How to Make Tofu

Hi Tina:
Tofu is really simple to cook with because you don't need to worry about deboning it, making sure it's cooked long enough, etc. If you do any stir-fry recipes with meat and vegetables, you can just substitute cubes of firm tofu (cut about the same size as the meat) for half the meat. I usually add the tofu at the end of the cooking time since it'll crumble if I stir it around too much. If you steam fish, you can just put sliced tofu under the fish when you steam it, or add it to the cooked fish afterwards, it absorbs the flavor of the sauce nicely (one super-easy way I prep tofu and fish that my kids love is put tilapia filets in a microwave-safe dish, combine about 1/4 cup broth with about 1 tbsp. soy sauce and 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. corn starch, 1 tbsp. grated ginger root and add to dish, microwave for about 4-5 minutes (check for doneness and then if needed microwave for another minute or so until done), add the tofu for the last minute or so of cooking, top with minced green onions if desired,

And a simple non-Asian way to use tofu is to crumble about a half pound of it per pound of ground meat in meatballs, meat loaf, etc.

You can also check your local library for Chinese and Japanese cookbooks. And tofu manufacturers often have recipes on their web sites - haven't tried any yet b/c I usually just improvise, but here's a few links:
http://www.azumaya.com/azumaya/
http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/recipes.aspx

Happy cooking!

Hi Tina

We're a vegetarian family and eat (and enjoy!) lots of tofu. As others have mentioned, the key is to get the moisture out of the tofu. I prefer to cook the moisture out by frying the tofu in cubes until the water boils off--about 5 minutes. Then the tofu is nicely browned and will hold together better when you mix it with other things. It will also absorb the flavor of the rest of your food once the water is gone. We use it in stir fry most often, but we also love to broil it (yet another way to get rid of the water) with your favorite glaze/sauce. My all-time favorite recipe is Mark Bittman's Mexican Chocolate Tofu pudding http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/05/15/dining/11948401.... I swear it's better than any dairy-based pudding I've ever had.

Good luck experimenting. Once you get good at cooking tofu, you can move on to other fun meat substitutes like tempeh!

the previous poster had a lot of good tips.

another way to use tofu is to put it in soups. asian style soups are very different from soups from the US or europe. they are usually just stock from chicken, pork bone, or beef bone, fat skimmmed off often during simmering. then you can cube any kind of tofu (firm, silken, etc.) and add it in the last 5 minutes or so. flavor with soy sauce or salt. you can add cubes of daikon radish for the last 20 min or so if you want a little bit more flavor.

this is definitely something for warmer weather. for chicken, i usually use carrots or napa cabbage. for pork (neck bones or ribs), i usually use daikon radish.

silken tofu is really hard to stir fry with or to use as a meat substitute. it's best for soups.

i dunno if this sounds too adventuresome for you...asian soups are very clear, pure, and have simple flavors, but they are amazingly soothing when you are cold or sick. :o)

Hi Tina,

The most important thing to remember when cooking tofu is that you have to drain out/squeeze out the excess water. Otherwise, you'll get a soggy consistency and strong flavor. Just wrap the block of tofu in paper towels and squeeze (if you're going to do a scramble and breaking up the tofu isn't an issue) or put it in a colander in the sink and place a pot full of water on it (if you want to do cubes). After that, it's all a matter of finding a good sauce for your meal. Tofu will absorb the flavor of whatever it's cooked in.

tina...
you truley could not have paid me to eat tofu fifteen years ago, but my then friend/lover/bandmate and now husband used to enjoy cooking me breakfast in bed whenever i woke in his. he is truly gifted when it comes to food, and i always looked forward to whatever it was he'd place before me. knowing my likes and dislikes and never straying from my somewhat strict guidelines, he would cook and i would eat. tofu had never come up and so he served it one morning. the best, and i mean best to this day, scramble i have ever eaten was his tofu scramble. unfortunately it has been months since i've had the luxury of his delectible tofu scramble even placed on the table, let alone served in bed, but much has changed in fifteen years. the recipe has not...firm tofu, fresh minced garlic, ham, green and red bell pepper, tomato, cheddar cheese, purple onion, slightest bit of paprika, black pepper and salt to taste, served with toast. the trick, sautee garlic, peppers and onions til soft, toss in ham til lightly brown, hit with paprika, add 1/2 inch cubed tofu and tomatos til they reach temp of everything else and some of the moisture has cooked off, douse with cheese, cover let it melt hit with s&p and yum yum yummy!! of course you can add and subtract the ingredients as you see fit, but beleive me what a wonderful way to start the morning.

I love tofu baked. In the container: drain the water. Cut 3 or 4 strips all the way through tofu. Marinate w/ low sodium soy sauce, poured right into container and fresh water. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes. Chop garlic and/or ginger and put in pyrex.pour tofu and marinade into pyrex. cut tofu into smaller pieces. I usually put a little more soy sauce over tofu. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes turning pieces once. I serve over rice w/ steamed veggies.