Most people know that tofu often turns up in stir-fried dishes at Chinese restaurants. But there is so much more that you can do with this staple of Asian cuisine. Here are five super fast ideas for introducing tofu into your diet.
Barbecued Tofu Recipe
Freezing tofu gives it a chewy and appealing texture. Keep a few packages in your freezer for when you want to use it in “meaty” types of dishes. Freeze the tofu right in its unopened container and then let it defrost in the refrigerator.
- 1 pound defrosted frozen tofu
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (soy or peanut)
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 3 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
Squeeze the tofu very well between paper towels to get all of the water out. The tofu will have a nice sponge-like texture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the tofu into 8 pieces and place in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Mix together the tamari and oil and pour over the tofu. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces over and bake for another 15 minutes. Pour the barbecue sauce over the tofu and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve on brown rice or tuck into crusty rolls for a barbecue sandwich.
Miso Soup Recipe
This classic of Japanese cuisine is usually consumed for breakfast. It is so easy to make for any meal or snack.
- 4 cups of water
- ½ cup sliced carrots
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- ¼ cup sweet white miso (or any miso you like) dissolved in 1 cup of water
- ½ pound soft tofu cut into small cubes
Bring the four cups of water to a boil and add the carrots and cabbage. Reduce to a simmer and cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they just begin to soften. Stir in the 1 cup of water with dissolved miso. Add the tofu chunks and simmer gently until the tofu is heated through.
Missing Egg Salad Recipe
A classic of vegan cooking! Give it a real egg-like flavor by seasoning with Indian Black Salt, also called Kala Namak. It smells and tastes like hardboiled egg yolks. Look for it in Indian grocery stores or buy it online.
- 1 pound regular tofu
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (choose Vegenaise brand if you can find it)
- ¼ tsp Kala Namak salt or to taste
- Mash the tofu coarsely. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Chewy Tofu Nuggets Recipe
This comes from the 25th anniversary edition of Tofu Cookery written by soyfoods pioneer Louise Hagler. Louise has been educating Americans about soy cuisine since the 1970s. She currently works with the non-profit organization Plenty, International, teaching people in Central America about soyfoods. She said this recipe, which uses defrosted frozen tofu, is a favorite in one of her classes in Mexico. Serve them as a snack or an appetizer with toothpicks.
- 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, which has been frozen and defrosted.
- 1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp almond or peanut butter
- 1/4 cup water
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Squeeze the water out of the defrosted tofu. Tear the tofu into nugget size pieces, about the size of walnuts.
In a food processor or blender, blend the garlic, soy sauce and almond or peanut butter.
Pour this mixture over the prepared tofu pieces and gently squeeze with the palm of your hand until it is evenly distributed, taking care to not break up the tofu pieces. Spread the pieces over an oiled baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until they start to brown. Flip the pieces over and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until browned. Serve hot or warm.
Recipe reprinted with permission from the publisher.
Tofu Smoothie Recipe
Use calcium-fortified orange juice in this recipe to give it an extra nutrition boost.
- 1 cup orange or orange-pineapple juice
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 16 ounces silken tofu, drained
- 1 cup vanilla soymilk
- 1 banana
- Sweetener to taste
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
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