tofu too eww!!!?

Question

so i just recently became a vegan and i love all the foods...except tofu it was just mushy and flavorless maybe it was the way i cooked it? any suggestions?

Answer 1

I am the queen of tofu.

To make it not mushy.....
cut to desired widths..place in a ziploc or other plactic airtight container and freeze.

To make it more flavourful and not mushy..
cut to desired widths then add about a cup of water and all desired spices..then place in bag or container and freeze.

You thaw it out by either placing in in the refrigerator or place the bag or container in a pan of water..then turn the heat to medium...(if you have a gas stove medium low) then once the water starts boiling cook for about 15 minutes or so. Be sure and turn the tofu so all sides can properly thaw out.

Great recipe.
Tofu nuggets...(will taste remarkably like chicken)

Cut firm tofu in small squares.
Place in bag with a cup of water...add to the bag
Five splashes of soy sauce
Two tablespoons of Italian Seasoning
One teaspoon of onion salt/or a half a teaspoon of onion powder
One Eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder..a little more if you like garlic
One Eighth of a teapoon of regular black pepper
One half of a teaspoon of salt...if you are watching you salt or don't like salt use less/half...as the soy sauce gives a lot of saltiness to the tofu

Then seal the bag and freeze for at least 24 hours.
Thaw in frige or in water on the stove
Then drain water and seasonings from tofu
Either fry in oil until golden brown about 3 minutes on each side
Or bake in oven on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or untill tofu turns golden brown...they are done when they are golden brown...be sure and turn half way through to cook both sides thoughly.
You can also dip in egg or water before you fry them in oil. Less healthy but...really good.
Then end result tastes like chicken nuggets...but not the exact same...just close enough. Some of those fake meats they sell taste just like the real thing and therefore become nasty...this is just close enough.

Answer 2

I'm fairly new to cooking with tofu and it's been quite an experience. Most of my life I avoided the stuff, mostly because of the name - there you go, can't judge a book by it's cover! I have found that it's all about flavoring and getting the right tofu for what you are making. At first I thought it would be better for using in my arts and crafts than for food, but now I love it! When you have a recipe be sure to follow it exactly (by using the correct tofu). Just go to different sites for recipes and you should be ok.

allrecipes.com
goveg.com
marthastewart.com
recipezaar.com

Answer 3

You probably made the common mistake people make when they prepare their first dish with tofu. You need to drain the water out of the tofu first, wrap it in a towel and lightly squeeze the water out. You can then place a heavy book on top of the towel to drain any remaining water. If it was mushy it means you did not drain the water all the way, or you didn't use firm/extra firm tofu.

Tofu has no flavor. It will take on and absorb the flavors in the dish you are cooking. You may not have used enough spices. It took me a few tries with tofu to finally get it correct, but it is worth it.

Answer 4

I agree... Tofu sometimes can be kinda boring... but it is essential to eat especially if you're a vegan... i have been vegetarian all my life and learned that the best way to eat tofu is obviously never plain but to mix it up... i believe Japanese cuisine has some great recipes like my personal fav. Agedashi tofu... look at this site... http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tofu/r/agedashidofu.htm it has a good Agedashi recipe and you can also customize it to your own liking... I don't know how strict of a vegan you are because some of my vegan friends have to continue drinking milk... depeneding on your limitations you can still adjust the flavors... tofu = very versatile

Answer 5

An easy recipe, if you like tomatoes, is to get firm tofu and a can of diced or stewed tomatoes. Drain the water and cut the tofu in strips or cubes, then add the can of tomatoes. The sauce will flavor the dish easily. After it has been simmering on high for a bit, then add a tablespoon of corn starch and mix it well in the dish to thicken the sauce. That's it. Some Italian seasoning doesn't hurt either.

Answer 6

If you drain/press enough water out of it, it will help both the mushiness and the flavor (tofu will absorb the flavors you cook it with and, like a sponge, it can absorb more the drier it is.) Next time, try pressing it between layers of paper towel; stack a couple heavy books on it and let them press the moisture out for half an hour to an hour.

Answer 7

Check out my profile for tips on freezing and pressing tofu.
Some people slice their tofu before freezing and pressing. I just drain the water out of the package and freeze the block. I don't cut it up until I cook it.

The comment I use about hating tofu is like hating cake flour is from cookbook author extraordinaire Sarah Kramer. Check out "How it All Vegan!," "Garden of Vegan," and "La Dolce Vegan!"

Answer 8

The best thing about tofu is that it absorbs the flovor of whatever it is cooked with.For instance making some stir fried veggies and mixing in some tofu chunks with some seasonings or some stirfry sauce is great.
My 3 yr old daughter loves chunks of tofu in her Miso soup which is a japanese soup with pieces of seaweed and tofu in a broth.She also loves chunks of tofu with terriyaki sauce on top of it...

M.G

Answer 9

I use a variety of spices to flavor my tofu. For example, when I want an Indian dish, I use garham marsala, you can get from an Indian grocery store, to spice up my tofu. Use garlic, onions, ginger, etc. Hope that helps.

Answer 10

I agree.

Its not the least beat colorful or flavorful.

which with food sources is usually a good indication of nutritional content.

Tempeh is a bit nicer, its fermented which destroys the estrogen analgoues. its much better for you and tastes better too.

even then its not that nice, you need to like cook it with onions and soy sauce to get it to take on some flavour, and then i find ive got to put it in something to be able to eat it all, like curry or spaghetti.

plenty of other vegan foods out there that are much easier, tastier and more nutritious.

Good Luck : )