ways to prepare tofu?

Question

I bought some firm tofu yesterday and i just cooked some to a light brown with some italian seasoning ..
just to experiment..buti would like to know some easy ways and good/healthy ways to actually prepare tofu..
Also..is it bad to eat raw?
.[=.hallie.

Answer 1

Oh - you can soooooo eat it as it is! Put some soy sauce on it and it's delicious!

But cooking with it - you can dice it up and throw it into soups, or stirfry it with some veggies, the possibilities are endless.

You can even bake with it.... check this out!!!

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32392

Answer 2

Here is a great one the directions say to use silken tofu but i have used the firm and the extra firm also it's just a little chunkier. In a blender combine 1 cup strawberries, 1 banana, 1 cup O.J. and 1/3 block 0f tofu. Blend well. It's delicious and filling. great for lunch on the go! Hope you enjoy!

Answer 3

Faux MorningStar Veggie Bites aka Broccoli Cheddar Bites. As a recently converted vegetarian, I am always on the look out for acceptable and tasty vegetarian products. I tried MorningStar Veggie Bites this week and my family liked them just fine. Glancing at the box gave me a start though! The 40+ ingredients listed read like a bag of Cheetos! Broccoli Cheddar Bites. Ingredients: 14 ounces extra firm tofu/drain, mince and press out as much liquid as possible. 2 cups frozen broccoli/ thawed and minced 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or cheddar soy. 1 teaspoon Johnny's Seasoning Salt(Increase to 2 tsp if you like a little more salt.) 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 3 eggs or egg replacement 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons of pure cane sugar (about 1/3 of what is in the original) Mix together until well distributed. Add enough white or whole wheat flour to make a stiff batter-about 3/4 cup. Form batter into ping pong sized balls, flatten slightly and coat each side with bread crumbs. Place patties on an oiled baking sheet so that they are not touching. Spray the tops of the patties with cooking spray. Pre-Bake for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool and freeze until needed. Makes about 32 patties. 3 patties=270 calories. To use: Take out desired number and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes until hot through and golden brown. Flip halfway through baking. This is a good recipe to double or triple as most of the effort is in the first stage. This recipe could be made using just about any combination of cooked veggie and cheese: Portabella Mushroom, Red pepper and mozzarella Corn & Smoked Swiss Bell Pepper, Onion and Pepper Jack

Answer 4

No, it`s perfectly fine to eat tofu raw.
Pour some soy sauce on your tofu & add some veggies (bean sprouts & lettuce) and you`ve got a tofu salad right there. Or try cracking some eggs & stir. Then dip your tofu in the egg batter & fry until egg batter on the tofu is crispy and golden brown. Or make tofu POKE, pronouced: Po-kehh. Which is basically a mix of raw tofu, seaweed, raw fish/fish flakes w/ a special sauce I think is a mix of sesame seed and soy sauce. Another way, you should make miso soup w/ those instant miso soup packages & add your fresh tofu in :] DELICIOUS
Good Luck, Enjoy.

Answer 5

Here is something very simple to do. Tofu "steaks" - cut the block in half and then marinade them for a couple hours or overnight in teriyaki sauce or Italian dressing or any other kind of marinade and then broil them for a few minutes on each side. They turn out a little crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Serve with some rice and veggies.

Answer 6

Curried Noodles with Tofu:

Coconut milk gives this meatless dish a velvety richness. Look for curry paste in the Asian foods section of your supermarket. Use it conservatively, though a little goes a long way.

6 ounces uncooked rice sticks (rice-flour noodles), angel hair pasta, or vermicelli
1 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon green curry paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 (12.3-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup red bell pepper strips
4 cups shredded napa (Chinese) cabbage
1 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Place noodles in a large bowl. Add hot water to cover; let stand 5 minutes. Drain.

Combine coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, curry paste, and salt in a small bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sauté 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove tofu from pan; keep warm.

Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Add cabbage; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in noodles, coconut milk mixture, and tofu; cook 2 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in green onions and cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Answer 7

tofu can be eaten raw. but im sure u know that cooking food actually gets rid of most of the bacteria. but if u want a cold tofu dish that's healthy here's one:

an uncut piece of tofu
japanese soy sauce
straw mushrooms or thinly sliced julliennes of cucumber

place the tofu on a thin layer of soy sauce. sprinkle the greens over it and voila! sinless snappy snack :) for more of a kick, mix soy with chilli of choice and drizzle over tofu

plus! you can do the recipe the SAME way but with first steaming your tofu for about 10 mins. you decide, hot or cold :) high in protein, practically zero fat, and use low sodium soy if u want. enjoy!!

Answer 8

i hope this helps

stir fried tofu

Ingredients (Serves 2):

- 1/2 “block” firm tofu, cut into rectangle pieces
- 1/4 lb minced pork
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp corn flour
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1 stalk scallion, cut into small pieces
- 2 small red chilli, cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- a few drops sesame oil

Cooking Method:

1. Marinate minced pork with salt and white pepper and mix well with corn flour.

2. Heat up 1/3 inch height of vegetable oil in a wok. Stir fry or pan fry tofu until lightly browned.

3. When tofu is ready, set aside tofu and remove excess oil to leave about 2 tbsp in the wok.

4. Add garlic, dried shrimp, scallion and red chilli and stir fry until fragrant. Add minced pork and stir fry until pork changes color.

5. Return tofu to wok and mix well. Add oyster sauce and a few drops of sesame oil and mix well.

6. Served with plain white rice.

For leftovers, I had it with instant noodles. It tasted good as well. Oh yes, it is healthy to! Oh well… the tofu that is!

Answer 9

Tofu is wonderful because it can adapt to any flavor you provide for it! I have used tofu in stir-frys, spaghetti sauce, chocolate silk pie and have even baked it with marinara and lasagne noodles! Here are some thoughts for you:

1. Baked tofu: Cut blocks of very firm tofu in half horizontally and drain well. Pat with paper towels and marinate in Lawry's 30 minute marinade for at least 1 hour. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, turn over, and resume baking until firm, and toasted on the outside. Cool and slice to use as you desire.
2. Tofu Silk Pie: 1 container firm tofu drained, 1 container silken soft tofu, drained, 1 cube butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 T cocoa powder, 1 graham cracker crust. Blend tofu, butter, honey and cocoa powder until smooth and silky. Pour into pie crust and refrigerate for several hours. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
3. Lasagne ala Tofu: Marinara sauce, 2 cups mozarella cheese, 12 lasagne noodles, cooked as directed, 2 cups chopped baby spinach, 1 container soft, silken tofu, drained, 1 small container ricotta cheese, 1 T Italian herbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Crumble tofu and blend with ricotta and baby spinach. Add herbs and 3 T parmesan cheese. Layer as follows: sauce, noodles, spinach mixture, cheese, sauce etc. Top with cheese and parmesan. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until bubbling and cheeses are melted.
4. Tofu scramble: 1 container firm tofu, drained and cut into bite sized pieces, 3 T olive oil, 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped, 1 onion, diced, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 package vege crumbles, 1 cup Picante sauce, 2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese. Saute onion, bell pepper and tofu until cooked. Add salt, pepper, and garlic. Add vege crumbles, and picante sauce and cook until hot. Top with cheese and serve.

Have fun with your tofu!

Answer 10

A vegetarian roommate of mine used to marinate it in ginger and soy sauce and then saute it in a pan. Sometimes she's eat it with rice or noodles and veggies. I love it this way.

I also will eat the silken kind pureed with frozen fruit in an insanely thick smoothie.