Tofu recipes | Imamother

Amarante

Sun, Jul 30 2023, 10:11 pm

Lots of recipes depending on what your family likes.

This is a fun one because it replicates MacDonald's Chicken Nuggets. The recipe has zucchini but raw zucchini is pretty boring and I would either make carrot sticks or even better make carrot "fries" by roasting carrot spears in the oven along with the tofu.

Just make sure you get firm tofu (there are two kinds) and then follow the instructions to drain excess moisture before cooking so the texture is more solid

Crispy Tofu With Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

Yield: 4 appetizer servings
Inspired by McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets dipped in sweet-and-sour sauce — a classic combination that debuted nationwide in 1983 — this tofu appetizer gets its inexorable crunch from potato starch. Pan-fried until shatteringly crisp, pressed tofu, cut into cute little rectangles, eats a lot like Chicken McNuggets and cooks up gorgeously every time. But the true joy of a nugget lies in the dipping, and this recipe stars a totally chill, no-cook sweet-and-sour sauce. Apricot preserves provide fruity sweetness as well as body, and rice vinegar, soy sauce and onion powder add savoriness.

INGREDIENTS

1(14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound) - don't bother - I would make carrot fries by roasting spears in the oven
3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1½ teaspoons onion powder
½ cup potato starch
Neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil, or light olive oil

PREPARATION

Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in a clean tea towel, and place on a cutting board. Weigh down the tofu with a sheet pan topped with something heavy, such as a large skillet, cans or books, until the tea towel is soaked, about 30 minutes.

IGNORE: While the tofu is pressed, prep the zucchini: Halve the zucchini crosswise, then cut each piece lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick planks. Finally, cut each plank lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick “fries.” Place the zucchini fries in a large colander set over a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a measuring cup, stir together the apricot preserves, rice vinegar, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 2 teaspoons water until smooth. Transfer to a small dish for dipping, and set aside.

Slice the pressed tofu in half horizontally, and cut each of those halves into 8 rectangular pieces, creating 16 nuggets total. Directly on the cutting board, season the tofu with 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon onion powder, smearing each piece around to catch all the seasonings.

In a large bowl, toss to combine the potato starch and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Place the tofu in the starch, and gently toss with your hands until each piece is evenly coated.

Fry the tofu: Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and add a thin layer of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tofu in a single layer, and cook, flipping a couple of times, until lightly golden on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked tofu to a towel-lined plate to drain, and season it with salt to taste.

To serve, transfer the tofu and zucchini to a large platter, and serve alongside the dipping sauce.

Amarante

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 9:59 am

AlwaysGrateful wrote:

Thanks! This looks yummy, might try this tonight.

Anyone else have any other ideas? I'm thinking some sort of stir-fry?

Generally you can just use tofu instead of animal protein in a regular stir fry recipe.

You need to use extra firm tofu and press liquid out so it retains firm texture and doesn't disintegrate

Here is a template

stir fry:

1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons high heat oil (such as avocado)
2 ½ cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup baby carrots, cut lengthwise
sauce:

1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoon grated ginger
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce (or GF tamari)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

TOFU: Drain tofu from packaging. Place tofu on a plate with a folded tea towel. Place another tea towel on top (in the shape of the tofu) followed by another plate and a heavy cast iron skillet or metal cans. Or simply use a tofu press. Let tofu dry for 15-20 minutes or up to 1 hour. Then, cut into ¾-1 inch cubes and toss in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and the ½ teaspoon of salt in a zip-top bag until coated.

BLEND: While the tofu is drying, prepare the sauce. Combine sauce ingredients in a blender until completely smooth (see notes) Set aside.

CRISPY TOFU: In a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add tofu and let fry for 3-7 minutes. Flip tofu as needed to brown on all sides. Add 2 tablespoons of prepared sauce and allow to cook until the sauce coats the tofu; about 2-3 minutes. When the tofu is caramelized, remove to a plate.

STIR FRY:Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, if needed. Toss in veggies and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing as needed to desired doneness. Add tofu back to the skillet. Stir the sauce to combine and pour it in. Stir to coat. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the tofu soaks up the sauce.
SERVE: Serve warm with rice, quinoa, noodles, cauliflower rice, or on its own. The tofu will lose it's crispness as it sits. Best when eaten fresh.

Amarante

Mon, Jul 31 2023, 10:04 am

And here is a recipe for a sheet pan tofu - use parchment paper for easy cleanup

Sheet-Pan Crisp Tofu and Sweet Potatoes

Tossing marinated tofu squares in cornstarch before roasting makes them wonderfully crunchy and brown. Here, the tofu is cooked alongside spears of sweet potato, which are soft and silky against the crisp squares. A tamari-honey dressing spiked with rice wine vinegar acts both as marinade for the tofu and sauce for the finished dish. Then quick-pickled scallions and hot sesame oil make for a bright and spicy garnish.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, cut crosswise into 4 1-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons tamari
1½ teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), cut lengthwise into ¾-inch wedges
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces and thinly sliced lengthwise
Large pinch of sugar
½ cup cilantro leaves
Hot sesame chile oil, or red-pepper flakes, for serving
Salted, roasted peanuts, for serving (optional)

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tofu pieces, cut sides down, on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel, and place a flat cutting board on top. If your cutting board is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 10 minutes (and up to 30 minutes), then transfer to a cutting board. Cut strips into ¾-inch pieces (1-inch thick), and transfer to a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, tamari, honey and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Toss half the mixture with the tofu, then toss in cornstarch. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan.

On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together potato wedges, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer; do not crowd the pan. If they don’t all fit, arrange extra wedges on the pan with the tofu.

Bake tofu and potatoes until browned, 35 to 40 minutes, flipping them halfway through. If the tofu sticks (and this is likely), use a thin metal spatula to carefully loosen each one before flipping. A small offset spatula is perfect here.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine scallions, 1 tablespoon vinegar and a large pinch each sugar and salt. Let sit while tofu and potatoes roast.

To serve, toss tofu with some of the reserved tamari sauce, to taste. Serve with potato wedges, topped with scallions, cilantro and a drizzle of hot sesame chile oil or sprinkling of red-pepper flakes, and more tamari sauce. Sprinkle with peanuts if desired.