn’t disintegrate like jello, but I suppose it’s the same firmness.
Now, I use a tofu press to press out even more of the water my extra firm tofu comes packed in, just to get it that much more firm, but it’s totally not necessary. You can eat it right out of the package.
How
Like I said, cooking tofu is not at all unlike cooking chicken, or really any other meat for that matter. Here’s how I made tonight’s dinner of Sautéed Asian Broccoli Tofu!
Ingredients:
1/2 block extra firm tofu, pressed
2 cups broccoli, steamed
2 servings rice sticks, cooked & drained
Wok oil
Chopped peanuts
Sauce:
Soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, ~1 Tablespoon peanut butter, ~2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, agave nectar, ground ginger and garlic powder. Microwave for 20 seconds, taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. (Sorry, I didn’t measure!)
Directions:
1. Press tofu block in tofu press for 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
2. Drain water from the top of the press and lay tofu block on a cutting board.
3. Cut tofu block into 6 slabs. Separate into 2 sets of 3 slabs and make 3 more vertical cuts to make 9 sticks (18 sticks total.)
3. Cut across the sticks to make 1 inch cubes.
4. Heat ~2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Sauté tofu cubes until lightly browned, ~3-4 minutes.
6. Add steamed broccoli, cooked rice noodles and sauce into the skillet, then toss to coat.
7. Top with chopped peanuts and enjoy!
See? Not hard or scary at all!
The tofu gets a wonderful, golden brown crust from the quick sauté, and blends so well with the chewy rice sticks. Plus that sauce totally drenches the broccoli, so you get a burst of flavor whenever you bite down. Love that!!
I know you want to know if husband’s eat tofu too. The answer is…sometimes.
Ben will eat tofu when he can’t tell it’s tofu, such as crumbled on top of Thai Tofu Pizza. I think it’s all in his head…I think he’d agree. ;)
Honestly, I can’t tell you what possessed me to try tofu for the first time. I was just as skeptical as some of you may be. It looks weird, I thought. It probably tastes even weirder, I’d say to myself. I’m so glad I gave it a shot though, because it’s become an IGE kitchen staple and I just adore it!
Class dismissed! ;)
~~~~~
Do you like tofu? What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy it?
prettylittlereckless 09.28.2010
love this! I’ve bought tofu before but never knew really what to do with it. I like the step by step pics and the recipe looks fantastic! I’m gonna go out and get some tofu tonight!
girliefriend 09.28.2010
omg I swear I just liked my monitor!
Thanks for the tutorial Kristin. I’m adding tofu to this weeks grocery list. I don’t have a press, but I’ll work my way around it. As I told you, I’ve had it at restaurants, but I want to try using it myself. Thanks for making it less scary. :D
girliefriend 09.28.2010
oops…that would be “licked”, but I liked it too!
Michelle (The Runner's Plate) 09.28.2010
This was very helpful! Thanks for sharing!
Kim 09.28.2010
I’m so glad you did this post! I have been debating picking up tofu at the grocery store for the last 2 weeks and haven’t quite gotten up the nerve to do it. I’m getting some this weekend! Thanks!
Lea 09.28.2010
I agree…husband’s only eat the ‘fu sometimes. But it’s delish, I love it!
AnneWF 09.28.2010
I enjoy the extra firm tofu in all ways but especially lightly sprayed with olive oil then sprinkled with pepper and a touch of garlic. I then cook it on top of the stove either cubed or cut in slabs. I have some marinating in the fridge with some bbq sauce right now. I will cook that and then pour more sauce over the top on a hamburger bun. I crumble it and cook for tacos. Sometimes I will scramble it with veggies and eggs. The ways are endless. I wish I had a tofu press though. Right now I use my cast iron pans and towels. I went to the tofu press website and they are $35.00! Yikes! Guess the cast iron pans will have to do for now.
dmcgirl 09.28.2010
YUMMMM… have to check out the BBQ! GREAT Idea!
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Liz @ LBBakes 09.28.2010
Wow – thank you for this post! I need to quit being terrified of tofu and just try it!
Erin Leigh 09.28.2010
I love tofu, but I am always looking for more ways to prepare it. I tend to pigeon-hole myself into one or two recipes per ingredient and boredom is definitely the enemy of eating healthy.
I freeze my tofu and then marinate it as it thaws…works similarly to a tofu press. Living alone also has its challenges, so I buy freezer packs of veggies I love (frozen veggies tend to retain nutrients!) and can add them immediately to the pan as I stir fry. Cook up in just minutes.
Have you seen this site? I love it, makes it easier for me to visualize nutrition, yay graphs!
Susie 09.28.2010
if you don’t have a press just put the block between two plates and then put some heavy bowls or books on top of the top plate. drain the water off periodically.
dmcgirl 09.28.2010
Yes, I love the way you roast it. I need to find a sugar free method, but I still love the way you do it! ;-) BEST!
Stephanie @ Off The Eaten Path 09.28.2010
Looks delish! I LOVE tofu, and my tofu press is a godsend!
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef 09.28.2010
i do like tofu but only when prepared well. once i had it in a cold pasta salad (a dish my friend prepared in HS… about 8 yrs ago) and i almost threw up it was so gross. it turned me off to tofu til recently. i just bought it last week at trader joes so i’ll have to try your method of preparing it soon! where did you get your tofu press? it looks neat!
erica 09.28.2010
ooh, thanks for this post! i’ve grown up w/tofu (being asian and all…ha!) but only ever eat it w/shoyu or in asian style meals. i really want to try it in scrambled egg style or even in smoothies :)
Cynthia (It All Changes) 09.28.2010
I Love tofu. For the times I’m craving strong textures and extra protein it is perfect.
Sarah @ Going on Goals 09.28.2010
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! I have recently learned the joys of vegetarian cooking. I like tofu, but have never cooked it myself. I printed this post and hoep to try tofu next week! Thank you!
Lauren 09.28.2010
That tofu press changed my life! :) Well then, so did tofu, but the press makes prepping a breeze!
Becky Jo 09.28.2010
I love tofu (being a newbie vegetarian). My father-in-law is a die-hard carnivore… he and his wife came over for dinner and I made vegetarian lasagna with the extra firm tofu crumbled up and blended in with the cottage cheese ‘mix’ and he told me “This is fantastic lasagna!”… I waited until AFTER we were all done to tell him what was in it, and yes, he was a-ok with it. ;)
LOVE your blog, btw. :) Thanks for all the great ideas!
Sarah 09.28.2010
I just started eating tofu this past summer. Here is one of my favorite recipes with it. Its really delicious.
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/vegetarian-tacos-spinach-corn-goat-cheese-00000000029612/index.html
Teresa Kolcow 09.28.2010
We like tofu – especially the way you make it roasted – tossing it with some soy sauce first – then baked – then yum. – although the 18 year old likes to think “all this tofu is MINE”! lol