Cooking with Tofu

"I really don't do anything special. I have found that no matter what I do to the tofu before I bake it, the flavor of the inside of the tofu itself really doesn't change.

So I usually bake my tofu ‘as is’. I drain the tofu as best as I can. I like using Whole Foods brand reduced fat tofu in the tubs.

To drain, I cut three sides of the top wrapper around the edges, drain the water, and then squeeze as much moisture out of it as I can by pressing my hand on the top wrapper that's still attached to the tub and draining over the sink.

Once drained, I cut the tofu into one-inch squares and place them on a non-stick cookie sheet (or sheet sprayed with Pam) in the oven.

Baked tofu takes quite a while. I usually bake mine at about 350 for at least an hour. You can also "bake" tofu in the microwave - usually takes about 6-7 minutes on high. Cooking times vary on how "chewy" you want your tofu to be, so you may want to watch it if this is your first attempt.

 After the tofu is cooked, then I add whatever: 8easonings/sauces to flavor it. Some of my favorites are Bragg's liquid aminos (found next to the soy sauce at Whole Foods), also I like to add baked tofu to spaghetti sauce and have this over whole wheat pasta. Really any sauce you can think of for meat (that's abstinent of course) could be used with baked tofu - it's pretty versatile. I believe Whole Foods also has a selection of books about working with tofu. My tastes sometimes are pretty simple, so this may give you more ideas."

“I find tofu is excellent as a protein source in soups.  It takes on the flavor of the soup you make.  I like to use small cubes (less than 1 inch) of tofu.”

“I grill my tofu on a small indoor grill.  I spray the surfaces with Pam and slice the tofu into rectangles about 2”x3” no more than ½” thick.  I season the top and bottom according to my taste preference at the time. 

If I’m in a sweet mood I use a sprinkling artificial sweetener and cinnamon or artificial sweetener and Chinese Five Spices (available in Health Food Stores and many groceries).  I even use this for my protein at breakfast.  Don’t forget to weigh tofu before you cook it!

 If I don’t want the sweetness I’ll use a spice mix like Mrs Dash with a light handed drizzle of light soy sauce (has less salt).  There are wonderful abstinent spice mixtures like the ‘Spice Trader’ line to fight boring flavors.”

“My husband makes a morning tofu shake.  He takes 8 oz of tofu out of the tub, plops it in the blender and adds two packets of artificial sweetener, 1 c of applesauce or 1 c of berries or a banana, blends it up and presto, there’s breakfast!”

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004