tofu.......?

Question

i've been a vegetarian for like 6 months.
but i've never tried to make it.

what is it exactly?

Is it eaten as a dessert or a meal??

How is it cooked or prepared??

Answer 1

you can eat it in a meal and a dessert. there's this package of tofu desert in the asian aisles of safeway and whatnot. there is tofu ice cream at trader joe's, which by the way, is the bomb. you can cut up cubes of firm tofu and stir fry it. you can use soft tofu and put it in noodle soups and stuff.

Answer 2

it is tasteless (BUT that's a good thing!!) It is so versatile that it can be made into a sweet dessert, OR a savory stir-fry!!

Here's a simple recipie

Take a block of extra-firm tofu (the kind in a plastic package with water, found near the produce in a refrigerator) DRAIN ALL THE WATER OFF as well as you can

Crumble it up (you can mash with a fork) so it looks like feta chese

PUt in a non-stick skillet (a little oil is optional)

Add black pepper, a vegetarian "poultry flavor" seasoning, Nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and a couple dashes of soy sauce. Salt is not needed (Trust me) if you use soysauce and poultry seasoning. At least wait till it's totally done to judge if it needs salt.

Let it simmer on medium until all extra moisture is gone, and the tofu has lost that "raw" look.

Then add a little salsa and/or diced tomato. Let cook a few more minutes. Take off heat

Eat with tortillas and a little sour cream and more salsa.

Yum!! One of my favorite breakfasts!

Answer 3

Very easy way to prepare it;

Cube it (the firm tofu)
Put it in frying pan, add some water, fry it until the water is simmered down a bit, then add some nutritional yeast (you can find this in health food stores~usually in the bulk bins and you want to get the fine stuff, not the flakes)..
add a little salt to taste and VOILA..or if you dont like salt try soy sauce...
later on when you get more confident with it you can add onions and tomatoes to that mix, its yummy!!

You can prep tofu LOTS of ways..I usually fry it up and pour a sauce over it orrrrrr....you can eat it cold with some peanut sauce poured over it. Never eat it plain. It has no taste.
You can also BBQ it. (only the firm stuff)..
there are recipes for silken tofu where you can add it to pies or cakes, etc. those are okay.

Answer 4

VeggieTart's guide to avoiding mushy tofu syndrome

1) Buy the right kind of tofu. The kind in the aseptic box is silken tofu. This is for puddings, dressings, soups, smoothies. Pass it by unless you are actually making one or more of these items. Get the water-packed kind in the refrigerater case.

2) When you get home, cut open the package and drain out as much water as possible. Wrap in plastic and place in the freezer for at least 24 hours. You can store tofu for several months in the freezer.

3) The day before you cook it, take out of freezer and put in the fridge to defrost. You can leave it in the fridge for several days.

4) When ready to cook, GENTLY squeeze block of tofu to remove excess water. Line a plate or flat-bottomed colander with paper towels. Put tofu on top. Add more paper towels on top of tofu. Use a heavy object like a tetra pack of soupo or soy milk to press tofu. You can use cans, but put another plate on top of the tofu if you do so.

5) While tofu is pressing, roughly 30 minutes, do your prep work.

6) Cook--marinate, fry, grill, bake, etc.

7) EAT!!!

Answer 5

tofu
to·fu
(tf)
tofu definition
n.
A protein-rich food coagulated from an extract of soybeans and used in salads and various cooked foods.

Vegetarian Tofu Chili Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 14 oz package of firm or extra firm tofu, crumbled
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can whole or diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 28 oz can kidney beans, drained
3 tbsp sugar
PREPARATION:
In a large pot, saute the tofu in the vegetable oil over medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Add the onions, green pepper, garlic, mushrooms, chili powder, salt and pepper, cayenne and cumin. Cook until veggies are just barely tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, whole or diced tomatoes, beans and sugar. Bring to a slow simmer. Cover and allow to cook for at least 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Mousse
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound soft (silken) tofu
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup carob powder
6 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
PREPARATION:
Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until creamy.
Pour the mousse into parfait glasses or individual dessert bowls and chill.

Enjoy!

Answer 6

Ha ha ... funny.
It's like those people I meet who've never had an avocado or a mango before and ask what to do with them.

Tofu is just soymilk that has been curdled. That is, made solid, like cheese by adding either gypsum or nigari.

It's just solid bean water. Use it as you would a bean in your food. Drain the water, then throw it in some stir fry or something. Or fry it up on it's own with some oil, garlic, and soy sauce. Nothing stopping you from eating it plain, that's good too -- that's how most people eat it in Japan. Just as is with a little soy sauce.

Answer 7

Tofu is made from soybeans. It comes in a few consistencies, like soft, firm and hard. You can use it as a side dish or make it a main dish. You can slice it into steaks and fry those. You could bread it like chicken and deep fry it. You can cut it up into small cubes, fry those up and mix with fried rice. There's many things you can do with tofu. Happy cooking!

Answer 8

I am a life-long vegetarian and don't much like bland ol tofu. But sometimes I eat it.

I just fry slices of tofu in butter with salt and maybe some soysauce (or braggs liquid aminos) some shredded ginger, some honey (you know oriental style teriyaki ) Some nutritional yeast sprinkled on top gives it more of a robust and nutty flavor, and adds a ton of B vitamins.

You might want to try it fried in butter with some barbacue sauce and nutritional yeast. (I personally don't like barbacue taste)
You can eat it with your rice and soup. Or just a quicky healthy snack on its own

Better than tofu for me is milk curd steaks. (boil milk, add lemon to boiling milk, wait a while. then strain out the curd)
You can hang fresh curd in cheese cloth and when it becomes stiff you can chop it just like tofu. Only thing is CURD has much more taste.

Answer 9

Best thing to do first is go to a place that can make it for you so you can taste it properly prepared. I like braised tofu at a Chinese restaurant, or corn and tofu soup.

Answer 10

i'm a big tofu fan and have converted many tofu haters.

grill it, stir fry it, use it in soups, eat it cold like a pudding, or a savoury snack, steam it.

contact me if you want recipes.