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?
Madelyn 09.09.2011
I just got my tofu press today and was searching for new things to do with it when I came across your blog – love it!
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Samantha 07.28.2011
I adore tofu but every time i attempt to make it, something goes terribly wrong! I assumed I wasn’t getting enough of the water out of it by just using paper towels so I may get a press for it! Hopefully then my tofu will come out better… I had no idea they made those! Thank you :)
Claire (@NavigatingNorth) 07.11.2011
Thanks for “all things tofu”! I am a recent vegan-style eating lover, and really got a lot out of this post!
black ops bundle 07.04.2011
I absolutely love Tofu but I find myself getting bored with it lately! It’s going to take a new recipe book to break me of the mind. Either that or its time to start frying it. Woot!
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Amanda 04.13.2011
I have to admit that I have never tried using tofu in my own cooking. For a short period in my life, I worked for a weight-loss company that supplied its clients with food. Some of the food dishes contained tofu and I ate them and never could tell that there was something “different” in the dinner. You have really taken the “scariness” out of tofu and broken it down in a way that something like me can feel comfortable attempting to use tofu for the first time. Thanks!
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Erin 09.29.2010
So, if your husband only eats tofu if he doesn’t know it’s there, what does he eat on nights like this? Do you fix him something separate?
jen 09.29.2010
I really love this tofu dish at a restaurant here in town…but it’s fried tofu..I know!
I’ve tried making it at home, but didn’t really care for it. You really make me want to like it though!
Clare @ Fitting It All In 09.29.2010
Just have to let you know I tried your award winning Thai Tofu Pizza. My family is big on the thai, not so big on the tofu. Well THEY LOVED IT! My dad said it was one of the best pizzas he’d ever had and my mom is passing the recipe around! GREAT JOB!
allison @ thesundayflog 09.29.2010
yayy this was awesome!! i love this!! my favorite is in any type of asian stir fry, but after i wated sabrina’s videos on nasoya.com, i want to try scrambled “eggs” SO badly!
Liz @ Blog is the New Black 09.29.2010
I so want to like tofu and I just don’t!!!! :( You always make it look SO good, though!
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Ashlee 09.29.2010
Thank you so much. We love trying new things and have had tofu in the past and enjoyed it but have never been able to make it good myself. I look forward to taking your ideas and giving it a try. Congrats on being the readers choice!!!
Ashlee
Juani 09.29.2010
I really,really want to try out tofu,since I’m not a big meat eater and would love a healthy (and cheap) alternative,but I live in South Africa,and at the risk of sounding really behind the times – I don’t think tofu is sold here at all.
I’ve never seen it in any grocery stores I’ve been in,and trust me,I’ve been looking.Guess we are way behind,it makes me sad,since your photos make tofu look really yummy!
Alexa @ Sohdalex 09.29.2010
Thanks! This is so informative. I love tofu and thoroughly enjoyed reading through this post. I definitely don’t eat enough as I’d like. Now I have tofu on the brain. ;)
Faith @ lovelyascharged 09.28.2010
I always have been so impressed with how versatile tofu is. I love it raw too, but I never see it mentioned uncooked around the blogworld. Great to see this post on one of the billion possibilities!
Jennie 09.28.2010
First off, I just want to say I LOVE your blog. I’m just wondering if your husband eats healthy like this. My husband wouldn’t touch tofu with a 50-foot pole.