When someone first learns that you are a vegetarian, or even if you’re just into veg cooking, its only a short time before you’re asked the question: “So, I bet you eat a lot of tofu, huh?” This is meant innocently enough by some, even earnestly by those who are curious about tofu but have never tried cooking with it. A lot of people use it to convey their disdain of your dietary choices, so you should translate this question as “Shut up Hippie.” But, rather than retorting with the million reasons why there is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, I find it’s more productive to simply reply, “Yeah, I do. It’s great now that I’ve finally learned how to cook with it.
That’s most people’s problem with tofu. They didn’t grow up with it, their moms never cooked with it, and they have no idea what to do with that very uninspiring white block if they ever decide to try it.
So why bother cooking tofu? There is, in fact, no law requiring vegetarians to eat it, so why is it so popular? The reasons are various, but I’ll review my top few.
(1) It’s cheap, really, really cheap. I’m talking $0.79/pound. When is the last time you bought anything you could make a substantial main course out of for that little money? Even if you go with the high end brands, (which, in my experience, taste no better than the cheap varieties), you are still only looking at $2.00/pound.
(2) It’s versatile. It goes in everything from stir-fries, casseroles, lasagna, sandwiches, salads, etc.
(3) It’s a nutritional powerhouse. For one serving (about 1/5 of a pound), you get 9g protein, for only about 5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 80 calories, and 2g carbs. You also get some calcium, iron, and B vitamins.
So, how in the world do you transform tofu into something yummy? First you need to know what kind to buy, then know how to prepare it.
Firm Tofu - When you first start using tofu, this is what you want. Brands will often be labeled firm, extra firm, or hard. This is the type that is best for stir-frying or baking. You will normally find it near the produce section in small white tubs with plastic wrap on top.
Soft Tofu - This may be found in the produce section too. This is most often used in smoothies, dips, or in places where you might use sour cream or even cream cheese.
Silken Tofu - This is often found in the natural/healthy cooking sections of grocery stores. It does not need to be refrigerated. It is often used in smoothies and puddings.
There are numerous other forms of tofu, especially pre-processed products, including tofu deli-sandwich slices, tofu ground crumbles, tofu burgers, or tofu sausage links. As with most things, they vary from brand to brand, but they are all worth trying.
Tofu Cooking Methods:
Step 1: Pressing
When you buy firm tofu, it will come packed in water. The first step is to drain the water and then press the extra water out. Tofu, as it is so often is said, is like a sponge. It has virtually no flavor of its own, but it easily soaks up other flavors. In order to do this though, you have to get rid of as much water to increase its “soaking potential.”
To do this, place the tofu on one of its long sides. Cut down the long side, then cut each of those two pieces down the long sides. You will have four thin rectangles. Lay down some paper towels or a clean dish towel. Place the pieces on top of the towel. Then top with another dish towel or more paper towels. Place something on top of the top dish towel to weigh the tofu down, such as a cutting board. You add something heavy on top of this to add extra weight so that more water will be released. I usually set a large stock pot on top of the cutting board. Leave the tofu to drain for 10-30 minutes. I will normally wring out the dish towels once during this process to allow them to soak up more water.
Step 2: Marinading
Tofu tastes like nothing. Although you can eat it as is, as tofu can safely be eaten without cooking, I wouldn’t recommend it. This is actually a great advantage as you can use any marinade imaginable depending on the dish you are making. First put the tofu in a shallow dish, preferably plastic or glass. Pour about 1/4-1/2 marinade over the tofu. Cover and put in the fridge. Marinade for 30 minutes-24 hours. I usually make a few batches at once, and just freeze the extra. Before putting it in the freezer, allow the tofu to marinade for a few hours first, place in some plastic-ware, and store in the freezer. It takes about 24 hours for tofu to fully dethaw in the fridge.
Step 3: Cooking
I use two primary methods of cooking tofu. Both are easy and produce reliable results.
Baking:
Baking produces a nice, chewy product that is great in all types of dishes, and it’s simple.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray. Place the tofu pieces on the cooking tray. Cook for 1 hour until golden brown in color, turning once halfway through. Oven temperatures vary and may need to be adjusted slightly. Depending on what you are making, you may want to go ahead and cut the tofu into bite size 1/2 inch or 1 inch squares before baking. Baked tofu can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Stir-frying:
Stir-frying produces a nice crispy crust on the outside. Heat a skillet to medium-high. Add 1-3 tbsp of cooking oil (olive, canola, sesame oil) to the skillet. Cut the tofu into bite sized pieces. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu. Let cook 3-4 minutes per side before turing. A golden crust should form on each side.
Sometimes, you run into the problem of tofu sticking to the skillet when stir-frying, which produces a very unappetizing mess. Here are three tips that I found help prevent that problem. (1) Cold tofu out of the fridge fries better than if it has been sitting at room temperature for a while. (2) The type of skillet is key. Non-stick skillets have only produced tofu cooking disasters for me. Stainless steel and cast iron are much more reliable, especially the later. (3) Don’t be afraid to use oil. Coating the skillet in cooking spray alone normally doesn’t cut it. You don’t need a ton of oil, but don’t be afraid to use a couple of teaspoons. Store extras in the fridge for 2-3 days.
This may seem like a lot of work, but you can produce some really tasty results. Patience is required, as it is with any food you’ve never tried cooking before. Once you start cooking, you’ll often find that preparing a couple of pounds at a time will allow you to use it in various dishes throughout the week and always have a snack handy.
The Daily: 1.30.09
Tragedy - 1
