Need Help Cooking Tofu

David · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 32

I always like eating dishes with Tofu at restaurants, but I never can seem to do a very good job cooking it at home. Either the consistency isn't quite right, or it falls apart, or it lacks flavor.
Any tips on selecting a good brand of tofu?
How do prefer to cook it?

Jonathan · Joined: 09 Jun 2004 Posts: 104 Location: San Diego

Heya David, I'm no expert but, what I've found, is that the style of tofu is what makes the biggest difference. For stir frying I use extra-firm while for dressings and spreads I use silken.

peachexploration · Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 61 Location: Florida

I rarely cook with tofu myself but find it tasty in most soups. Dependant upon what you're cooking, it tends to absorb the flavors of what you're cooking it with so it goes well with strong flavors such as spinach, and garlic or in strong sauces and broths. It's also good substitute for cheeses(or mixed) with the same kind of texture. Here's a good recipe:

Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients:

12 manicotti shells
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 package Mori-Nu?Silken Lite Tofu - Extra Firm
1 package spinach, chopped fine
4 Tbsp. onion, chopped fine
1 26-oz. jar of pasta sauce
Instructions:

1. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions.
2. Place Mori-Nu?Silken Lite Tofu - Extra Firm in food processor and process well to creamy consistency, pour into large mixing bowl.
3. Add ricotta cheese, spinach (thawed and well drained), and onion.
4. Mix well. Place in pastry tube and fill manicotti shells.
5. Put small amount of sauce on bottom of baking dish, place stuffed manicotti shells on top.
6. Pour small amount of sauce over the tops of shells. Set extra sauce aside to be heated and served over the finished dish.
7. Cover baking dish and and place in 350?oven for 30-40 minutes.
8. Serve with additional sauce, garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

scorpionguy · Joined: 14 Jun 2004 Posts: 9

Hi David,

Although I no longer eat Tofu, it was my main staple for many years when I used to be a vegan. I'll share a few tips on brands and how to cook it.

1. Brands - You may want to go to a health food store to get the good, firm tofu. White wave is a good brand, but my favorite used to be...ack I can't remember! Avoid the brands like Mori-Nu which are usually as soft as jelly, and have less protein as well.

What you want to look for is tofu that comes in a brick, and the kind that is fortified with magnesium chloride. This will make the tofu very firm and also add a lot of calcium to it. This should be listed as "firm tofu"...and you may find it in bulk where you can just buy as many bricks as you need.

2. In regards to cooking, cut the tofu into small pieces, and about 1/4 to 1/2" thick. Use your favorite oil (toasted sesame is great) and sautee the tofu until it starts to look golden brown. Right before its done, add a dash of soy sauce until it starts to bubble and then the tofu will soak all of this up. You will need to experiment with the amount of soy sauce to get the right flavor/saltiness that works for you. At this point, you can toss in some veggies and turn down the heat to steam them...or do it seperate.

This was the main way I cooked my tofu...and I use a similiar method for cooking meat. The soy sauce (or tamari, shoyu, etc) trick is the most important part as most tofu is very bland...but this will give it a little kick in the pants. ;)

Best,

SG

salsachinita · Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:47 pm Post subject:

Basically, if you think of tofu in terms of potatoes, which can be done in any number of ways yet it's job was to absorb flavour of other ingredients, you'd be more or less on the right track.

I can't give you brands, as we have all different ones here.

As a twist to SG's suggestion, try coating your tofu slices as if you would to chicken schnitzel, than panfried it. Then dress it any way you like! I personally love Japanese Whole Egg Mayonnaise & a little Teriyaki sauce.

David · Joined: 07 Jun 2004 Posts: 32

At this restaurant I visited, Mama Fu's, their tofu was a little tough on the outside and soft on the inside. I almost got the impression it had been deep fried. At the same time, it had a wonderful flavor.

Thanks for the advice ScorpionGuy and Salsachinita.

squirrel · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 96 Location: Bucharest, Romania

sounds delicious... :)

cocodrilo · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 Location: Kurashiki, Japan

Gee, living in land of tofu, I have never heard of anyone attempting to make it themselves as it is a time-consuming process and requires a great deal of fresh water for preparation & cooling. Also, to cook all those soybeans and strain them through cheesecloth a zillion times? We have 3 varieties here- yakidofu, which has been grilled and is the firmest type, most often used for sukiyaki, then there's momen whcih has been through rough cheesecloth, and the finest and smoothest "kinu"(best for eating plain, with soysauce and grate ginger). There is also "goma-dofu" made from sesame seeds, whcih has a rich and creamy texture, and tofu made form peanuts as well. Both excellent!