Make Tofu Appetizing Instead of Disgusting

Note: Things have been a little slow in the advice dept over the holidays - people are too busy practising peace on earth and goodwill toward men to worry about their diets or much else, so I've dipped into the archives for a recent advice letter. Happy Veggie New Year to you all! - Judy

Dear Savvy Vegetarian,

I have been an strict ovo-lacto for about 10 years now and have never been able to find a way to cook tofu with a pleasant consistancy. Not to be offensive and disgusting but whenever I make it, my husband (a meat-eater) and I joke that the texture is like brain-matter. Am I doing something wrong??? I have tried freezing and draining, but it has been a while since I have attempted and have forgetten tips I have researched previously. I have an 11 month old who I am very afraid is lactose intolerant and has a nut allergy so I would really love to learn how to cook tofu in a way that my whole family will be able to eat together. Thank you!! - P.S.

Advice From Savvy Veg:
Dear J.W.,

I think I can help you!

First, tofu shouldn't be frozen, then thawed and drained. That definitely contributes to the brain matter appearance. It makes it more like meat in texture, but also dry and tasteless. Plus, it's way more work than you need to do!

Here are a few simple things to do with tofu that your baby will probably like, and you too I hope:

The number one tofu tip is the fresher the better. The ideal is made today by your local tofu maker - it tastes wonderful! Failing that, favor organic, get some that isn't anywhere close to it's sell-by date, and use it quickly. Avoid the vacuum pack keep forever varieties.

If you need to use only part of a brick, drain, rinse, and submerge what's left in fresh water, store in a sealed container in the fridge for no more than a few days. Rinse again before using.

Small children will eat tofu straight up, raw, sliced, but since it's raw, it should at least be steamed, to kill bacteria, and prevent gas.

Use firm tofu for the following recipes. If it seems too soft, you can wrap in a dishtowel, and press it with a brick or pan of water, or something heavy to squeeze out excess water, just for 10 - 15 minutes.

Slice the firm tofu in 1/2 x 1" pieces, marinate for a few minutes in Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce, then fry both sides til crispy. Kids love this, and you can toss the pieces into pasta, rice, casseroles, stir fries etc.

For more adult tastes, add spices like ginger, cumin, etc to the marinade, OR use a spicy marinade, then stir fry with veggies OR add an Indian or Oriental spiced sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.

Cut tofu in 1/2" slices, or in 1" sticks or fingers, marinate and bake or broil, serve with a grain and vegetables or salad. If you want to get fancy, coat with fine dry bread or cracker crumbs first. Great with catsup!

Add raw sliced tofu to any veggie dish, or sauce. It'll soak up the flavors. It goes well with stir fried greens. Especially if you throw in a few spices, like cumin, turmeric, ginger, hing.

There's a few tofu recipes on Savvy Vegetarian. E.G., tofu burgers, which have been a weekly staple at our house for many years.

Tofu is so simple it almost doesn't require recipes, but still, we'll be adding more tofu recipes very soon! Regarding the nut allergy, babies generally don't tolerate nuts well until age 2 - 3 anyway. You may do better with nuts later on.

Let me know how it goes, and Happy Vegging

All the Best,
Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Veg