I was never taught how to cook tofu, as a matter of fact, I bought it one day, came home…looked at it and thought to myself “now what?” My instincts did the right thing, because now as I watch videos or read recipes of tofu preparation, I see they do the exact same thing that I do! I drain it first, then cut it into strips, then cut the strips in half, then cut those into tiny chunks. Of course, when making grilled tofu steaks, you would slice it different. It just depends how you are cooking it.
Tofu can be flavored countless ways. Since tofu really has no flavor, it takes on the flavor of whatever you put on it to spice it up. You can marinate it if you want, which I have done using gluten free Italian dressing as the marinade; or you can simply season it as you are frying it. I have my favorites, such as dill weed tofu; barbeque tofu, and teriyaki tofu. I like my tofu brown and with a mild crisp on it. I’m not one to like it soft and white – yuck.
When making my dill weed tofu (using 1 lb. of tofu) I only use sea salt, and dill weed. For my teriyaki and barbeque versions I always flavor my tofu first with Goya Adobo seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. I fry it in extra light olive oil, get a nice golden brown on it, and then start adding diced peppers & onions (occasionally fresh garlic). I continue cooking until the peppers soften and the onions turn a golden grown color. At this point, if I am making the barbeque version, I simply pour enough barbeque sauce over it to lightly cover it, I don’t want it dripping in the sauce; just enough to make it taste GREAT, stir for a minute or two longer and that’s it.
For my teriyaki version, when everything is cooked well, including the peppers and onions (as with the barbeque version) I will add in San-J gluten free soy sauce, San-J gluten free Thai Peanut sauce and San-J gluten free Teriyaki sauce; as always, I truly don’t measure…I just start pouring. If I had to guess I think about 2 to 3 Tbsp. of the soy and peanut sauces, and more of the teriyaki. Mix it all around, cook a minute or two longer, and remove from the heat. Serve all versions with or over hash browns, rice, noodles, or roasted veggies, use it in stir fry, or top a salad with it (warm or cold) as you would top with chicken on a chicken caesar. There truly are endless ways to prepare and serve tofu. These are just my 3 favorite ways!
This morning I made barbeque tofu served with Lee’s delicious homemade hash browns! Mmmm…this house smells simply DE-LISH right now! C’mon in!
Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.
Happy Sunday to you. As time is quickly passing this December, 2011, I hope you are enjoying the season. Remember, it’s the journey that you need to enjoy; otherwise we look back when we’ve reached the moment that we’ve waited to get to, and wonder not only where the time went, but what we did with it. Make the most of your minutes, hours, days and weeks & enjoy those you love, while you can.
Holiday love,
Mary