tofu...help!

[iREALLYlovecheese]

So I was watching food network and giada made some sort of grilled tofu/avacado cream thing that actually looked del. I have NEVER tried tofu before and I am KNOWN as a picky eater. Waste of time or no? Anyone got any good recipes for that meatless junk?! LOL!

[GiGiofRVA]

I have begun experimenting with Tofu. I get a wonderful local one here called Twin Oaks (Richmond, VA). I made a veggie tofu loaf, then sliced it and when I served it, I sauted it in a tad of butter to brown the surface. I made a great mushroom/white wine/scallion sauce to put under it. Was good!
My next try is going to be sweet and sour. I'm not happy with the taste of my sauce yet, but it's useable.

[joonjoon]

I think the two best tofu dishes are Korean soft tofu soup and Chinese Mapo Tofu. Try either, you'll love it.

[tcamp]

ITA with this. Today is totally a spicy tofu soup kind of day outside.

However, I enjoy tofu in lots of different dishes. I make a really delicious "casserole" out of chicken thighs, tofu, artichokes, and mushrooms. I recently started buying the soft tofu in plastic tubes and been eating that for breakfast over odd mixtures of rice/veggies/kimchi/sometime eggs.

To OP: I concur with advice to find recipes that let tofu "shine" on its merits, not masquerading as meat.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

I find I vastly prefer tofu when it's cooked to its own merits, rather than used as an unsatisfactory meat substitute (the taste, texture, and how it cooks are nothing like any meat I've encountered).

There are multiple types of tofu. I'm not wildly thrilled with the pressed firm stuff in general, but I really like the silken tofu. It's good by itself as a side dish - drizzle with soy sauce and top with a bit of grated ginger. There's also a type of tofu that's frozen and then thawed, giving it a porous, slightly chewy texture. That version is really good in soups and hot-pots.

I use silken tofu in salads a lot. Layer it with fresh tomatoes, basil and cucumbers and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Combine with celery, onion, tomatoes, and whatever else you want, and top with spicy Thai dressing.

[raytamsgv]

Make sure you use pressed tofu if you want to grill it. Tofu comes in many different textures and consistencies. The pressed tofu is drier and denser than the other types. It will stay together when you grill it.

Tofu actually has a subtle flavor. But one of it's strength as an ingredient is that it readily absorbs other flavors. Give it a try--it's fairly inexpensive.

[MoGa]

It's easy enough to press any firm (non silken) tofu.
The simplest way is to just slit the package and rest it over the sink at an incline. An hour or so later the tofu will have firmed up considerably and be easier to grill, fry, etc...
There are lots of other techniques (like wrapping up with muslin and putting a weight on it) but I think it's best here to keep the perception of cooking with tofu as simple as it actually is.

[raytamsgv]

Here in the LA area, pressed tofu is readily available, so I've never had a need to use the methods you mentioned. I might give it a try sometime, though.

[LulusMom]

MoGa, thanks for the tip about firming up tofu by letting it dry - never heard that before. Will try it.

[PAO]

More than a billion people in the world eat various forms of tofu on a regular basis. It is NOT junk. I grew up with it and love it. The best thing to do with tofu is Asian style, whether it be Chinese, Japanese, SE Asian or Korean. For meatless, I love it cut into cubes, chilled, and served with grated fresh ginger, chopped green onions and soy sauce. Very refreshing on a hot day.

[ROCKLES]

Dont knock it til you try it...unless you get preseasoned tofu, it will pretty much taste like what you add to it. If you "really love" cheese, you should have no problem with tofu, especially the firm type as the texture is similar. Try getting the firm type and just fry it in a skillet, like you would use fry cheese and then dip in a sauce...maybe even just a Hoisin or plum sauce

[MoGa]

Particularly as you've never tried tofu before it seems rather insulting that you'd call it "that meatless junk" .

The way I use 'standard' tofu most is with this recipe:
http://justbento.com/handbook/recipe-collection-mains/tuna-tofu-miso-mini-burgers

Agedashi tofu prepared well is delicious and something I make sure to order in a decent Japanese restaurant. I don't make it myself as I can't get good enough tofu to justify the effort.

Here's another Just Bento recipe, however I've only had the chance to make it once. Will definitely be doing it again in the near future:
http://justbento.com/handbook/recipe-collection-mains/tofu-and-vegetable-piccata

I also like ganmodoku (AKA hiryouzu)
Recipe here: http://naokomoore.com/2010/10/hiryuzu...
(although justhungry has an alternative recipe for this also with easier to source ingredients
)The mountain yam (which also used in okonomiyaki) is what gives the balls such a light and fluffy texture.

[iREALLYlovecheese]

Some of these look pretty good. I'm gonna give it a try! :-) Also...wasn't trying to be insulting. Just a joke. Hopefully the tofu wont hold it against me. LOL!

[monavano]

Tofu is pretty tasteless to me, it's like chicken. It'll take on whatever flavor you give it.
I like to throw tofu into miso soup to boost the protein.
I know silken tofu is used a lot in desserts.
I'm trying to use it more and I'd like to try ma po tofu.

[magiesmom]

If you find chicken tasteless, you should try some that is not from a factory farm.