I hate Tofu?

Question

I love cooking and experimenting with food but no matter how I cook it tofu still is nasty
Anybody have any tips?

Well i tried making "chicken" nuggets my sister loved them but they tasted kind of chalky to me. I put them in a cassarole w/ alot of veggies it was okay
My problem is that it never changes color i cant make it brown no matter how long i cook it, it remains a white chunk

Answer 1

I bet you actually don't know how to cook it. because tofu is delicious when prepared correctly. you do know that it tastes just like whatever you marinate it in, right?

http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/tofu/
http://vegweb.com/index.php?board=557.0
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marinated-Tofu/Detail.aspx

Answer 2

Yeah, I've tried many, many tofu recipes, and only like three of them.

The easiest and what I do when I'm in a rush: Drain and slice firm (or extra firm) tofu into cubes (if you don't like the taste of tofu that much you can always just cut it into smaller cubes so there's more sauce). Mix three tablespoons water, three tablespoons soy sauce, three tablespoons cornstarch, a bit of baking soda (or powder...doesn't really make a difference), and possibly some sesame oil if you have some. Soak the tofu in that a while. Then, heat a frying pan with some vegetable oil on it. Once it gets hot, throw the tofu mixture onto it. It'll brown and taste uber good. Sometimes there's too much sauce though.

Go to vegetariantimes.com
There, you'll find my other favorite tofu recipes--Sloppy joes and tofu pot pie. The tofu pot pie is the best. So, if you can't find that recipe, feel free to email me for it. You can always put tofu in a smoothie too--2 bananas, 1/2 c soymilk, 1/2 c silken tofu, 1/3 c peanut butter...or something like that. I'm not sure about the measurements.

Some people just detest tofu no matter how they prepare it though. If you're one of those people, try seitan. I'm in love with seitan now. And it's really easy to prepare. You can do as little as simmer it in barbeque sauce to make it taste amazing. Then just put it on a burger bun. So, definitely look into seitan.

Answer 3

Try using a different type of tofu in a different way. If you don't like cooking tofu try making chocolate tofu pudding with silken tofu or tofu smoothie! There are plenty of great not-tofu protein sources other than meat.

Answer 4

IT is true, tofu can be an aquired taste. But it also comes in many forms. IT is not always that super smooth, silky white brick. It also comes fried, baked and other such things. Tofu is not your only non meat option. Vegetarians now days have many possibilies from non meat cold cuts, veggie burgers, veggie hot dogs, veggie wings, chicken.. etc. some are found in the health food isle or the freezer section. I cant really tell you if it tastes llike the real thing or not, but it does provide some variety and flavor for the vegetarian lifestyle. AND most of it is NOT soy based. So, if you dont like tofu.. dont worry. all is not lost.

Answer 5

You might wish to go and try different tofu dishes at a Chinese restaurant. Then you can learn a little more about what they are doing and what kind of dishes you like. You might try to buy baked or fried tofu and cook that since it should be easier to work with. A nearby place I eat at uses fried tofu in their dishes. Just using soy sauce in those kinds of tofu seems to work pretty well.

Answer 6

If you are looking to fry the tofu, and want a crisp texture, you will need to make sure that the majority of the moisture is removed first.

Here is an easy method:

Preheat a non-stick or cast iron frying pan to medium.

Take a block of firm or extra firm tofu and place it on a cutting board. Turn the block on its side so that the narrow side is facing up. Slice the tofu down the center so that you have two skinnier blocks. Stack the blocks and cut down the center both ways so that you have eight equal squares. Cut on the diagonal both ways so that you have triangles.

Place the sliced tofu in the preheated pan. Allow enough space between the pieces...in other words, don't crowd the pan. You may have to do this in more than one batch depending on the size of your pan. The tofu should take 5-7 minutes per side or until the moisture has evaporated. (Set the cooked tofu aside on paper towel lined platter while you complete the rest of the batches.)

Once the tofu has been pan dried, marinate in your favorite sauce (bottled or homemade is fine) for at least an hour or over night.

When you are ready to use marinated tofu, take the pieces out of the sauce and pat dry or fry in a dry pan on medium heat again just as before; making sure the pan is not crowded. After pan drying the marinated tofu on both sides, put the tofu on a plate. Add 1-2 Tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan and turn the heat up to med-high. When a drop of water makes the oil sizzle, add your first batch of dry marinated tofu to the pan. Fry on both sides for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Continue until all the tofu has been fried on both sides.

If you want crispy tofu, dredge in fine cornmeal or mesa. Allow excess to shake off. Then fry on both sides as usual.

Hope that helps.

Answer 7

I can safely and happily say, ive never even tasted tofu. And i dont want to. I dont eat alot of fake meat either. Once a week is okay with me though. Natural,whole foods are a whole lot more nutricious. The less its been worked on, the better it is for you. Why not make your own 'fake' meat. Theres plenty of recipes online. By just using beans.

Answer 8

You can crumble up firm tofu and put it into your past sauce, you can't taste it, or even notice it. My husband thought it was cheese.Try making vegetarian lasagna, I can not taste the tofu in that either. If you make smoothies you can add soem silken tofu to them, again I can't taste the tofu.
If you like sweet and sour sauce you could try this (1 of my favs)
2tbsp vege oil (I use olive oil)
1 small onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 lb firm tofu cut into small bite size or smaller pieces, you can sprinkle with salt and pepper
16 oz jar of store bought or home made sweet and sour sauce

HIgh heat nonstick wok or frying pan, heat oil. Add onions and peppers and stir fry about 2-3 minutes. Add tofu and continue to stir fry 1 minute. Fold in sweet and sour sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook until heated through. Serve over rice.

Answer 9

Its funny, because I am a new vegetarian and hate tofu (when cooked on my own). I love chinese food, and they have bean curd dishes (tofu)...that are great. I think you need to learn how to Tofu. There are different types as well as different seasonings to use check out a vegetarian site like pangeaveg.com or another site. Good Luck!

Answer 10

Before I learnt what flavours I liked tofu being marinated in I too disliked it. But now after experimenting with it, I actually look forward to cooking some up for a meal.

Answer 11

ok so i had this same exact problem! my advice is go off the tofu for about 6 months to a year. get a good cookbook for indian curries, and mediteranean and north african food. master the sauces and seasonings for those foods, and then come back to tofu!

Also, tofu tastes really good as a substitute in tuna or chicken helper, and in zatarains jambalaya and etoufee.