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Old 02-16-2009, 10:56 AM   #1  
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Question TOFU (teach me to like it!)

I HATE TOFU!! really.. But in light of certain events comming up in a few months, that's pretty much all Im going to be able to get.

What are your cooking tricks that make the tofu taste better or not noticeable?
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Old 02-16-2009, 11:14 AM   #2  
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I have never made tofu myself, but at most restaurants I do love it. I know putting the firm tofu package into the freezer first gives it more of a "meat" texture.
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Old 02-16-2009, 11:20 AM   #3  
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what don't you like about tofu?

I like tofu when eating out but rarely make it myself. One way I do like to eat it is 'scrambled'.
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbreci...p?RecipeID=110

there is also egg salad tofu
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbreci...hp?RecipeID=90

You can also make lasagna with tofu 'ricotta'
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbreci...hp?RecipeID=53

For your perusal, look at this website for recipes and search for 'tofu' on the left side
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/
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Old 02-16-2009, 11:49 AM   #4  
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I like to scramble it for breakfast. I crumble it up in the pan with a little coconut oil. I add seasoning and a little salsa. Sometimes I top it with cheese and eat it on toast.

I mainly like it fried. NOt the healthiest way to eat it. I slice it in the pan and leave it until it gets really crispy. Then, I flip it. I mainly eat it that way with soba noodles or stir fry. My kids love it with rice and soy sauce.
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Old 02-16-2009, 12:47 PM   #5  
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i think its the flavor of it. i know that it can absorb flavors, so maybe with some stronger flavored things like chilis or something like that? im not sure.
the texture is different but tolerable.
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Old 02-16-2009, 09:20 PM   #6  
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I didn't care so much for tofu at first. But I kept eating it while I thought about what else to eat. And before very long, I found I liked it.
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Old 02-16-2009, 11:31 PM   #7  
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The firmer it is, the better it is, imo. Plus, frying it can help with the taste. I know it's not the healthiest, but it helped me like it in the beginning. You can also try different brands. They all don't taste the same. Good luck!
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Old 02-17-2009, 10:38 PM   #8  
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Yay, tofu!! I'm an omnivore, but my husband is a strict vegetarian, so there's no meat in the house. It took me a while to work up the nerve to try tofu, but years later I find I prefer it to most meats now.

Some tips for cooking it yourself:

First off, tofu usually comes packed in water. It's super important that you squeeze some of this water out before you cook the tofu, especially if you want it to soak up more flavors while it cooks. Also it'll make it less dangerous to saute or stir fry, since less water means less spatters. We usually cut the block in half so it's two thinner rectangles, sandwich it between a thick layer of paper towels, put a cutting board and some heavy books or a 2-liter of water on top of it, and wait 5 minutes. Most of the water will have seeped into the paper towels by then.

I used to slice the blocks into cubes, but I've found I prefer the texture when I use my hands to tear and crumble it into 1-inch or half-inch cubes. It's less "fake" looking when it's all jagged and ripped looking, I think.

If I'm making a curry, stir fry, or pretty much anything with tofu, I always start the tofu cooking first. It's hard to overcook tofu, but it's yummier when it's had a chance to get browned and crispy on the outside. It doesn't take a lot (or any) oil, either... a bit of PAM spray and a non-stick pan or wok will get it nice and brown.

I usually use a decent amount of sauce when I cook tofu, and give it some time to simmer in it. I love it with indian curries, thai curries, chinese brown sauces.... yum!
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Old 02-18-2009, 10:20 AM   #9  
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thanks ladies.. i'll give some of this a try when i get it in jùne
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Old 02-18-2009, 11:23 PM   #10  
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a friend of mine made this a little while ago. I thought it was really good.

Tofu Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 can (16 ounces) pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar or sucanat (or 1/2 cup maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to firm up the pie filling
1 package (10-12 ounces) silken/soft tofu
1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Blend the pumpkin and sugar. Add salt, spices, cornstarch and tofu, mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. Chill and serve. Don't use the low fat tofu, then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu. This pie is soooo yummy, it will fool almost anyone. I made it last Thanksgiving for my whole family, I am the only one, and everyone asked for seconds. They begged me to make another one for Christmas dinner. Top with non dairy topping and it will fool any pumpkin pie lover.

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: about 1 hour + chilling time, Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
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Old 02-19-2009, 09:24 AM   #11  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jajabee View Post
I used to slice the blocks into cubes, but I've found I prefer the texture when I use my hands to tear and crumble it into 1-inch or half-inch cubes. It's less "fake" looking when it's all jagged and ripped looking, I think.
The first time I tried tofu I cubed and fried it. I was not pleased at all. This time I crumbled it up like you would burger. It blended into the rice and I never knew it was there. I will definitely keep eating it now.
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Old 02-20-2009, 10:05 AM   #12  
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I also like it crumbled as taco filling. I crumble it and add either beans or vegetarian burger crumbles to it. It's a good combo. I add seasoning to the mixture. I don't like tofu on it's own as filling, but it's good mixed with something.
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Old 02-20-2009, 10:22 AM   #13  
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I eat it in miso soup - using extra firm tofu that I cut up into small cubes and freeze it, then just plunk into the broth to thaw and heat. The freezing definitely changes the texture!

Another favorite is oven-baked tofu with a glaze of teriyaki, bean sauce or five-spice sauce. Just cut extra-firm tofu into strips, glaze, bake until the glaze becomes crisp and the corners turn up slightly. I usually serve it on greens steamed with a little roasted sesame seed, chili flakes, soy sauce and garlic.

I like the idea of scrambled tofu and of tearing it up - will try!

Last edited by Heffalump; 02-20-2009 at 10:23 AM.
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Old 02-22-2009, 04:38 PM   #14  
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Awesome ideas. The trick with tofu is getting all the water that is in it after you take it out off it's package. I usually buy it, drain it, cut it up, and freeze it. Then take it out in the morning and thaw it out. It is wayyyy easier to work with it that way if you wanna stir fry it. It doesn't fall apart. I like using a lot of the Asian sauces you find at your local grocery store to flavor and marinate.
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Old 02-23-2009, 10:02 PM   #15  
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I drain and press extra firm tofu. Then I slice it into bite sized rectangles and dry pan fry it. Not too hot, more like a medium-ish heat. I press it gently with a spatula to get the moisture out.

Then I stir fry veggies and mix soy sauce, honey, garlic, and other things from a weight watchers recipe and toss the tofu back in with everything. It absorbs the sauce a little and turns out great.
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