Are you in mood for Baked Tofu?

Who does not like tofu? It is irreplaceable food in vegan diet, tastes great if fresh and prepared properly and is healthy as well.

 

I usually make myself stir fried tofu  but I will try this recipe, baked tofu. It looks quite promissing.

(image is from http://theveganmouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/baked-tofu.html)

 

What do you think about this? What is your favourite way of preparing tofu?

Tofu Recipe: Shrimp and Tofu Soup

Do you fancy tofu in soup? Read this nice tofu recipe

What you will need:

Ingredients:

2 liters of water

2 cubes shrimp or chicken bouillon

6-8 leaves of Napa,washed and cut

15 head attached shrimp,trim and washed

1 box soft silkily tofu,cut 6-8 pieces

salt and ground white pepper powder to taste

handful cut scallion

Detailed recipe with instructions is found here: Shrimp and Tofu Soup

What do you think about his one? Unfortunately it is not vegan but looks nice nevertheless :)

What is Tofu Made Of

Do you know, what is tofu made of?

Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk with salts such as calcium sulphate and pressing the resulting curds.

Soy beans are soaked and then ground down with water, the resulting liquid after straining is what makes soy milk. 

The soy milk is then heated up and coagulated. The common coagulates are calcium sulfate, magnesium chloride and nigari. Less coagulant produces softer tofu, more produces harder tofu.

Read full story about what is tofu made of

Vegan Tofu recipe: Pan Fried Glazed Tofu

I came across nice recipe with tofu. It looks quite easy to make.

 

 

Detailed recipe is availabe here: Pan Fried Glazed Tofu

 

 

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package extra firm tofu (some brands say “hard tofu)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 -2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon chili sauce (I use Thai sweet chilly sauce)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon of Mirin
1 teaspoon sesame seed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

 

Short directions:

Drain tofu. 
Mix the soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, chili sauce, chili powder, garlic and Mirin (if you have it).

Toast the sesame seeds lightly in a dry non-stick skillet.

Add vegetable oil in the non-stick skillet and let it heat for about 30 seconds on medium. Saute the tofu slices for 2-3 minutes on each side until they get golden brown.

 

 

Remove tofu from skillet keeping skillet over medium. Carefully add the soy sauce mixture into the hot skillet and let it bubble and thicken. Return the fried tofu slices back to the skillet and glaze it with the sauce.

Arrange the tofu over rice and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think? Do you like this tofu recipe?

 

Simple Recipe: Crisp Tofu in Tomato Pepper Sauce

If you read my blog you probably got the idea that I love tofu. You can fry the tofu or use it in many different ways.

Recently I came across nice tofu recipe. I think you will love it too.

What you will need:

• 200ml (7 fl oz) vegetable oil
• 500g (1 lb 2 oz) silken tofu, drained and cut into 3cm (11/4 inch) cubes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced red Asian shallots
• 1 birdseye chilli, finely sliced
• 4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 spring onions (scallions), cut into 5cm (2 inch) lengths
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to garnish (I didn't use.)

 

Read entire recipe for Tofu in Tomato Pepper Sauce

 

What do you think? 

Tofu tutorial

Ever heard of tofu? I'm sure you did. If you really don't know what to do with it I suggest reading this tofu tutorial.

Who gets a hankering for some tofu?

Me! For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile, I am sure you have figured out that I am not normal

Is it me or does tofu get a really bad reputation?

Whenever I just mention the word tofu, people instantly express a strong hatred for it. I guarantee that 95% of those people have not even tried it…

If you prepare it right, tofu can be can actually be really delicious. Once you find the right marinade and cooking preparation, it will hard for you not to like it.

It is such a blank canvas for any craving!

In the mood for BBQ?

Tofu can do that.

In the mood for Asian?

Tofu will shine there as well.

Trust me and give it a shot!

 

Read entire article here: Tofu Tutorial with aditional tofu recipe inside.

 

What do you think? Do you like tofu?

Useful Tips for Cooking Tofu

I love tofu and have been eating it quite some time. Here are some really useful tips that are good to know when using tofu. 

Did you know that it is essential to remove as much water as possible from it before marinating it? And never to marinate it with oil.

Store Tofu in a Fridge
If you open a pack and do not use it all, then drain, rinse, and submerge in fresh cool water in a clean container. Store in the fridge for no more than a few days.

What is the right amount

Tofu is a concentrated protein and should be eaten in small quantities, combined with grains and veggies. You do not need it as much as meat. A couple of smaller slices will usually do.

Choose the right type of Tofu 

Tofu comes in a wide variety of forms, from extra soft to extra firm. Some types are better for particular cooking method. Soft tofu may be scrambled like eggs while firmer tofu is better suited for frying.

Press the Tofu
Because tofu is full of water you should press out the old water so you can get new water with flavours in.

First drain the water that it's packaged in and cover in a clean paper towel. Weigh down the dish towel with a kilogram weight to remove any excess water that's left. This should take around 15 minutes. If you slice it first you can speed up the process.

Marinating tips

Marinating tofu is popular way of giving it a flavour of your taste. If you are marinating for less than one hour, it can be done at room temperature with tofu covered. Check tofu recipes here.

Tofu hates marinades containing oil
Tofu has a lot of water in it, even after you press it. Since oil and water don't mix stay away from oil in your tofu marinade. Using oil will actually create an oil slick on the tofu and the flavors will have a hard time to get in. 

How to Cook Tofu
Tofu may acts like a sponge. If you removed the water from your tofu be careful if you put it in any liquid since it will absorb that taste.
In a soup or stew, you can preserve the the flavor of a marinated tofu by first frying it on a little oil. If this process is skipped, the tofu's flavors will mix with the soup or stew broth.

Barbecue it for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Bake it. Slice pressed and drained firm tofu blocks into thin slices and bake on a cookie sheet (sprayed with non-stick spray) at 350-400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Saute cubes or thin triangles of pressed and drained firm tofu in coconut oil until golden brown.

Deep fry it. Fry thin slices of pressed and drained firm tofu in your deep fryer until light brown and crispy.

Add it to chili or stew. After firm tofu is drained and pressed, it can be crumbled into pieces that are much like ground turkey or ground beef. Add crumbled firm tofu to chili or stew and cook through for at least 15 minutes at medium heat. If you marinated it, fry it on oil to lock in marinated taste inside.

Or you can just stir-fry the tofu

Read entire article with important tips to cook tofu.

What do you think about tofu cooking tips?

 

How to make Tofu - really simple guide

Tofu is irreplaceable food in vegan recipes. It is nutritional, tastes good and is simple to cook with. But how easy it is to make it on your own?

 

According to this article it is simple, you even don't need any special equipment.

 

One of the keys to making good tofu is using quality ingredients. I've found that the cheapest (and yummiest) dried soybeans are from my local organic market where I can buy them in bulk (as opposed to small packages of beans).

 

 

What do I need to make my own tofu?

Ingredients needed:
- 1 1/3 cups dried soybeans
- Coagulant: You have several choices in this department:
1) 2 tsp. liquid nigari or
2) 2 1/4 tsp. granular or powdered nigari or
3) 2 tsp. Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) or
4) 4 Tbsp. lemon juice (freshly squeezed) or
5) 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

 

 

To sum up the process:

1. Make your own soy milk

 2. In a cup, mix together your chosen coagulant with 1 cup water and stir until dissolved.

3. Quickly rinse out the cooking pot and put it back on the stove. Transfer the soy milk to the pot, and cook it over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spatula. When the of the soy milk is between 150 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the pot from the heat.

4. Add coagulant 

5. With a soup ladle, gently transfer the coagulated soy milk into the cloth-lined colander

6. Fold the cloth over the top of the coagulated soy milk, and place a weight of about 1 1/2 pounds on top and let stand for about 15 minutes

7. Place a large bowl in the sink and fill it with cold water. Gently transfer the tofu into the bowl of cold water. 

 

And that is it. Of course, for a detailed instuctions please refere to original article.

 

What do you think? Which recipe do you use for making your own tofu?

 

 

What are Tofu Nutrition Facts

Tofu is highly nutritious in the sense that it provides you with protein, fat, calcium, iron, etc. If you take in one half-cup of raw firm tofu, you’ll consume 10 grams of protein. 

 It has many important minerals, vitamins and protein. 

 

Tofu Nutritional Facts
Tofu is rich in many nutrients: proteins, iron, B-vitamins. If made with calcium, it is also a great source of calcium.

Tofu is very low in sodium which makes it a perfect food for people on sodium-restricted diets.

Tofu also contains isoflavones, which help to prevent cancer and heart disease.

Tofu Protein Value
Tofu is ideal protein food. It is often used as a meat substitute in vegan or vegetarian diets. It contains all the essential amino acid that human body can not produce on its own. For each 100 grams of tofu it contains about 8 grams of protein. If you put it in calories that is 11 grams in 100 calories of tofu.

 

What do you think? Do you include tofu in your regular diet?

Stir-Fried Tofu with Ginger recipe

Stir-fried tofu recipe is very easy to prepare. It is a perfect nutritional tofu dish.

Image by rayb777 via Flickr

Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 1/2 cup of soy sauce
- juice from one lemon
- 1/2 ts of fresh, grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- spices
- tofu
- vegetables:
     1/2 bunch broccoli
     1 carrot, sliced
     2 onions, chopped
     1 pepper, sliced
- cayenne pepper
- coconut oil

How to fry tofu in a pan

Tofu nutritional values are very convicing and it is no wonder it has grown so popular.

 

Frying tofu is very popular and really easy way to prepare meal with tofu.

 

Ingredients:
- tofu
- vegetable oil (preferably coconut)
- marinade *(optional: marinade which you prefer: soy sauce, garlic, pepper, chili, ginger, vinegar...)

Instructions:

1. slice tofu in smaller pieces. Some prefer cubes, other triangles or slices. Cubes tend to take longer to fry, because you should fry them evenly on all six sides whereas slices need to be fried only on two sides.

 

Red full story how to make fried tofu in a pan

 

Bon Appetit!

Tofu protein nutrition value

Tofu is nutritionaly  very rich food. Here are listed protein values.

Tofu protein amounts per 1/2 cup (126g)

History of the tofu

According to one Chinese legend, tofu was invented when a cook decided to experiment by flavoring a batch of cooked soybeans with the compound nagari. Instead of flavored soybeans, he wound up with bean curd. Nagari is frequently used in the production of tofu today.

 

The history of Tofu started more than 2000 years ago in China.