I need tofu help.

[Ilsa]

I don't know much about it or how to prepare a dish with it. I don't know how long it lasts, when it has gone "bad", or if any combination of tofu and another item can kill you like vx gas.

Any recommended reading for this ignorant one?

BTW, I've made it 11 months doing fine without meat. I have had a couple of "little bite" slip-ups, but I paid for them with bloating and what follows that. I'm ready to try some more inventive cooking. My husband has been impressed with some of my adaptations of meatless dishes; he didn't even know!

[Hun Joro]

1. Get Tofu Cookery by Louise Hagler

This was my first tofu cookbook and I still hold it dear. It has a wide variety of wonderful recipes with lots of photographs. Lately I've gotten lazy so I just press the excess liquid out of the tofu and cube and sautee it with whatever veggies I'm cooking.

Tofu is very safe - look for a good expiration date on the package and like any other packaged food don't buy it if the package seems to be "ballooning". I've used tofu up to two weeks after its expiration date - it should not be slimy (a little slime can be rinsed off) or discolored or have a bad odor. Even if you ate tofu that had gone bad, it's unlikely that it would make you ill. I've seen recipes that actually called for soured tofu.

Congratulations on your 11 months!

[LeftyMom]

2. It's bad when it smells sour

How long that is depends on your remembering to change the water daily. I forget that so mine never lasts too long and I try to remember to use it right away. You can mix it with anything, some combinations will taste nasty but none will do you any more harm than thier constituent ingredients.

For main dishes you'll generally want to press the water out of your tofu first. Lay it on a clean, folded kitchen towel on a plate, then add another folded kitchen towel and another plate on top.

Pre-marinated baked tofu is great for tofu novices, it's flavorful and already pressed and baked so that the texture is appealing. It's pretty good cubed on salads or cut up in strips made into sandwiches, in addition to the obvious stir fries and such. A packet of marinated tofu, some frozen stir fry veggies and some rice make a really tasty quick meal.

[Dirty Hippie]

3. How to press tofu

to get the water out.

Slice the tofu into slabs (6 0r 8).

Lay them on 1/2 of clean cloth and use the other 1/2 to cover them. You can use paper towels but you need a lot.

Place a cookie sheet over the tofu and cloth. Put a heavy weight on the cookie sheet (I use my cast iron skillet).

In about an hour it is ready.

I actually do this in the morning and when I get home form work it is ready to use.

[jobycom]

9. A good way to dry it if you are going to crumble it

Is to wrap it in a towel and twist the ends of the towel, like you're wringing it out. I do this for a lasagna I make, where I use tof in place of cottage cheese. It is actually a cheese, not a meat-like product, after all. :)

[CrispyQ]

4. A good tofu scramble is always nice to have on hand!

It's also a great way to use up old veggies. I always have a block of tofu in the fridge & 90% of the time it gets cooked up in scramble. For scramble, press as much water out of the tofu as possible. I put my tofu between two plates & press both plates together over the sink. Crumble the tofu into a bowl & add about 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon tumeric, & salt & spices to taste. Mix well. Saute some onion & garlic in a pan till tender. Add tofu & any chopped veggies. Fry on medium high heat till all moisture is cooked off. This is really good over toast spread with a bit of hummus, cream cheeze or sundried tomato paste.

~~burp

[Ilsa]

5. Thank you very much, everyone! This is great information. eom

[Ilsa]

6. Hi everyone! I bought the Louise Hager book Tofu Cookery

and am reading some every night. Any favorite recipes from this cookbook?

I don't think I was getting quite as much protein as I should on most days, and I was trying to make it up with an occasional protein bar. I might still do a few protein bars, but the addition of tofu will be a good change in my diet.

[Hun Joro]

7. Of course I can't find my copy now, but

I recall an excellent barbecue tofu recipe and also a wonderful and simple lasagna recipe - also one for a Greek salad with tofu "feta cheese". One of my favorite things about the book is the abundant pictures - just find a picture that looks yummy and make that. Really, everything I've tried in it has been good, and beyond that it will give you ideas about how to use tofu.

[livetohike]

8. Don't forget to check the recipe thread

There are some good tofu recipes in there :-).