Vegan Cooking: Tofu

Growing up (I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian at age 12 – with a lot of conviction, on my part, to my parents), I never liked tofu. I tried it plenty of times and it was never my cup of tea. The texture and the taste was just so plain and hard to cook with.

However, now that my skills and creativity have widened a bit, I’ve come to welcome tofu with open arms.

Ideas for Cooking and Baking with Tofu:
Before cooking, you need to drain the tofu. To do this, you can place tofu on a plate with paper towel. Place another piece of paper towel on top and place another plate over top. Press down until liquid is contracted.

• Add pureed silken tofu to sauces, dips or “creamy” dressings in place of milk or cheese.

• Dice or crumble firm tofu into a stir-fry, tacos/quesadillas, rice/pasta dishes, salads or soup.

• Marinate diced firm tofu for extra flavour, overnight. (Or for a few hours before dinner.)

• Use crumbled tofu in a casserole or mock Shepherd’s Pie.

• Thinly slice firm tofu for sandwiches or subs.

• Crumble tofu for mock egg salad sandwich.

• Use silken tofu in smoothies and milkshakes for a protein rich drink. (Or in place of a protein powder, if you’re out.)

• To bake with, remember 1/4 cup tofu = 1 egg. You can use this principle for brownies, cakes or cookies, etc.

• I’ve also made tofu pudding and “ice cream”:
  Use 1 pkg. silken tofu, chocolate chips/cocoa powder and cinnamon/vanilla. You can really vary the other ingredients to a taste that you like. You can also add frozen fruit for an “ice cream” type texture. Remember: the longer it sits in the fridge (or freezer) the better it will taste.

There are other options as well, but these are definitely my favourite.

If you have any leftovers, remember to store in the fridge in a container with enough water to cover. Be sure to change the water every day.

Freezing tofu:
You can freeze the tofu to store it, however it will change the texture of the tofu. It can make it more “meat-like” – which could be a positive if making a tofu dish in place of a meat one.

Also Try:
Vegan Hot “Wings”!

🙂