Tofu Ideas?!

[karsten]

Hi everyone, 

I need some ideas on how to make tofu different. I don't eat meat solely because of reactions I've had, so I'd like to introduce this type of protein into my diet.  I've tried googling tofu recipes but most come up as fried tofu in a salad, and I'd like something more adventurous!!!

I'm open to any and all suggestions!

Thanks!!!

[alisemcc2104]

Tofu is great for stir fries.  Tofu by itself can be a bit bland, so at berakfast time try cutting up the block of tofu into slices and marinate it in your choice of mixture (you can get pre bought sauces etc but I prefer to make my own with  soy sauce, a little balsamic vinegar, garlic granules, black pepper, ground ginger, coriander leaves, chilli flakes and perhaps some sesame oil).  Shake it later in the day and stir fry with veggies (kale and carrot strips are good, and red peppers to make a rainbow stir fry).

Vegan receipes often suggest scrambled tofu for breakfast.  If that is what you're after try chopping up the tofu into pieces (firm tofu works best).  Add to fried chopped onions (fried in Frylight/ 1 cal spray, or olive oil), also with a little turmeric (not too much or it is too bitter, around a tsp or 2 tsp should be enough).  Add herbs such as basil and season to taste, great with toasted rye bread and grilled cherry tomatoes.

Another option is to buy marinated tofu or smoked tofu and combine it with cream cheese (or dairy free cream cheese if you are going for vegan option), add cracked black pepper and blend (or mash with fork), this makes a pate a bit like mackeral pate.  Good as a dip, with veggies or on crackers/ oatcakes, or as a sandwich filling.

Microwaved marinated tofu is a great healthy fish and chips substitute for some reason!  

[7LadyBugz]

Hi, I am new to these forums so I hope I am doing this the right way! 🙂

I use Tofu to make a dairy-free fruit yogurt.

Just add a package of your favorite frozen fruits (thawed) into a bowl with your drained soft tofu and blend until smooth. I add a few drops of Vanilla and a bit of honey for sweetness and it tastes just like yogurt but without the dairy.

[karsten]

Do you have tried using it instead of eggs? Such as scrambling them, adding unsweetened almond milk and adding in veggies? I find a similar taste with eggs and tofu so I kind of want to try it? 

Does that sound gross?

[Caity]

I love to make crispy tofu, you tossed cubed tofu in nutritional yeast and flour until coated and then cook in just a touch of oil. It’s not as fried as many of the recipes I’ve seen for tofu while still giving it a bit of texture. And it’s really versatile depending on what spices you add to the basic nutritional yeast and flour blend. For example I make it more Asian style adding lemon pepper, garlic powder, black pepper and onion powder. Then as it cooks I add some siracha and braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce), this is delicious served over rice or with some vegetable chow mein noodles. I also make it fajita style adding red pepper, cumin, and oregano (or just regular taco seasoning) and cooking up some bell peppers and onions to go with it. I also eat this over rice, in a burrito or just on its own depending on how hungry I am.

[TracyMae]

I used a bread pudding recipe and replaced the bread with unleavened bread and replaced the eggs with tofu.  It turned out pretty good.

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey there, RealSimple has plenty of Tofu recipes to try, check this link 

[VivisFitbit]

I like to use Tofu in my salads, I pour a bit of soy sauce, salt and pepper flakes. Fry it on olive oil, chop it in cubes of 1cm and voila! instead of using chicken you have fried Tofu. 

[megsooc]

You mentioned that you were looking to use more tofu because you had negative reactions to meat.  I would suggest looking into other meat substitutes as well.  I like LightLife brand for italian sausage, pepperoni, chicken nuggets, etc, but there are also recipes to make these things yourself.  Vital Wheat Gluten is used to make Seitan, a good substitute for darker meats, and I've been able to find it in the health food aisle of my local Shoprite.

In my experience with tofu, the trick is to make sure you drain it really well.  I usually, set up a block with some papertowels under a couple of heavy books for a half hour, then cut it in half, turn the pieces and repeat the draining for another half hour.

[dillpicklehil]

I have a few favorite ways to do tofu. All of them start with frying it in canola oil, simply cut in cubes and dredged in potato starch. Then I cover it in a sauce! I love to make homemade orange sauce or use jarred tikka masala sauce. It's absolutely delicious and pairs well with a variety of veggies and rice! My other favorite is to fry it and pretend that I'm eating popcorn chicken and make oven-baked fries to go with it.

[marciamuse]

I use Bragg Liquid Aminos as well.  Unfortunately, the protein and carbohydrate information on the bottle is in mg rather than in grams.  The entry throws off my nutrition information.  Do you just not log it to use as a zero calorie free food?

[Miss700]

I have made chocolate pie with tofu. Mix in food processor 1 pkg. silken tofu with 1 bag melted chocolate chips pour into pie crust. Delicious and full of protein.