Okay, now my my intestines have pretty much told me that the next time I eat red meat they will prolapse from my anus and strangle me to death, it's time to start moving on to alternative sources of protein.
I can still eat chicken and fish. Which is good, since I desperately need to watch my iron levels now... But I'm also poor. And I know that tofu is a pretty affordable alternative and I can buy a block of it which could probably sustain me for days.
...Now I need to know how to cook it.
I'm assuming it's not that difficult, seeing that it takes in whatever flavor you cook it with, but I also don't want to fuck it up. So I ask you, the wise cooks of PeeDee, to show me the way and provide me with delicious recipes!
I'd like to know this too, since meat gets unreasonable around here, as well as any viable sources. Supermarkets his the stuff from me.
AFAIK:
Cubed in soups. Miso is the obvious, but any sort of light broth should in theory work with it.
Marinaded, and seared, as part of a stir fry.
Zeitgeist tells me it will take most any seasoning, and for easier cooking only buy the firm stuff
TBH, I could probably look up cook temps and times and stuff, but it's kinda funny that I trust people here with recipes more than the rest of the internet. I've never had a bad meal I got from here.
Have you considered beans as an alternative to meat? I know this isn't a tofu recipe, but cooking dried beans is time consuming but way more delicious than canned stuff, and they're cheaper than dirt.
I like to slice tofu into little slabs, season it with salt, pepper, paprika, onion & garlic, flour it, then fry it up in a little oil and serve it with mushrooms and potatoes.
Oh, it's also really good (seasoned with a bit of salt and lemon juice) as a ricotta substitute in lasagna, and you can crumble, season, and fry it, and use it as taco fillings or in pasta sauce!
Quote from: Nigel on July 08, 2010, 03:11:00 AM
Oh, it's also really good (seasoned with a bit of salt and lemon juice) as a ricotta substitute in lasagna, and you can crumble, season, and fry it, and use it as taco fillings or in pasta sauce!
Dude...I never thought of using it as a cheese substitute!
Quote from: Suu on July 08, 2010, 03:21:25 AM
Quote from: Nigel on July 08, 2010, 03:11:00 AM
Oh, it's also really good (seasoned with a bit of salt and lemon juice) as a ricotta substitute in lasagna, and you can crumble, season, and fry it, and use it as taco fillings or in pasta sauce!
Dude...I never thought of using it as a cheese substitute!
It's better than ricotta, I swear! It can also be mashed and seasoned like egg salad in sandwiches.
Alton Brown did a show about tofu, Tofuworld [S03E12]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7TVQewNy3c (first 10min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK3ss4tRAVQ (final 10min)
His basic method was to cut it into thick slabs, dry it off, wrap it in kitchen towels and put a plate with something heavy on it, to squeeze out the moisture.
Then after it's done squeezing, you can place the slabs in a marinade (he used something involving worcestershiresauce, check the video), and they will soak up the flavouring marinade so much more efficiently than when you didn't squeeze them dry first.
Next is lightly coating them with egg, just enough for a dusting of flour to stick to the tofu slices.
Then you bake/fry them until they're golden brown and crispy.
He also gives a few other suggestions in that episode.
Quote from: Suu on July 08, 2010, 02:56:53 AM
TBH, I could probably look up cook temps and times and stuff, but it's kinda funny that I trust people here with recipes more than the rest of the internet. I've never had a bad meal I got from here.
temps and times don't really matter, it doesn't change much unless you fry it really hard, in which case, go for "when it looks good".
but basically you can eat it raw (it doesn't taste like much of anything, but Nigel's egg-salad idea sounds like a plan), you never have to worry about undercooking it, is what I mean.
I used tofu crumbles in anything I would use ground meat in. Like Nigel said, tacos, sloppy joes and such. I like to take silk tofu and mix it with a touch of lemon and use it in place of sour cream. On a loaded baked potato you can't get a much cheaper meal and it's good too.
There is this vegan chef that has her own show on PBS Christina Cooks. She does a lot with tofu and everything I have ever tried was really good. I made the recipe below and the kids ate every bite..
Fried Noodles with Tofu and Vegetables
Ingredients
3-4 thin slices fresh ginger, finely minced
1 red onion, thin half moon slices
soy sauce
6-7 button mushrooms, brushed free of dirt, thinly sliced
1 carrot, fine matchstick pieces
1 small bunch bok choy, rinsed well, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2-3 slices packaged baked tofu, cubed
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup - I used karo - brown rice is hard to find in MO
8 ounces whole wheat udon noodles
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced
Directions
Place a small amount of oil, ginger and onions in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium.
When the onions begin to sizzle, add a dash of soy sauce and saute for 1-2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and saute until mushrooms release their juices, about 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, bok choy and a light seasoning of soy sauce. Stir in baked tofu and rice syrup and season with soy sauce to taste. Saute until bok choy is wilted and crisp-tender.
While the vegetables are sautéing, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain and rinse well.
Stir cooked noodles into sautéed tofu and vegetables, stir in lemon juice and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Makes 3-4 servings.
Thanks guys! :mrgreen:
Quote from: Nigel on July 08, 2010, 03:09:49 AM
I like to slice tofu into little slabs, season it with salt, pepper, paprika, onion & garlic, flour it, then fry it up in a little oil and serve it with mushrooms and potatoes.
oh fuck I'm trying this. I may batter them a bit more so it's like country fried tofu (loloxymoronlol) as fried anything is :fap:
I've been looking for new tofu recipes besides my standby: throw cubed tofu into a sauce (soy sauce, red pepper flakes, ginger, sesame oil, and sometimes teriyaki sauce), saute, then throw over brown rice.
I swear by draining it and freezing it before cooking/eating. In my experience, it seems to soak stuff up more, and the consistency seems better to me, too.
Note: if it turns yellow during freezing, this is normal. It goes back to white-ish when it thaws.
I don't tofu.
I use this recipe when I am trying to impress hot vegans.
Sauce:
1/3 Cup orange juice
1 1/2 Tbls. soy saucw
1/2 Tspn. hot red pepper flakes
Mix this all together and set aside.
Food:
1 1/2 lbs asparagus (one bunch really look for thin ones)
1 package tofu cubed
2 Tspn. peanut oil
2 Medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls. gingerroot, minced
1/2 Cup fresh basil
Prepare the asparagus, cutting into 2 inch pieces. Heat 1 Tbls. oil in pan and stir fry (about 2-3 minutes).
Push asparagus to the side of the pan and add garlic & ginger. Drizzle 1 Tbls. oil and cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds)
Mix asparagus, garlic, and ginger in pan, cook for about 1 minute.
Add tofu, mix in pan. Cover pan and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add sauce, mix, cook covered for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove cover, mix in basil, let cook for 30-60 seconds more to thicken up sauce.
Turn off heat let stand for about 2 minutes.
Quote from: PopeTom on August 04, 2010, 04:22:16 AM
I use this recipe when I am trying to impress hot vegans.
Sauce:
1/3 Cup orange juice
1 1/2 Tbls. soy saucw
1/2 Tspn. hot red pepper flakes
Mix this all together and set aside.
Food:
1 1/2 lbs asparagus (one bunch really look for thin ones)
1 package tofu cubed
2 Tspn. peanut oil
2 Medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls. gingerroot, minced
1/2 Cup fresh basil
Prepare the asparagus, cutting into 2 inch pieces. Heat 1 Tbls. oil in pan and stir fry (about 2-3 minutes).
Push asparagus to the side of the pan and add garlic & ginger. Drizzle 1 Tbls. oil and cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds)
Mix asparagus, garlic, and ginger in pan, cook for about 1 minute.
Add tofu, mix in pan. Cover pan and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add sauce, mix, cook covered for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove cover, mix in basil, let cook for 30-60 seconds more to thicken up sauce.
Turn off heat let stand for about 2 minutes.
This sounds tasty. Do you serve it with rice or some other starch, or is it best on its own?
With the tofu I've served it on it's own.
I've also removed the tofu and used it as a side for maple glazed salmon for the hot meat eaters I wish to impress. :)
Thanks, I'm going to try this the next time I'm in the mood to experiment with tofu!