I’ve really begun to enjoy cooking with tofu. I use extra firm tofu to cook with or silken tofu in place of yoghurt in smoothies. I’ve been on the lookout for good tofu recipes and have found three that I am anxious to try. I’ll probably make one or two of them this weekend. Stay tuned to see my reports of how they tasted and pics of how it looked.
Sesame-crusted tofu
Serve these “steaks” with soy sauce and a green-onion garnish. Be sure to use firm tofu. Brown it gently so that it loses some moisture before coating it with bread crumbs and sesame seeds, then browning again.
Ingredients
1 pound firm tofu, drained
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil or canola oil
12 green (spring) onions, ends trimmed, cut in half crosswise, then halved again lengthwise
Directions
Cut the tofu crosswise into 12 slices. Place the tofu slices in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes on each side. The tofu will brown slightly and lose some of its liquid. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper until well blended. On a large plate, combine the bread crumbs, white and black sesame seeds, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix until well blended. Dip a tofu slice into the milk mixture, and then dredge in the sesame seed mixture. Repeat dipping and dredging with the remaining tofu slices.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Arrange the tofu slices in the pan and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add the green onions to the pan and saute until they begin to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Divide the green onions among individual plates. Top each serving with 3 tofu steaks and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Nutritional Analysis
(per serving)
Calories | 265 | Monounsaturated fat | 4 g |
Protein | 24 g | Cholesterol | 0 mg |
Carbohydrate | 17 g | Sodium | 391 mg |
Total fat | 14 g | Fiber | 6 g |
Saturated fat | 2 g |
Tofu and mango curry
This vibrant dish is enlivened by sweet bursts of mango. To make basil chiffonade, stack several leaves, roll them up lengthwise into a bundle and slice thinly across.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, peeled and seeded, then diced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup low sodium vegetable stock or broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 stalk lemon grass, tender bottom 4 inches only, quartered lengthwise
1 1/4 pounds extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup diced mango
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade
Directions
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, curry powder and coriander and simmer until the tomato begins to soften, about 1 minute.
Add the stock, coconut milk and lemon grass. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat.
In a nonstick sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu, sprinkle with the turmeric and cook for until tofu is thoroughly browned. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add the curry sauce to the pan, raise the heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the edamame and cook until the edamame are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the mango and salt and stir to combine. Discard the lemon grass.
Divide the curry among warmed individual plates and garnish with the basil. Serves 4.
Nutritional Analysis
(per serving)
Calories | 395 | Monounsaturated fat | 6 g |
Protein | 39 g | Cholesterol | 132 mg |
Carbohydrate | 26 g | Sodium | 353 mg |
Total fat | 15 g | Fiber | 5 g |
Saturated fat | 2 g |
Stir Fried Tofu with Gingered Vegetables
This was originally a recipe that called for chicken. I have substituted tofu for it. Because of the changes I’ve made, I do not have accurate nutritional information for this recipe.
Ingredients
1 package extra firm tofu
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 1/3 cups sliced carrots
1 1/3 cups snow peas
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) hot pepper flakes
4 teaspoons rice vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
Directions
Wrap the tofu in paper towels and place on a plate. Put another plate on top of the tofu and place some heavy soup cans on the top plate to press liquid out of the tofu. Leave for 15 minutes.
While the tofu is being pressed, head oven to 350 degrees.
Unwrap the tofu and cut it into strips. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes to remove any more water.
Season the tofu with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and cook, tossing with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown. Turn off the heat and transfer the tofu to a plate.
Blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until the stems just begin to get tender, about 1 or 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Add the sesame oil and garlic cloves to the wok. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden. Remove the garlic, add the ginger and cook for another minute.
Turn the heat to high, add the carrots and cook, tossing with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes. Add the peas, red peppers and hot pepper flakes, continue tossing with the spoon and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tofu, broccoli, vinegar and soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Serve immediately over a bed of brown rice. Serves 4.
[…] Loss | Tags: healthy cooking, hope, tofu, vegetarianism, weight loss This evening I made the sesame crusted tofu that I had found the recipe for earlier this week. It was as good as I thought it would be. The […]
[…] my friend @dharmaloser. I’m not going to reproduce the recipe, you can find it for yourself here. But, I found myself looking at the recipe last week and noticing that I had all the ingredients in […]