Comments on: I wanna be a tofu queen

Question: I wanna be a tofu queen

barrakuda — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:14:05 -0800

What are your favorite tofu recipes?

By: tybeet

tybeet — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:34:17 -0800

Breaded, fried, and dipped in Tonkatsu sauce.

By: ddaavviidd

ddaavviidd — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:34:46 -0800

Using a blender, combine smooth tofu, dark chocolate chips and (frozen or fresh) berries. Pour into glasses or mugs. Leave in the fridge for a couple hours, and enjoy a tasty and rich dessert! I think I'm going to make some right now!

By: EndsOfInvention

EndsOfInvention — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:40:25 -0800

This is one is tasty [self link].

By: kcm

kcm — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:45:41 -0800

Cumin Spiked Tofu

By: plexi

plexi — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:46:26 -0800

Enter the Tofu Scramble.

By: pravit

pravit — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:46:53 -0800

For Chinese, I like home-style tofu ("jiachang doufu") - there's a recipe here, and three Chinese tofu recipes here.

Korean: I like the tofu soups with doenjang(fermented bean paste). Here's a recipe I found.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:51:29 -0800

I make this baked tofu all the time to have on hand when I want a snack that's not starchy:

Freeze, then thaw, two pound-sized cakes of extra-firm tofu (the freeze-and-thaw makes the texture a bit chewier). Cut the tofu into strips, about half to 3/4 of an inch wide. Place it in a single layer, in a big casserole-type dish.

Cover with a marinade made of the following mixed items:

5 Tbsp soy sauce
5 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp peanut butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
some cayenne or chili powder or whatever you like to make it spicy

Bake the whole thing for about an hour at 350, turning the tofu over halfway through. It keeps in the fridge for a while, so I'll usually make a bunch at once.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:53:27 -0800

(oh, and squeeze out the tofu after it's thawed; you want it to be as dry as possible)

By: wongcorgi

wongcorgi — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:54:27 -0800

Raw tofu + Thousand year egg + Green onion + Soy + Sesame oil = bliss

By: pravit

pravit — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:55:51 -0800

Also, have you tried fermented bean curd/tofu? It's kind of an acquired taste, but I really like eating it in rice porridge. You can use it to give other dishes a bit of a kick, too.

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:56:36 -0800

In an Udon noodle soup!

Drain and press firm tofu. Cut into thick strips. Brush with dark soy sauce and sesame oil and bake until quite firm and even a little crispy (30 min or so but keep an eye on it - ovens vary). Chop into bite size pieces. Add to your basic Udon noodle soup as its cooling before eating and you have a tasty and textual bonanza to the noodles and vegetables. If you use veggie stock instead of beef or chicken it's vegan to boot.

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:58:37 -0800

That would be "textural" Grrrr.

By: nebulawindphone

nebulawindphone — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:59:43 -0800

This sounds like heresy, I know, but soft tofu fried in bacon grease is fantastic. Crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, and the smoky flavor really permeates the tofu.

By: peachfuzz

peachfuzz — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:03:55 -0800

In the summer, I like a really simple cold salad: Slice a little firm tofu and top with a thin stream of soy sauce, a few drops of rice wine vinegar or lemon, slivered scallions, and some Korean red chili powder. Very fresh tofu and delicate soy sauce or tamari make a big difference here. OMG, bliss.

By: dog food sugar

dog food sugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:03:56 -0800

Vietnamese Tofu with Lemongrass. On steamed rice. Yum. Use Greg Nog's tip: freeze, then thaw, extra firm tofu.

By: TryTheTilapia

TryTheTilapia — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:06:35 -0800

Tofu Chili

1 pound extra firm tofu, crumbled
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
soy sauce
about two pounds of fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or a can or package of diced roma tomatoes
tomato paste
a cup each of canned cannelini beans, fava beans and chick peas, drained
vegetable stock*
some really nice, fresh, aromatic chili powder
toasted ground cumin - just throw a tablespoon or two in a skillet and let it toast for about 30 seconds
toasted ground coriander - same as above
three or four cloves of garlic, chopped
one diced chipotle chili, if you like it hot
chopped cilantro, about a quarter cup
chopped parsley, two tablespoons or so
salt
black pepper

*Cover a halved onion with the skin on but ends removed, a couple of peeled carrot broken in half, and two clean stalks of celery with their leaves, and a few mushrooms with the gills removed, with four cups of water. Simmer for an hour or more. Discard vegetables. Voila, easy veggie stock. Removing the mushroom gills keeps your stock from turning brown.

Okay. With a mortar and a pestle, if you have one, smash up your garlic, a tablespoon of tomato paste, a tablespoon of chili powder, a tablespoon of toasted ground cumin and a teaspoon of toasted ground coriander until you've made a chunky paste. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt and a few twists of pepper and set aside. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, skip this step. All will work out fine.

First, heat a 5 or 7 quart dutch oven over medium flame. Add about two tablespoons of olive oil. Let your oil get nice and hot, but not smoking. Add your onion, pepper, carrot and zucchini. Saute until translucent, about a minute. Add a splash of soy sauce (about a teaspoon) and allow to brown for about thirty seconds. To this, add your paste of garlic, spices and tomato and stir. If you don't have a paste, using the same measurements listed above, throw in your garlic, your tomato paste and spices. Stir and allow mixture to brown for about a minute. Adding the garlic at this stage keeps it from burning.

Lower your heat to low. Add your crumbled tofu and stir to coat with your spice mixture. Add a cup of veggie stock. Stir and let simmer for about five minutes. Add your beans, fresh or chopped tomatoes, cilantro and parsley, and another cup of stock. Add about a teaspoon of salt and several twists of black pepper. Allow to simmer, covered, for about half an hour. After a half hour, taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and additional cumin and chili powder to taste - I usually add about a teaspoon or two more of each spice, as flavors tend to mellow a bit after cooking. Now, if you want it spicy, add your chopped chipotle chili, starting with about a quarter of the chili and working your way up, and allow to simmer for about ten minutes more. Careful with these things, they'll sneak up on you.

Serve topped with Greek yogurt, additional cilantro, some chopped green onions and monterey jack cheese. Green salad and corn bread make pretty awesome accompaniments.

By: andreap

andreap — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:42:24 -0800

Homemade chicken soup with tofu instead of rice or noodles. Make your own chicken stock first. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, scallions.

By: gesamtkunstwerk

gesamtkunstwerk — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:09:57 -0800

I love silken tofu with pickled ginger, green onion, soy and sesame oil as a summer salad.

When I cook with firmer tofu, I frequently drain it, by slicing it and layering it between towels with a weight on it. I do this before I fry it or roast it.

I also really like tofu cooked with eggs, and put in a Chinese bun. The more I eat it, the more I love the stuff, and I'm not even a vegetarian.

By: jclovebrew

jclovebrew — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:13:16 -0800

This. It never fails to impress.

We also sometimes add peanut butter or banana or espresso.

By: a robot made out of meat

a robot made out of meat — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:47:53 -0800

From Ms. Vegetable -

tofubq - grilled tofu + bbq sauce + cheese + bun

glazed honey tofu with pumpkin seed coucous - see vegetarian times magazine

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:48:26 -0800

For silken tofu:
1. Mapo tofu

2. Soon dubu chigae

3. If you've got really good fresh tofu, just cut it in big cubes and top with thinly sliced scallion and a drop of soy sauce. A little kimchi wouldn't hurt either

For firm tofu:
1. Freeze it, then thaw it. This will make it very chewy and spongy. This is fantastic with any kind of heavy brown sauce, which the tofu will readily soak up (e.g. an oyster sauce-based gravy with peas). You can also slice the freeze-thawed tofu into thin pieces and fry it up with vegetables and/or noodles. This is one of my favorite non-meat textures to provide chewiness.

2. Microwave it for a few minutes between towels to get out some of the moisture, then dust it with corn starch, salt and MSG. Fry it until crispy and eat it with sriracha or some other heavy, sweetish hot sauce.

By: JohnFredra

JohnFredra — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:52:01 -0800

Heidi Swanson has come up with a ton of fantastic and simple tofu recipes. Her Caramelized Tofu is a totally delicious blend of sweet and savory (and my current could-eat-this-for-days favorite.)

By: AV

AV — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:08:33 -0800

Coconut Crusted Tofu with Mango Macadamia Nut Salsa. If you're short on time, you can skip the crust - the marinade is awesome, and the pairing with the salsa is fantastic.

One tip I find very helpful with tofu, especially if you're not used to it or you're cooking for people who don't usually eat it: if you buy it in those packs in the produce section where the tofu is floating in that watery liquid, when you get the tofu home, cut it up into the size you'll need it (or chunks if you'll be mashing/blending it), rinse it in a bowl until the water runs clean and then store it in water in a resealable container in the fridge, changing the water every day or so when it gets cloudy (or every few hours if you're using it soon). It gets rid of the plastic-y taste that most people find objectionable about tofu and will make your tofu recipes turn out much better!

By: maudlin

maudlin — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:13:25 -0800

Fast, easy, healthy fried tofu

Extra firm tofu (full or half block)
1 egg per half block
Flavour: soy sauce, pepper, sesame oil or chili oil or chili flakes
Optional dip: soy sauce, rice vinegar
Optional: green onion for final pancake

1. Slice the extra-firm tofu into pieces the size of large dominoes.

2. Dip each piece into a bowl of egg beaten with a little soy, pepper, maybe some sesame or chili oil.

3. Dip each eggy piece into a small bowl of bread crumbs (regular crumbs or panko).

4. Put each piece into a lightly oiled non-stick pan, flip when browned, finish browning on the second side.

You'll have some egg and crumbs left over. Mix them together and make a fluffy little pancake to fry in the pan after the tofu is done. This is especially nice if you put sliced green onion into your "pancake" batter.

By: maudlin

maudlin — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:14:43 -0800

(D'oh! I didn't put bread crumbs in the ingredient list, but you'll figure it out.)

By: ifjuly

ifjuly — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:33:54 -0800

i can't help you with a specific recipe, but i went to a vegan potluck a few years ago and a girl i didn't know brought tofu fried "chicken." it was the best freaking fried "chicken" EVER. but she wouldn't spill the beans about the recipe. she just said she'd used penzey's spices. alas!

By: jtron

jtron — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:28:54 -0800

Drain and cube some firm tofu and marinate it with some orange juice, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Dip the cubes in fish 'n chips batter, then deep fry in whatever oil you have laying around; corn is probably best but I usually use a canola/olive blend.

We call 'em "Tasteicles" or "Rocky Mountain Soysters."

By: darksong

darksong — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:57:49 -0800

I love the Marinated Asian Tofu from Veganomicon (which is a great cookbook if you're not vegan or really, even if you're not vegetarian). I've only baked it, but it makes a good main dish for a meal or a snack. I actually should make some more of it.

I also like to drain a block of extra firm tofu, cut into cubes and mix it with roughly chopped tomatoes (or halved grape tomatoes) and roughly chopped mushrooms with minced garlic. Toss with olive oil and whatever Italian herb blend you have on hand. I usually eat it with bread or crackers, but it's fine on its own. That's maybe not so much a "recipe" but makes for a good, quick meal.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:55:52 -0800

For firm tofu, slice it into slabs that are, say, 1 cm thick. Put the slices on a small plate.

Fry up some kimchi, using sesame oil. Put it on another small plate. Take wodge of fried kimchi, put on a slice tofu, eat (kinda like cheese on a cracker). Easy and very yum. Good kimchi turns magically delicious when fried, and even if you don't like it 'raw', you might love it this way.

By: mincus

mincus — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:50:59 -0800

Does tofutti count?

mincus' cheesecake

or maybe a nice vegan lasagna with tofu "ricotta" cheese (with a few pinches of yeast flakes mixed in) soooo good.

By: davar

davar — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:49:27 -0800

Cashew ricotta from Veganomicon (I have no idea how it compares to regular ricotta, but I love this for lasagna and pizza).

By: Xianny

Xianny — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:53:19 -0800

I make this all the time for dinner:

Easy tofu stirfry
1. Mince and saute garlic
3. Add ground beef/chicken/pork to wok
5. Slice up your box of tofu (it's easiest for me if I leave the tofu in the box and use grid-like cuts)
6. When meat is cooked, toss the tofu into the wok, using the sharp end of your turner to slice it into cubes
7. Add some frozen veg (optional)
8. Add oyster sauce to taste
9. Stir and let cook for a couple of minutes, serve with white rice

Always turns out delicious and flavourful!

By: Xianny

Xianny — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:53:49 -0800

whoops... looks like I forgot to change the numbers around there.