Great Tofu Recipes

Before checking tofu recipes read further tips for cooking tofu. Tofu is quite unordinay food. Many people like it and many dislike it. The reason for disliking is mostly it's non delicious non-distinct mild taste. It has also strange texture and it is not very tasty on its own. 

But if you prepare it properly it can taste delicious. For everyones taste. Yes, everyone can like it. The main reason that everybody can like tofu is that it can taste almost whatever you like. It acts like a flavour sponge and absorbs other flavours. So if you prepare delicious marinade that you like it will absorb the taste from it and you will definitelly like tofu. 

But there is one catch. If you want tofu to absorb all flavours you have to remove existing water out of it. Otherwise it will taste like that water... Not very good. So before you start marinating or cooking tofu you have to remove existing water from it. Press it, dry fry it or squeeze it. But do remeber to remove as much water out of it. It will make all the difference when cooking. You can marinate tofu for days but if you don't remove water out of it it will absorb only a fraction of the flavours it could absorb if it was properly drained.

That is it. Cooking tofu is relly simple.

Cooking tofu like a pro

Tofu is not very popular food among meat eaters but is quite often on vegans menu. It is great food thanks to it's nutritional values but it has strange taste. But does it has to be that way? No. If tofu is prepared by a pro then it can taste fantastic.

What is the key? How to cook tofu? One of most important thing to do is to drain it well. Tofu acts like a sponge and absorbs other tastes. Is it that simple? Well... not really. You must remove existing water out of it. That is a crucial step. If you forget to remove water then existing water will prevent from absorbing new flavours.

Here are some other great tips for cooking tofu:

If you have a recipe that calls for blending tofu, purchase the silken or soft tofu varieties. Do not marinate or dry fry tofu for blending purposes. Tofu works well to add a creamy texture to blended recipes. You may choose to blend with a blender or a food processor.

To avoid frying, tofu may also be baked. To bake tofu, dry it out manually with a cloth and place the strips in a marinade for a few hours. After they have been marinated, spread the slices out on a lightly-oiled baking sheet and bake for an hour. Flip the tofu slices after thirty minutes. When you remove the tofu from the oven, it should appear golden brown.

 

When you taste some great tofu and realize how healthy it is and better then meat, then it is really simple to be vegan. Go for it. And stay there ;)

How to make vegan tofu barbecue

Barbecue is great, you can make so many different foods. Barbecued meat is delicious but there plenty ofspace for vegetarian and vegan barbecues. However when you prepare vegetarian barbecue for meat eaters it is not zhat simple. People have lots of prejudice to vegan food. And you usually have only one attempt for them to try it. Do not blow it or they might never try it again :)

There are lots of vegan meat substitutes like tofu, seitan, burgers that are very good for grilling.

Here are some tips:

The first thing for a successful veggie barbecue is plenty of meaty-looking traditional barbecue fare – sausages, burgers, and marinated fillets. If your meat-eating friends can wrap their burgers up in baps, and splice their hot-dogs into buns, then they won’t be stepping too far outside their comfort zone – and the battle is half won. There are plenty of excellent meat-substitute products, based on soya, tofu or mycoprotein, that look and taste like the real thing. If you’re feeling devious, you can even avoid mentioning the dreaded v-word at all! Just remember to stock up on the requisite meaty accompaniments; relishes, mustard, ketchup and onions.

There are more tips for preparing vegetarian barbecue your friends will love. Check it out.

My favourite is tofu becouse you can marinade to taste sooooo delicious. Cooking tofu is so simple.

What Is Tofu

If you are not vegan but prefer meat there is a chance you really don't know what tofu is. So, what is tofu? Well it is a great food that can substitute meat. It is completely plant based food and is made of soy. Why can tofu substitute meat you ask? Because it is filled with proteins. It contains all essential amino-acids similar to meat. It has many other benefits and is really quite healthy food. 

So there is no need to be afraid of trying tofu. Well the taste itself is not similar to meat but tofu can also taste great. Key to taste good is to drain it well before marinating. Then it can absorb any taste from marinade and make delicious food. How to cook tofu? Very easy.

Tofu can be used in almost every meal, including desserts. It makes great chocolate tofu pudding or smoothie. 

 

Tofu Recipe - Chocolate Pudding

Tofu is very often on my menu. I've tried many tofu recipes, but most of the time I cook it as main food, for lunch. In various forms. Very seldom as a dessert. Actually I think I have never tried tofu as dessert. This is going to change because I found delicious looking tofu recipe: Chocolate tofu pudding. 

 

This is little modified recipe. I always replace sugar with agave nectar. Recipe is lactose free and vegan friendly.

3 tbspn. agave nectar
1/2 c water
2 lbs silken tofu
10 oz dark vegan chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. chili powder or cayenne pepper
1 banana, ripe

Put all ingredients in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Divide among 4 to 6 cups and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate or coconut shavings before serving.

 

It all looks so simple. Preparation takes you less than 10 minutes. Go for it!

 

 

 

Recipe for vegan pizza with tofu

Who does not like pizza? I think there is one pizza for everybodys taste. Hot, cheesy, with mushrooms, veggies or seafod. The options are limitless.

Since I am vegan I prefer vegan versions. That usually implies tofu instead of cheese and different veggies all over the place. I put it all on top and then bake it.

Well here is another pizza tofu recipe, but this one is little more complicated. 

This is briefly how it goes:

1. Preheat the oven, put the garlic and rosemary in a small ovenproof dish and olive oil to completely immerse the cloves. Bake for 45 minutes

2. While your garlic is cooking, slice the onions and begin to saute them with a little olive oil. Caramelizing onions can take up to 45 minutes on medium heat. 

3. Prepare the tofu by cutting it into 6 slices. Drain the tofu.

4. Crumble the drained tofu into a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the garlic oil, plus about 6-8 cloves. Stir together, add the vinegar, salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

5. Turn the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the pizza with  pizza sauce first, then the onions and lastly the tofu.

6. Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is risen and golden and the tofu has begun to brown.

Image is taken from original recipe: http://aviedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/tofu-pizza-with-caramelized-onions.html

For more detailed instructions check out original recipe here: Tofu pizza recipe

 

What do you think about pizza with tofu? How do you prepare your version?

 

 

Cooking tofu and boozy broccoli

Since I have learnt how too cook tofu I am trying various recipes. Always with vegetables of some sort, but most of the time I use sober ones. You don't want to mess with drunken vegetables :). 

And then I saw this interesting recipe for tofu:

Tofu is very cooking friendly food so probably it doesn't mind if broccoli is little boozy.

This is how it looks in original tofu recipe:

...image is from original recipe (http://www.glueandglitter.com/main/2011/02/02/baked-tofu-chops-with-boozy-broccoli/).

So what is it all about? Broccoli is sauted and combined with red wine. Very interesting. I don't know why I didn't try this before.

For more deatils refer to original recipe.

 

What do you think about boozy broccoly? I think I will give it a shot. Or two...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to cook tofu: sweet and sour

I am sure you knof how to cook tofu. I love cooking with it becouse it is so easy and tofu is also very healthy food.

Most of the time I prepare stir fry with veggies. I have never tried making sweet and sour recipe with tofu. I don't know why because I love it eating in a restaurant. Maybe now it is the right time to make it myself.

Here I found a simple and great looking recipe for sweet and sour tofu.

 

Things you will nedd: tofu, scallions, garlic, ginger, carrots, sauce ingredients, shiitake mushrooms.

 

How to do it? Follow original recipe for details.

 

 

 

 

What is Tofu Made Of? Soy, off course

No, it does not grow on tofu tree.  I am sure you probably knew what is tofu made of.

The process of making tofu is similar to cheese making. Off course, there are no dairy ingredients. It is 100% vegan, animal friendly and healthy product.

 

Tofu offers many valuable nutritional benefits including high concentrations of B-vitamins, easily digestible proteins, isoflavones, and unlike most soymilk products, calcium.

Soybeans are one of rare plants that contain all 8 essential amino acids in sufficient amount. That means they are complete proteins like meat or eggs.

There are many ways you can cook tofu. With some great tips you can lear how to prepare the best tofu in the town. 

Tofu recipe: spicy taco salad

Are you wondering how to cook tofu for todays lunch? Let me give you idea. 

This one I have never tried but when I look at ingredients It must be great. I will give it on my menu soon.

The things you need:

1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 cup guacamole
Salsa (optional)

Short directions:

Slice tofu and brown it on both sides. Sprinkle cayenne, chipotle, cumin. Saute onion and bell pepper and add cayenne and chipot.

This is very shortened version. Read full recipe for Spicy Tofu Taco Salad

 

Tofu recipe with tamari

I recently bought new tamary sauce and it is time to make use of it :) 

This is nice recipe to try how it combines with tofu.

 

Tamari-Miso Tofu and Veggies

1. Press the tofu about 15 minutes, draining occasionally, then cut into cubes. Spray a skillet with nonstick and then cook over medium-high until golden brown (I just went with about 5 minutes here. I didn't mind my tofu on the softer side). Set tofu cubes aside. Wipe out skillet, then spray with nonstick for the stirfry.

2. Meanwhile, prep veggies and mix together the tamari-miso sauce. When skillet is ready to go, add all the veggies at once (no broccoli to slow down cooking time) and the tofu. Let cook over high for about three minutes. Then add the sauce. Stirfry for about another minute or two, or until the veggies and tofu have some time to absorb the sauce.

3. Serve with rice noodles, a slice of lime, and some additional siracha and maybe some additional Bragg's (if you made the sauce with it).

For detailed instructions refer to original article for tofu recipe

I love tofu for its simplicity and diversity. It can taste just whatever you desire. And is healthy as well!

What do you think?

Another vegan recipe - tofu with noodles

There are limitless possibilities to cooking tofu. It is great if fried, baked, cooked, mixed in smoothie or almost ansy other way.

If you are hungry for some tofu with noodles click on this recipe.

 

What you wil need:

1 package skinny gf spaghetti
1/2 c peanut sauce
1 c edamame
1 small head broccoli
1 block tofu
1 T sesame oil
1/2 t chili oil
1 T gf soy sauce
black pepper
1/2 t ginger and garlic powders
1 t Chinese cooking wine

 

The images look very tasty and I am sure it tastes great.

 

Bon apettit!