Does anyone have any good tofu recipes?!
Answers: Never had tofu before and have no idea how to prepare it.(bought extra firm) Not even really sure what the different textures mean.
Since this is first time, start with deep frying it. I personally love tofu. Some people say it doesn't taste like anything, but I disagree. It all depends on how you cook it and what you cook it with. Just remember that tofu absorbs the flavor of what you cook it with. It's also used as a meat substitute. Drain it first. I take lots of paper towels and give it firm pats all over so the paper towel absorbs the moisture. I cut it in thin strips or cubes and I season it with garlic powder and a little salt. Make sure your oil is hot. I drop them in and let them deep fry until they're golden brown and a little crunchy on the outside but still tender on the inside. Take them out and let the excess oil be absorbed into a few layers of paper towel. I also make veggies burgers with tofu. I can tell you how another time if you want to know. But, I would start here first. It's good you got the extra firm. You can do more with that texture. Soft or what they call silken won't work well with this. You can eat it like this or dip them in soy sauce or tempera sauce. I prefer tempera sauce. I hope you like it. I sure do.
You'll find some good recipes if you search Yahoo Answers for "tofu recipes" or something like that.
Tofu is already cooked, so any further cooking you do is to incorporate flavors (it soaks up sauces and marinades really well) or improve its texture (like making it more crispy,etc).
Ghetto Tofu Gumbo:
use bacon dripping and flour to make a thick gravy base
add some wild Irish rose to thin it a bit.
add a can of Veg -all and a small v-8
add in the tofu and a can of spam diced up.
add a bay leaf and some tobasco sauce.
serve over Roman noodles
There is a recipe for a Tofu Hot Pot under Yahoo recipes, it has veggie broth, bok choy, mushrooms, cilantro, and tofu, it is so good that my 8-year old devours it, even the bok choy!
Great with fried rice.
Cook the rice.
Fry some chopped onion, garlic and ginger in a pan, add brocolli and thinly sliced carrots - add the cooked rice and tofu and stir until combined, then add some Conimex ketjap Manis I(ndonesian sweet soy sauce) -if you can't get this then use soy sauce, add hoisin sauce or black bean sauce, stir through then top with some sliced spring onions on top.
Its a really simple dish to make, you can use up any leftovers - most veggies will go in this dish, it's tasty and healthy too. You can also substitute the rice for noodles
I replace meat with tofu.
A good recipe is a chicken stir fry but instead of chicken you use tofu!
I just cook up rice separately while I cook green peppers, red peppers, and onions in a skillet with a little vegetable oil. I'll throw in some salt, ginger, and a tiny bit of sugar. When they're about half done I'll put in some soy sauce (I try to use the low sodium stuff because it's better for you), tofu, and tomatoes.
I put the rice on a plate and put the stir fry on top. Yummy!
If you haven't used it before, just be prepared for the very mild flavour. Sometimes using tofu as a meat substitute can lead to disappointment for that reason. I'd try something spicy. I like (no--love) mapo tofu, so you could google some recipes for that name, and there are good vegan pre-made sauces commercially available that are super tasty. I find that a strong contrast is very nice with the mild flavour -- my other fave is deep-fried salt-and-pepper tofu, with chilli & spring onion. Yum!
tofu or japanese for bean curd is quit unique as it has this pleasnt quality of acquiring the taste and aroma of other foods cooked with it. Cooked with chicken, it will taste like chicken etc etc. Deep fried is the easiest way for beginners. Then stir fry with veggies is a good way to enjoy it. Or by itslef dipped in whatever tickles your fancy is another. You can progress to soups and "hot pots" as you get more experienced with this versatile food. If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can pair it with just about anything. You can even ahve dessert with it. Just add fruit or sugar syrup to fresh, soft cooked bean curd (usually available in asian markets)
PS half the fun is in the discovering what you can do with it. Enjoy
No. No one has any good tofu recipes. No one.
Delicious, addictive scrambled tofu:http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/...
Press the tofu for about an hour ahead of time. Put it between several layers of paper towels and set a couple of hardcover books on top. You can even weigh it down further with a couple cans of soup. Let as much moisture press out of it as possible so that it doesn't get mushy when you cook it (and so it soaks up the seasonings you're cooking it in.)