TOFU

I've always been super-picky about tofu in restaurants.  It is usually too slippery, slimy or mushy.  I never would have dreamed of ever making it at home until I found the following article.  It comes out perfectly every time!  The trick is to cook the tofu in a non-stick pan without oil and then marinate it. (Dori doesn't like to use Teflon/non-stick pans because the coating could be absorbed by the food-see below.  I've never looked into this and don't plan to because I love non-stick pans!)You can apply this method to any stir fry recipe you find. Most will say to marinate the tofu and then cook it in oil but ignore that unless you want mushy, oily tofu.

How to Cook Tofu Like the Pros: Dry-fry and Marinate Method

for Stir-Fries and Other Dishes

Needed:

·         One 16 ounce brick of extra-firm tofu

·         Cutting board and knife

·         Cloth Napkin or dish towel

·         Teflon pan OR a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan *

·         Spatula

·         Prepared marinade in a bowl (see recipes at end for suggestions)

* A note on the pan: If you use a normal cooking pan like stainless steel or other varieties that don't have a non-stick coating, you will most likely have a lot of trouble with the tofu sticking to the pan, since no oil is used.  Teflon isn't supposed to be dangerous at low to medium heat, but to be safe I've switched to using a very well-seasoned cast-iron pan.  As long as I'm careful to watch it, I don't have trouble with sticking.

Preparation:

(First, prepare your marinade. See recipes at the bottom of the page.)

Tofu comes packed in water. Drain the tofu and cut it so that your pieces are a half an inch thick. For most recipes, you will want to then cut it into triangles, but some recipes call for strips.

Put the tofu pieces between two absorbent cloth napkins or woven dish towels (NOT terry cloth) and gently press, enough to get a lot of water out but not hard enough to squish it.

Dry-frying:

Use a Teflon or well-seasoned cast-iron pan at medium heat on an electric range, low to medium-low on a gas range. Slow cooking is the key to keeping the tofu from sticking to the Teflon and insures that the water has time to evaporate out before the outside is browned. Do NOT use oil. You want to leech all of the moisture out of your tofu, so do not use oil--leave the pan dry.

Place your tofu in the pan leaving room around pieces. You may need to fry a few batches to give it enough room. As the tofu cooks, use a spatula to frequently press down on each piece. You will see the water seeping out and sizzling in the pan. Once the bottom sides are very firm and golden in color, flip the tofu pieces and fry the other side, again frequently pressing each piece with a spatula. When they are golden and firm on both sides, they are done.

Marinade:

The dry-frying method has left your tofu dry and firm, ready to suck up the flavors of a marinade like a sponge. Place the tofu pieces in the marinade and stir well, making sure the tofu is submerged. Marinate for at least a half an hour and then use this delicious firm and flavorful tofu in a stir-fry.

STORAGE:

If you have a half a block of uncooked tofu that you did not use, simply put it in a sealed container completely submerged in water (a zip-lock baggie will do in a pinch, but some sort of Tupperware container is best). Cooked tofu, on the other hand, can be stored just the same as any other leftovers.

Marinade Recipes:

Here are some example marinades that work well with dry-fried tofu. These marinades also do well with meat.

The following Marinades should work for one 16 ounce block of tofu after frying.

Simple, All-purpose Tofu Marinade:

·         1/2 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (for a salty, smoky flavor)

·         Splash of rice vinegar

·         1/2 large sweet onion, diced

·         5 cloves garlic, crushed

·         water to cover

Chinese Tofu Marinade:

·         1/2 cup shoyu (or soy sauce)

·         1/4 cup rice wine (or sherry)

·         1 clove garlic, crushed

·         1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or crushed

·         1 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)

Thai Tofu Marinade:

·         1/2 cup fish sauce (or soy sauce)

·         1/2 cup rice wine (or sherry)

·         1/4 cup palm sugar (or brown sugar)

·         Splash of rice vinegar

·         Juice from 1/2 lime

·         1 small shallot (or half onion), finely minced

·         1 tbsp chili paste

·         1 tbsp finely minced lemon grass (fresh or dried)

MORE RECIPES:

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT TOFU

Ingredients

·         olive oil

·         1 red bell pepper (seeded and chopped)

·         3 tbsps fresh ginger (minced)

·         3 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)

·         16 ozs extra firm tofu (drained well cut into 1 inch cubes)

·         bunch green onions (chopped)

·         1 medium eggplant (cubed)

·         1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

·         2 tbsps brown sugar

·         2 thai chilis (chopped)

·         bunch fresh basil (chopped)

·         1/3 cup peanuts (lightly dry roasted salted)

·         crushed red pepper (dry) as needed

Dry fry tofu.  Marinate in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar in chilis.

Fry eggplant, red bell pepper and green onions in olive oil until tender.  Add tofu, marinade, basil, peanuts and crushed red pepper and stir until heated throughout.

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Asparagus Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe

serves 2

Ingredients:

Stirfry:

·         vegetable or peanut oil

·         14 oz. extra-firm pressed tofu

·         1 bunch fresh asparagus

Brown sauce:

·         1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

·         2 tbsp. brown sugar

·         1 tsp. white pepper

·         6+ tbsp. soy sauce

·         2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

·         1/4 large sweet onion, diced

·         2 tsp. fresh grated ginger root

Preparation:

1.         Dry fry the tofu.

2.         Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl, then submerge the tofu after dry-frying.

3.         Stir-fry. Heat a well-seasoned wok until smoking over medium-high to high heat (or use a large pan if you do not have a wok). Add about 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil to the wok, then add asparagus and some onions. Stir-fry over medium-high to high heat just until asparagus is tender but still slightly crunchy. Add the tofu and marinade. 

Tofu with Guava Barbecue Sauce

1 block extra firm tofu 3 tbsps vegetable oil 1 yellow onions (chopped) 1/2 cup guava nectar (more to taste) 2 tbsps tomato paste 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar (light or dark brown) 2 whole star anise (if available) 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp curry powder 2 tbsps lime juice 1 tbsp dark rum  1 Dry fry tofu. 2 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. 3 Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, cooking until it's soft and a little brown around the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often. 4 Stir in the guava nectar, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, star anise, allspice, and curry powder.  Simmer about two minutes. 5 Discard the star anise;  add lime juice and rum. 6 Add tofu and mix over low heat.

JALAPENO TOFU

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         1/2 tsp. sesame oil (more as needed for spice)

·         2 jalapenos, chopped

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 bunch chopped green onions

·         1 lb. extra-firm tofu, cubed

·         5 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

·         1 tsp. honey or sugar

·         Veggie chili sauce as needed for spice

·         Cashews?

Dry fry tofu and marinate in the soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. sesame oil and sugar.

Saute onions over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, green onions and jalapenos and cook 3 minutes.  Add sesame oil or chili sauce as needed.
Add tofu and marinade and cook until heated through.

CARIBBEAN TOFU

Serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS
One (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup cashews

Mixture of sliced onions, red and yellow bell peppers, etc.
Dry fry the tofu.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, allspice, garlic powder, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and thyme. Add the tofu.
Stir fry the onions and peppers until tender. Add tofu and marinade and heat throughout.