Tofu. Any suggestions?

[Rootskate]

Would like to try Tofu. Wondering if any brand is better than another?

 

[Evil Genius]

We think that brands are pretty much the same, just make sure you buy a firm or extra firm tofu if you are going to cook it with something else.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

As far as tofu goes... I reccomend keeping far, far away from it.

 

[shortbun]

I press it in a cloth towel and under a heavy weight regardless of how 'firm' it is. I marinate it and broil it. I've used bbq sauce, ginger-soy sauce, many sauces from places like Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I liked Trader Joe's General Tso's particularly well. I've also fried it with olive oil, garlic and onions. We crumble it and use it in recipe's like meat sometimes too. Tofu takes on whatever flavor you want it too. It's very bland without something to flavor it. My friend likes to fry hers with raisins, currants, brown sugar and then pour syrup on it. I prefer the aromatic sauces. Have fun with it and don't despair if you don't like your first experiment.

 

[Ms Marigny]

Dh is in the natural foods industry and says that White Wave brand tofu sells the best, but they are all fairly similar. It's true, the thing about tofu is that it is a flavor sponge- it absorbs the flavor of whatever it's cooked with. It is very bland by itself. You can grill it with some sauce, you can stir fry it, broil it, etc.- just be sure to cook it with something.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I press it in a cloth towel and under a heavy weight regardless of how 'firm' it is. I marinate it and broil it. I've used bbq sauce, ginger-soy sauce, many sauces from places like Trader Joes and Whole Foods. I liked Trader Joe's General Tso's particularly well. I've also fried it with olive oil, garlic and onions. We crumble it and use it in recipe's like meat sometimes too. Tofu takes on whatever flavor you want it too. It's very bland without something to flavor it. My friend likes to fry hers with raisins, currants, brown sugar and then pour syrup on it. I prefer the aromatic sauces. Have fun with it and don't despair if you don't like your first experiment.

So why eat it? I get that its versatile but if it has no flavor, whats the draw? Must be healthy?

 

[Cool-Beans]

My recommendation is to run like the wind! Avoid the tofu!

I can't help with prep, because I don't do it. Good luck!

 

[teacups]

I thought Tofu was the stuff you leave in the back of the fridge to see what happens to it after 3 months?
I am sorry. I am not being helpful to your post, and I HATE when SA's do that to me... so let me give you the website I use for recipes, and it has never steered me wrong yet. Foodnetwork.com
Good luck... and keep some chicken on hand, just in case.

 

[teacups]

I felt so bad for giving you a bad time that I went to the cooking board here... and didnt see any posts about Tofu... sorry.

 

[nhrenee]

Tofu is great as a stir fry. For a simple sauce whish together soy sauce, ginger, dash of sherry or sake, dash sugar and cornstarch.

Eh, dh is "tofuaphobic". Me, I love the stuff!

 

[Nancy]

My daughter chops it up and stir fries it with veggies and asian sauces..soy, ginger, teriyaki...whatever she is in the mood for.

I buy her the store brand and usually get the extra firm...but have been known to buy the firm once in awhile.

I have tried it, it's not that bad...looks weird before it's cooked in food, but not bad. I have texture issues with food and I can eat it so it's got to be ok!

 

[Nancy]

Here I found this one..I'm sure any brand Tofu will do.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif][SIZE=-1]Ingredients
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 large cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 package Mori-Nu Silken Extra Firm Tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 lb. broccoli florets
1/4 lb. snow peas, stems trimmed
1/2 cup red pepper, slivered
1/2 cup yellow pepper, slivered
1/2 cup leek, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 8 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve liquid)
1/2 cup Mandarin orange segments
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Sans Serif][SIZE=-1]Method
In sesame oil, saute garlic, ginger and tofu until lightly browned. Remove tofu and set aside. Add next 9 ingredients in order given. Stir fry until vegetables are just crisp-tender. Separately combine reserved pineapple liquid, soy sauce, tomato sauce and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into wok, thoroughly coating ingredients. Add tofu cubes. Serve hot over rice[/SIZE][/FONT]

google tofu recipes...lots there

 

[smartestnumber5]

I second the extra firm recommendation.

I like Trader Joe's Soy Vay--Very Very Terryaki sauce for making a tofu stir fry. GF is a meat lover, but even she likes tofu. I think it is a matter of getting used to the texture and making sure you've got some good flavors. It's just like chicken with regard to the flavorlessness--doesn't taste very good if you eat it plain.

GF has recently been trying to work on frying tofu. We've had some pretty good fried tofu at restaurants, but haven't managed to replicate it ourselves.

Also, if you ever do shish kebabs you can just substite the tofu where meat would be along with whatever veggies you're using and your usual sauce.

Also, tempeh is another soybean based protein that is quite similar to tofu, but it's a lot firmer (you don't have to worry at all about excess moisture). We like to make the following salad with tempeh: romaine, gorgonzola cheese, pears or apples cooked in butter, tempeh cooked in olive oil and soy sauce until a bit crispy, sugar toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinegar.

And, of course, there's an ever expanding choice of meat flavored soy products--hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, bacon, lunch meat, chicken, etc.

Good luck!

 

[KikiFan]

If there is a WholeFoods near you they've got a great pudding mix that you can make using tofu. The chocolate is just divine, especially if you're trying to avoid dairy

I like to mash it and scramble it with eggs.

 

[KozmicLee]

I like Marjon seasoned tofu crumbles for meat loaf, my dh lovingly ate many of my meatloaves before finding out they were at least half tofu. He still loves them now that he knows.

 

[shortbun]

Great low fat, protein substitute for vegetarians or people trying to lower their cholesterol and just eat healtheir in general. Red meat has the most flavor with no enhancement but it's an artery blocker. Tofu is not.

 

[Muffy]

Tofu salad is good. Get the extra firm type and freeze it. Then thaw the tofu and crumble it. Add celery, green pepper, mayo, salt and pepper. If you omit the freezing it won't be the right consistency.

 

[Rootskate]

Wow, you guys have some great ideas! Thanks for the responses!

 

[Mamu]

Some say it's healthy.

In my book, no matter what you do with it, it's still tofu. Gross and nasty.

 

[Laura]

Sheesh, people! If some of you guys don't like tofu, then don't eat it, but don't tell other people not to try it out. It's a great protein and I've enjoyed it in restaurants as well as at home. The OP didn't ask if you thought it was gross.

To the OP, I haven't noticed much difference among brands, but you want to make sure that you're using the right firmness for your recipes. The really soft tofu is great in smoothies but not in stirfry, for example. But tofu in general is very versatile; since it doesn't have much flavor by itself, you can do just about anything with it.

The Vegetarian Times has a recipe search. Just type in tofu and you'll get TONS of great ideas. Tofu is even good as an egg replacement, and I've had "tofu scramble", which is basically tofu instead of scrambled eggs (very good).
http://vegetariantimes.com/recipe/