Vegetarian. . . TOFU??!
what kinds are there?
how do you cook it?
can it be eaten raw?
just please let me know EVERY single detail you know about tofu. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
Answers: Okay, I am brand new at the vegetarian thing, and I hear tofu is a GREAT staple food. But, I am completely clueless. . .
what kinds are there?
how do you cook it?
can it be eaten raw?
just please let me know EVERY single detail you know about tofu. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
I don't recommend raw..
there is silken tofu in vaccuum sealed "cardboard boxes" that do not need to be refrigerated.. this is used for deserts, whipped toppings, etc.. NOT to replace meat in a dish, usually (although they put chunks it in soups sometimes)
then there is the tofu you find in the produce section, in a plastic tub, sitting in water.. that does need to be refrigerated.. it is usually "firm" or "extra firm" This is the kind I'm most used to using..
For a first time taste, I recommend trying it at a Chinese restraunt.. (if you like chinese food).. They usually make it taste real nice and it will give you a good impression of tofu.. it may be called "bean curd" on the menu..
Tofu itself is tasteless, which is a GOOD thing.. Because it simply soaks up all the yummy seasonings/sauces that you cook with it.. making it mouth-watering..
To cook yourself at home, try one of these simple recipies..
Drain well and cut extra firm (not silken) tofu into cubes, put in a bowl.. douse heavily with soy sauce, ginger powder, a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, a dash of black pepper.. Let sit for at least 15 min, after stirring gently to make sure sauce/seasonigs get on all the tofu.. Dump the whole shebang into a non-stick pan and "fry" lightly with a tad of oil if you want (sesame oil-even better!) Stir GENTLY as needed..You'll know when it's done.. it will not have that "raw" look anymore.. On medium heat it should take about 5 minutes (after pan and tofu has a chance to get hot) Add it to your veggie stir fry and eat over rice
Another way I love it is my "southwest style" scrambled tofu.. I've gotten a few best answers here for this recipie, and I like it..
Drain extra firm tofu well
crumble (can use a fork to mash) until it looks like feta cheese
put in nonstick skillet and sautee with the following seasonings..
1. garlic powder
2. onion powder
3. dash of soy sauce
4. vegetarian immitation "chicken broth" powder, if you can find one without actual chicken stock in it..
5. "nutritional yeast flakes" if you can find (trust me, go to whole foods and buy some... they are tofu's best friend)
6. Black pepper..
Salt is not needed if you use the chicken seasoning and salsa (later in the recipie) and soysauce.. they're all salty!!
Sautee on medium, stir gently as needed
when tofu is almost done (any bit of liquid has evaporated and texture is different, has lost that "raw" look) then add salsa and/or diced tomatoes.. Tomato can stop other things from cooking, so that's why you wait till almost the end to add..
keep cooking for a few more minutes
Eat with tortillas, more salsa, and sour cream
YUM
Hey, you could throw chopped mushrooms in there too at some point.. chopped onion and/or garlic if you want. (though I recommend sautéing those last 2 in a tad of oil BEFORE adding tofu to the pan)
Lol, poor thing, are you the only vegetarian in your house?
Well anyways, tofu you can use it any way.
Eat it raw, put soy sauce on it, put it in soups, fry it up and make stir fry, fried rice.
Casseroles, so many things.
Look for books on it.
I eat tofu any kind of way.
Hope that helps.
There's Chinese tofu, the water-packed kind. I have tips for freezing and pressing in my profile. Freezing tofu changes the texture and makes it chewier. You want to press your tofu to get out the water so it can absorb more flavors. This is used in stir fries, for grilling, sauteing, or frying--anything which needs a solid texture.
Then there's silken tofu, sold in the aseptic boxes. These are not refrigerated, and they are typically used for smoothies, puddings, and creamy desserts--anything with a creamy texture. You can also use 1/4 cup of silken tofu per egg in a recipe.
As for nutritional information, Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) should have that.
This has been answered several times in your other questions. There's soft, firm, extra firm and silken. You can cook it an infinite number of ways. I scramble it, stir fry it, blend it with cashews to make a ricotta-like filling for pasta dishes, and I've even made decadent chocolate pie from it. Start with recipes until you get a feel for how you like it. It can be eaten raw and some people even like it that way - I wouldn't recommend it myself.
Hi there. You can do exactly the same thing with Tofu as you can do with meat, so any recipe that you have meat in, just sub with the Tofu. It can be eaten raw but it is better eaten cooked. Only buy silken tofu if you are making a smoothie. Otherwise buy firm as it holds together when you cook it. Good luck!
Hi bob bob. Tofu is a product made from soymilk, much like how blocks of cheese are made from cow's milk.
There are many different varieties, from Silken (which are shelf-stable and come in the closed vacuum packed boxes) which are good for blending to make desserts and smoothies all the way to the water-packed boxes that go from silken texture to soft to medium to firm to extra firm. Firm and Extra-Firm are good for stir-fries, baked tofu, grilled tofu, and pan frying, as well as in such things as scrambled tofu and tofu egg salad.
How to cook:
Tofu is packed in water so it needs to be drained. Then I usually press out all the water by wrapping it in paper towels and setting a heavy object on top of it for an hour or so to get the liquid out. Tofu, just plain, doesn't taste like anything really, so it picks up the flavors of the dish you make it in. I usually marinate the tofu for an hour or so after I'm done pressing the water out. There are literally a thousand different ways you can cook tofu so you just have to do some recipe searchs online because I can't possibly list all the options here.
Tofu can be eaten raw and, in fact, its used raw in many dishes.
I am not vegestarian, however I love tofu. It is best cooked in asian stirfries because it absorbs the flavour of the food around it. THere are flavoured tofu packages and my favorite is teriyaki. Also, tofu can be eaten raw, however it is tasteless and has an odd texture. If you want raw tofu, it is best to purchase it pre-flavoured, or to marinate it.