What to do with tofu?

[Glorie]

I've been wanting to cut down the amount of meats in my family's meals without losing protein. Is tofu the only answer?

 

[Andy M.]

No.

Beans are a lso a good source of protein.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Heck no! But you also need to do some researching via cookbooks & online besides just asking this question here. There's no "easy way out" - lol!

Tofu is wonderful, & if you want to find great ways to use it outside of Asian cuisine, check out Eating Well magazine's website for wonderful grilled tofu sandwiches, salads, etc.

In addition, beans are also a wonderful source of protein, & become a complete protein when combined with other ingredients. Again - do a websearch.

I'd also advise visiting your local library or book store & looking into vegetarian cookbooks, where recipes that include complete proteins are the norm.

 

[deelady]

Well if you did what a tofu recipe that a meat eater might enjoy.....this might make a passing grade


Crispy Barbequed Tofu Slices - Allrecipes

 

[larry_stewart]

Im a vegetarian. the only time I eat tofu, is when it is prepared by the Chinese restaurant. I find they prepare it the best.

For additional non meat dinners, I rely on the Morningstar Farm Brand products. To me ( personally) they are the best. The are no substitute for meat, as most substitutes for meat dont taste like meat at all. But, they provide a nice starting point to make dishes as you would prepare a meat dish.

As far as tofu goes. Most people will tell you tofu has no taste and will absorb and taste like the sauce/ flavor it is cooked in. I can assure you that although it does absorb the flavor, tofu DOES have a taste, and if you dont like this taste, you will have to do a lot to mask it. And the texture of tofu could be a little funky for some. Personally i like he taste and texture, but many meat eaters who try it think it is disgusting and question how i eat it.

Morningstar Farm ( grillers) could be used as a burger
the griller crumblers used as chopped meat for tacos, sloppy joes, chili... but will NOT stick together to make a meat ball.
Ive used the sausages to make sausages, peppers and onions
The chicken cutlets to make chicken parmesan heros, or with a mushroom wine gravy
Ive even marinated the veggie burgers in wine and spices to give it a kind of london broil flavor. By no means is it a substitute, but a similarity.
As mentioned above, these products do NOT taste like the real thing, but can kind of be used in the same way. Just need an open mind. I could go on for ever, i dont want to bore u if this stuff isnt what you are looking for though

larry

 

[PieSusan]

I've been wanting to cut down the amount of meats in my family's meals without losing protein. Is tofu the only answer?

Not for me. I had a meal constructed of tofu (from appetizers to dessert) and I got quite ill and so did my parents. Tofu tends to go through you and I had quite the stomach-ache.

 

[TATTRAT]

This goes against what you are looing for but though I would share anyways....


on of the BEST apps I had living on Oahu was at a now closed place called Shanghai Bistro. Anywho, Firm tofu "finger", wrapped in bacon, deep fried and served with grated horseradish and a side of sweet that chili sauce. Best. Tofu. EVER!

 

[shannon in KS]

one of the chinese restaurants here dips triangles on tofu in tempura and fries and serves with steamed veggies and a sweet spicy peanut sauce!

I also agree with the suggestions of beans, and TVP, such as boca burgers, nuggets. you may have to visit your grocer's specialty section or a health food store, but vegetarian choices are becoming much more popular, even with people who still eat meat, but like you, would rather decrease their intake.

 

[larry_stewart]

This goes against what you are looing for but though I would share anyways....


on of the BEST apps I had living on Oahu was at a now closed place called Shanghai Bistro. Anywho, Firm tofu "finger", wrapped in bacon, deep fried and served with grated horseradish and a side of sweet that chili sauce. Best. Tofu. EVER!

Yeah, cause you killed the tofu flavor with the bacon
Maybe the only way to do it

 

[TATTRAT]

Yeah, cause you killed the tofu flavor with the bacon
Maybe the only way to do it

indeed, but the textures of crisp bacon, the warm soft tofu...the sharp H-radish, heck maybe it was the bacon, but I LOVED IT!

 

[larry_stewart]

one of the chinese restaurants here dips triangles on tofu in tempura and fries and serves with steamed veggies and a sweet spicy peanut sauce!

I also agree with the suggestions of beans, and TVP, such as boca burgers, nuggets. you may have to visit your grocer's specialty section or a health food store, but vegetarian choices are becoming much more popular, even with people who still eat meat, but like you, would rather decrease their intake.

I agree that today, even the local grocery stores have many options and usually a whole freezer section focussing on meat substitutes. 20 years ago, I had to go to specialty stores to get this stuff.

 

[PieSusan]

TVP affects me like tofu. Your mileage may vary. lol

 

[JoeV]

Tofu can never replace meat, regardless how much you lie to yourself. I find tofu makes good lubricant for the rollers on the garage door, and it makes terrible catfish bait without added flavor. Aside from that, it's pretty much a non-food IMO.

 

[vyapti]

I love tofu. It's great coated in cornstarch, pan fried in a little oil and smothered in sauce. I really like the texture when it's done right. There are other ways to prepare it, but the key is always proper preparation ... and that took me some trial and error.

One of my key sources of protein is beans and lentils, though. Whole grains, nuts and veggie like spinach or broccoli are other good sources. Just about everything you eat has some protein.

Most people eat far more protein than is required, with the excess being burned as energy. I'm a 170 lb male and I should get around 50g of protein per day. I do that, and well beyond, and I don't eat meat, dairy or eggs.

 

[vyapti]

Back to Tofu, Here are a couple of my favorite tofu recipes:

Indian Fried Tofu:



Almond Tofu Stir Fry:



Ginger Tofu:

 

[larry_stewart]

Those look great. Im sure the frying and intense flavors work with the tofu nicely. I think the above are perfect examples on how to make tofu taste acceptable to those who normally wouldnt eat it.

 

[Saraaaaa]

I personally loveee tofu! They are made from soybean. They are packed with protein, calcium, iron and they are low in calorie, fat and no cholesterol. I like to stir fry tofu with vegetables. Use firm tofu so they don't break easily (you don't have to fry it). Although tofu does not have much taste itself, but it acts like sponge and tends to soak up the flavor of sauces. I love to cook tofu with chili sauce and minced meat. Or cook tofu with hoisin sauce and vegetables.

~Saraaaaaa

 

[vyapti]

Another way is to cube it, mix it with some sort of marinade, I usually use a 2-3 tbs ea of soy sauce and sherry and a splash of sesame oil and bake it at 375, turning every 10-15 minutes until the mosture is baked off and the tofu cubes begin to firm. They make great croutons for salad. Use BBQ sauce instead of marinade and you'll get a gooey delicious mess.

Two notes:

1. There are two types of tofu 'regular', which is packed in water and silken, which is packed on a box. The silken is much different, intended for sauces and such. I also always use extra firm.
2. Always drain the tofu first. I press it between two saucers, put a can of beans on top and let it set for 15-20 minutes or at lunch when for use at dinner.

 

[Fearless Kitchen]

I've been wanting to cut down the amount of meats in my family's meals without losing protein. Is tofu the only answer?

There's a traditional Chinese dish called Ma Po To Fu which can be made either with a mix of (very little) ground pork and tofu or with tofu exclusively. It's very tasty (reminds me to make it myself sometime soon...)

I do use tofu sometimes, especially during Greek Lent when you're supposed to essentially go vegan for 40 days. There are a lot of interesting things that you can do with the stuff. Texture is important - I use extra-firm whenever possible, because I'm kind of picky about it. I make one appetizer that actually doesn't get cooked at all - basically a marinated tofu.

For me, the most important thing when using tofu is to not try to make it into something it's not (like meat.) There are other meat substitutes out there, like seitans and tempeh, but I don't personally care for them. They're trying to pretend to be meat, but they don't taste like the meats they're imitating, which inevitably leads to disappointment. When I'm doing vegetarian, I like a lot of Indian recipes, which aren't trying to disguise themselves as meat. Things like paneer taste good, have protein and cut down on meat.

 

[Glorie]

Back to Tofu, Here are a couple of my favorite tofu recipes:

Indian Fried Tofu:



Almond Tofu Stir Fry:



Ginger Tofu:

Thank you to all of you for your suggestions and comments! This was very helpful!