I want to incorporate tofu as a substitute for meat in some dishes. However, I must be doing something terribly wrong. In fact, I know I am! It tastes terrible! Someone suggested freezing it then mincing it before I add it to my sloppy joe mix. They said it should stand up better than adding fresh.
I haven't tried it yet. Maybe later this week.
While I'm asking about tofu. One of those blocks is just too big for me to eat in 1 or 2 days. How can I keep it?
Hi cbmare,
I'm new here but i know a thing or 2 about tofu.
the best way I've come across to get a meat substitute like quality is
well first of all get the extra firm variety, and dice into cubes. about 1 inch is good.
heat 2 tablespoons or more olive oil or coconut oil works good, or some kind of oil you like to cook with in a frying pan. heat it medium or medium high, browning on all or most of all of the sides. I think i flip them every 5 or 10 minutes.
you can mix them into like stir fry type dishes like this and they're good.
you can refrigerate what you don't use that day and reheat in the microwave or stove top, it usually keeps good for about 4-5 days that way.
you can also toss them on salad hot or cold. it isn't exactly the taste of meat, but i like them that way.
I've never tried sloppy joe's, so i don't have a tip there.
If you are into smoothies the silken can be added to those.
Tofu is very bland by itself but it's like a sponge for flavours...the more flavour you use in a dish the better the tofu will taste.
I will often marinate it for 30-60mins in the stir-fry sauce I will be using to give it that extra little kick.
I have also discovered fresh bean curd at our local asian grocery store. It has a slightly different texture to tofu and has a light "skin" on the outside. It's firmer, holds sauce and flavour better and doesn't fall apart as easily as tofu can when cooked.
I used it primarily in stir-fry but also when making risottos, pilafs, mexican rice or anything else that uses an absorption method or where you cook in a sauce.
My sister and I are not vegetarian but we would eat this probably a good 2 or 3 times a week. We love it!
Regarding the storage of tofu, you can refrigerate for probably up to a week after it’s cooked. You could also cut up the tofu into your own individual portion size and then freeze each chunk separately. That way you just thaw out and use one portion as needed. And don’t forget to press your tofu! Wrap your tofu in a clean dishcloth or paper towels and place between 2 cutting boards, then stack a few heavy cans or other weight on top. I usually let a full block of tofu press for about an hour if I have the time, but as little as 20 min will help get a lot of the excess moisture out. This helps the tofu absorb all those wonderful flavors in cooking sauces and juices
I find that tofu doesn’t really stand in for meat very well in many recipes. If you’re looking for a way to substitute soy protein for meat in a recipe like sloppy joes, you probably want to look into using TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein TVP works great for soup, chili, tacos, I even make vegan breakfast “chorizo” with it. You can usually find it in the bulk section of Whole Foods or health food stores.
Most of the tofu dishes I make are Asian style, and sometimes I just make tofu “cutlets” as you might prepare a chicken breast or steak. Just marinate (overnight is best) in the fridge in whatever stuff you like (teriyaki, BBQ, hoisin) and then brown up in a skillet or bake in the oven.
Regarding the storage of tofu, you can refrigerate for probably up to a week after it’s cooked. You could also cut up the tofu into your own individual portion size and then freeze each chunk separately. That way you just thaw out and use one portion as needed. And don’t forget to press your tofu! Wrap your tofu in a clean dishcloth or paper towels and place between 2 cutting boards, then stack a few heavy cans or other weight on top. I usually let a full block of tofu press for about an hour if I have the time, but as little as 20 min will help get a lot of the excess moisture out. This helps the tofu absorb all those wonderful flavors in cooking sauces and juices
I find that tofu doesn’t really stand in for meat very well in many recipes. If you’re looking for a way to substitute soy protein for meat in a recipe like sloppy joes, you probably want to look into using TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein TVP works great for soup, chili, tacos, I even make vegan breakfast “chorizo” with it. You can usually find it in the bulk section of Whole Foods or health food stores.
Most of the tofu dishes I make are Asian style, and sometimes I just make tofu “cutlets” as you might prepare a chicken breast or steak. Just marinate (overnight is best) in the fridge in whatever stuff you like (teriyaki, BBQ, hoisin) and then brown up in a skillet or bake in the oven.
Hope that was helpful! Enjoy the soy.
I think you are "the brains" I'm seeking. Would you mind sharing some of your recipes with me? I can PM you my email address. I would really appreciate it.
Tofu is very bland by itself but it's like a sponge for flavours...the more flavour you use in a dish the better the tofu will taste.
I will often marinate it for 30-60mins in the stir-fry sauce I will be using to give it that extra little kick.
I have also discovered fresh bean curd at our local asian grocery store. It has a slightly different texture to tofu and has a light "skin" on the outside. It's firmer, holds sauce and flavour better and doesn't fall apart as easily as tofu can when cooked.
I used it primarily in stir-fry but also when making risottos, pilafs, mexican rice or anything else that uses an absorption method or where you cook in a sauce.
My sister and I are not vegetarian but we would eat this probably a good 2 or 3 times a week. We love it!
I can get tofu directly from San Jose Tofu. I think I'm going to stop and get some today to put into the stir fry tonight.
Thank you for all your input. I'm going to start incorporating it into my food.
I've been avoiding soy for a while because of all the negative press it was getting about women's issues. I miss my soy milk. I've never liked tofu unless it was flavored. However, with all the ideas you've given me, I'm going to start experimenting.
You can use TVP pretty much anywhere you’d use ground beef
To re-hydrate, use 1 2/3 cup TVP plus 1 1/3 cup boiling water (or equivalent ratio for making more or less TVP). Makes the cooking equivalent of 1 pound of hamburger meat, and has a whopping 89 grams of protein.
The chorizo recipe I make is from the book Vegan with a Vengeance http://www.theppk.com/veganwithavengeance.html, which I highly recommend by the way. PM me if you want the recipe and I’ll look it up.
I was browsing through the PPK website and saw that one of my favorite tofu recipes from Vegan with a Vengeance is posted there. It's tofu scramble for breakfast! I love this stuff, makes me wonder why I ever liked eggs. http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbreci...p?RecipeID=110
Our favorite is to stir fry it in a bit of toasted sesame oil and tamari (or soy sauce or whatever) and then sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast on top.
Nutritional yeast is very different from regular yeast and you can get it in the bulk section of most health food stores and some grocery stores (Raley's has it where I live in CA). Its got a bit of a cheesey flavor and my kids LOVE it this way. Its funny I hear "Yay, mom's making tofu". I have weird kids what can I say.
Sesame oil and tamari is good alone too. The toasted sesame oil gives it a good kick but I have to be careful not to use too much.
Other things you can add are garlic, cayenne pepper or any of your favorite spices.
I think tofu tastes best when it browns so you want to slice it relatively thin.
I have had it other ways but none that I have been able to replicate.
Also recently I prefer cooking tofu separate from the vegetables. I used to put them all together and this works too but when you cook it separately it browns and gets a better flavor and texture.
Scrambled tofu is pretty good too. I haven't done that in awhile. Now that I eat eggs I just do egg whites instead but I think I like tofu scrambles a little bit more. I'll have to remember that.
My favorite is tofu in spaghetti with zucchini *^__^*
I get extra firm tofu and squeeze it (carefully) from all sides back and forth over the sink until I get as much water out of it as possible. Then I cook it however I like from there, normally sautee'ing it with other things
To keep it, I just put it in a closed container filled with water - unless it's cooked, and then I just seal it up.
Also, if you don't like the texture of Tofu and feel it doesn't hold up enough in your recipes, try tempeh! It is made from soybeans as well and I much prefer it, it has a meatier (dare I say) texture and is firm and has a richer taste. Also, it has healthy cultures in it (ala yogurt) that help you digest, so its super good for you. AND totally packed with protein.
How do I incorporate tofu?
