on tofu

[curgoth]

Any recommendations for ways to cook firm tofu besides stir-frying it? I'm trying to expand my non-meat repetoire, and I've burned myself out on stirfries for a little while by eating nothing but this week.

Comments

[corwin77.livejournal.com]

An answer from me, are you surprised?
One of the best ways I've ever tasted tofu was in a chili, I don't have an actual recipe but it was yummy.
Also you could try Hufu. HUFU IS PEOPLE!!! PEOPLE (flavoured) TOFU!

[corbet.livejournal.com]

Fake veggie slices/bacon -- Slice it thin, marinade for a good long time, then bake it on low heat for an hour or so so that it dries out a bit. Use for sandwiches, crumble onto salads, eat straight, etc. It'll taste like your marinade, so you can have all sorts of experimentation fun.

Try my Hearty Miso

[pipesdreams.livejournal.com]

I like to make my own home miso soup, but add things to it. So you need to get a container of soy paste, then mix it with boiling water as per the instructions on the lid, then add diced firm tofu(!), some thinly sliced green onions, baby mushrooms of any kind (I recommend enoki), and some bok choi if you're me and you love bok choi. You can toss anything else you have lying around the house in there: dulse or other bits of seaweed are good for nutritional value, but not everyone has it in their cupboard.

Experiment! But really, the tub of soy paste is invaluable to have around, and will last for aeons. You can buy it in the "exotic food aisle" across from the meat section in the College Park Dominion if you're looking. They have dulse there too, as I recall.

Re: Try my Hearty Miso

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

*grin* I'm already a miso addict, and we've got a tub in the fridge. We also have a box of powdered japanese broth (the name of which I'm blanking on at the moment.)

Re: Try my Hearty Miso

[curgoth]

Dashi.

Re: Try my Hearty Miso

[crystal-diva.livejournal.com]

Do you happen to have a recipe for Miso Soup? Chase ADORES the stuff!

And where do you buy Miso, anyways?

Re: Try my Hearty Miso

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

Miso soup is the easiest thing in the world to make.

You can use either powdered dashi, or just plain water (although I like the flavour with dashi, better. Dashi is a japanese soup stock that is made with bonito, a type of fish.) Make a broth, and bring it to a simmer. Spoon in a spoonful or two (to taste) of miso paste, and stir to 'dissolve'. (It won't really dissolve, but you don't want it to be clumpy, either.) Add finely chopped green onions, small cubes of silken tofu, mushrooms, and whatever else you want, and serve hot.

You can get miso at some better-stocked grocery stores, or at health food stores, or at asian groceries. Ambrosia (next door to where I work) stocks a huge variety of miso pastes, and Galleria (the huge Korean grocery store down the street) stocks lots, as well.

Re: Try my Hearty Miso

[curgoth]

Loblaws also carries miso paste in the health food section. :)

dashi

[artistatlarge.livejournal.com]

Dashi itself is not hard to make from scratch, and gives one a most virtuous feeling somehow...

From memory: start with a pot of cold water, add a 4" square of kombu seaweed (available in any decent Asian grocery) and bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes. Remove.

Add a decent handful of boniti flakes, turn off the heat, and let them settle. Strain the broth, and, done! :-)

(reading these comments is giving me a big craving for miso soup... )

Re: dashi

[neeuqdrazil.livejournal.com]

You're right - it is quite easy to make dashi - I've done it a few times.

But when making miso soup for breakfast before work, it's easier to just use the powdered stuff. :)

Re: dashi

[artistatlarge.livejournal.com]

totally easier. :-)

And as I recall, made-from-scratch dashi sadly does not... um... keep very well.

[crystal-diva.livejournal.com]

I have a thai peanut sauce that I make and then just set the tofu in it for half an hour. I pour the works of it over noodles, and it's pretty darned good!

any kind of soup or casserole

[bellatrys.livejournal.com]

where you would use hamburger, crumble it up really fine and mix it in and cook. Or lasagna, lasagna is a popular "what to do with tofu" choice that doesn't involve frying.

Re: any kind of soup or casserole

[corbet.livejournal.com]

Oh, that reminds me! I had an awesome vegan pad thai in December -- tofu instead of chicken/egg. Tho I'm pretty sure it was goopy tofu, not firm tofu. Still, it's a thought. Mmmmm, pad thai.

Re: any kind of soup or casserole

[curgoth]

*forehead smack* I really should have thought of that - I've had numerous yummy pad thai meals with firm tofu.

[artistatlarge.livejournal.com]

A simple variation: slice your tofu into slabs around 1cm thick, and marinate for at least an hour (overnight works, too)- I make a marinade of a little oyster sauce, some soy sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice, maybe some sliced ginger- and gently fry a couple minutes each side.

Can actually be barbequed, carefully.

[the-doughboy.livejournal.com]

Step 1: Season Heavily with Beef in at least a 10:1 ratio of Beef to Tofu
Step 2: Cook Beef/Tofu combination as desired