a fun way to eat tofu.

i happen to be one of those people who likes tofu.  however, i am always looking for more fun ways to eat tofu!  today i found one!  it comes from the cookbook "the enchanted broccoli forest" which was an awesome gift from my friend marianne.  i switched things up a tad from the original recipe by using a variety of nuts even though it calls for almonds only.  the book tells me even kids will eat tofu in this form and i believe it!


tofu-nut balls.
(ha, i said nut and balls)

ingredients.
1/2 c uncooked brown rice
1 c water
2 T soy sauce
1/2 lb firm tofu, mashed
1/2 c ground walnuts, almonds, and cashews (i used perhaps a 2:2:1 ratio here....improvise!)
1/2 c bread crumbs
salt to taste

directions.
1.  cook the rice (i use a rice cooker...just follow the package).
2.  preheat the oven to 350F.
3.  put the soy sauce, half the mashed tofu, and about 3/4 of the rice in a blender or food processor.  blend to a thick paste (this sounds really gross, but just go with it).
4.  put the remaining tofu and rice in a medium bowl and add the blended mixture, the nuts, and the breadcrumbs.  taste for salt.
5.  form the batter into 1-inch balls and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 30 minutes.


i ate these (really quickly) with lots of ketchup!!

next time i'm doubling the recipe.

herb-crusted tofu.

i wanted to make a real nice homecookin' meal using my csa goodies.  i decided to go with the classic corn on the cob, no frills, just a little butter and salt (i wish i had popcorn salt!).  we also had some lovely red potatoes so i decided to make my absolute favorite form of potatoes.  mashed potatoes.  just like my mama makes em.  again, no frills, just some milk, butter, and salt.  (okay i know, this is a salty buttery meal, but i WANTED it.  i mean, it wasn't excessive...).  so what could i make that would go along with this meal?  i'm picturing shake and bake for some reason.  which is NOT what i'm going to use, but it did remind me of a delicious looking recipe for herb-crusted tofu in one of deborah madison's cookbooks.  which IS what i used and oh boy, the flavor was delicious (and no salt or butter in the tofu recipe!).  i did switch up the recipe a little to bake instead of fry them.

herb-crusted tofu.

ingredients

1 16 oz package of extra firm tofu

1 c panko breadcrumbs

1/2 c grated parmesan

1 t dried parsley

1 t dried basil (or marjoram if you have that)

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t dried savory

1 egg

2 T milk

directions

1.  preheat the oven to 350.  slice the tofu into slabs about 1/3 inch thick.  blot or drain them on towels (paper or cloth) while you mix the other ingredients.

2.  mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and herbs in a flat-ish bowl.  beat the egg and milk in another bowl.

3.  yay for assembly lines!  dip each tofu in the eggs, then the herby mixture, then place on a cookie sheet.

4.  bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, turning halfway if you remember.  just go to whatever crispness/brownness level you like!

whole meal on a plate!  sorry about the awful quality... i
had to take this with photobooth at the last minute because
of a dead camera battery situation.

my first time using lemongrass.

the csa box last week came with some sugar snap peas (so i thought...actually they were shell peas...oops). i was flipping through Vegetarian Suppers, another one of my many Deborah Madison cookbooks, and saw a recipe for tofu and sugar snap peas in a lemongrass broth. didn't really know what lemongrass was or how to use it (or where to get it....) but DID know that it sounds really delicious.

how to find lemongrass:

-don't go to shaw's (don't ever go to shaw's). the guy there didn't even know what lemongrass was. they do have this weird lemongrass in a tube, which i forfeited (no lemongrass seemed better than tubed lemongrass).

-trader joe's is hit or miss with ingredients like this....if it is a lemongrass month you're in! but don't count on it.

-didn't try whole foods...so may or may not be a winner.

-GO TO SUPER 88. you won't regret it. tip: don't wander around looking for it in the produce section. if you're anything like me you straight up just won't see it. just ask the hispanic guy pretending to be asian who works there. he is a lemongrass-locating sage.

how to prepare lemongrass:

-I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW.

-but here is what i did, based on some vague directions from various cookbooks along with a good dose of guesswork and intuition:

-cut off the top "woody" part. this was basically 1/3-1/2 of the thing.

-peel off the outer "woody" parts. this was another 1/3-1/3 of the thing. i felt like i'd rather err on the side of taking too much off than leaving any bad part on.

-cut off the butt and use however you wish (in this case it is finely chopped).

tofu and sugar snap peas in a lemongrass broth.

ingredients

broth:

3 T fresh chopped lemongrass

2 1-inch slices fresh ginger

zest of 1 lime

2 cilantro sprigs

salt to taste

1 T soy sauce

1 T brown sugar

tofu:

1 carton extra firm tofu, drained

1 t peanut or olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

a handfull of sugar snap peas (or in my case actual pea pods that i shelled)

1/2 t turmeric

1 c brown rice

directions

1. put the first 4 broth ingredients in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of water and some salt. bring to a boil

2. simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until it is reduced by half. during this time cut the tofu into cubes.

3. strain out to solids and add the soy sauce and brown sugar. adjust the seasonings if you need.

4. heat oil in a skillet, add the garlic, onion, scallion, and jalapeno, and cook over high heat for 30 seconds. add the peas, turmeric, and tofu.

5. pour in the broth and simmer for a few minutes until the peas are tender and the tofu is warm.

6. taste for salt and adjust if needed. add the rice and serve!

we had leftovers and i stirred a little bit of coconut milk into them just to change it up and it was a REALLY good decision. so feel free to do that from the beginning if you're feelin' a lil' saucy.

the most glorious tofu.

i love tofu, i really do. not just sayin' that. people complain that it has no flavor and that you always have to do something to it, but i argue that chicken is the same. no one just puts a chicken breast on a baking sheet and cooks it with no seasoning, no nothing. i'll spare you, but you get the point.

want to know how to get the water out of your tofu? you gotta press it out. but think about it. you can't just put some heavy stuff on it and let it sit in its pool of tofu water. you gotta angle that baby. such a satisfying stream of water comes out. steady stream. real steady. short on time? no worries, two minutes of this should be enough. i put a heavy book on top to really smoosh it.

okay so then cut the tofu into conveniently sized pieces for whatever you are making. i did little cubes for a stir fry. now i shall tell you how to make tofu that is so delicious even the most close-minded meat-eaters would like it (until you told them what it was then they would probably backtrack). i do not wish to take credit, but rather spread the love. so i learned how to do this from Deborah Madison in her cookbook "how to cook everything vegetarian." she is a tofu goddess.

want to know how to get crispy fried tofu bites? so you have your cubes. put a tablespoon or two of peanut oil into a large skillet or wok. once it is hot add the tofu. THE SECRET IS DON'T STIR. i know it is really tempting to just stand there and absent-mindedly spread tofus around the pan, but DON'T DO IT. they won't brown. you gotta let em sit for like 5 minutes (maybe more) on one side before flipping pieces around. then go for another 4-5 minutes. repeat until you are pleased with your brown-ness level. obviously unless you are meticulously turning each piece individually, some sides will be much browner than others but that is totally fine. mine looked like THIS.

okay so now comes the part that makes it DELICIOUS. in a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with 3 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar. turn the heat to low-medium and add the mixture to the tofu. stir until all the cubes are coated. after a minute or two, turn up the heat, add 3 tablespoons of water, and simmer it off for 5-10 minutes.

NOW they are ready for whatever your heart desires. snack em or use em in a stir fry. i added a vegetable medley (thanks to Caroline for the beans and carrots) and some brown rice then stirred in some honey ginger teriyaki sauce (from the store, i'm not that ambitious). but yeah...here is the final product!

okay, so take home message: please make tofu like this. it will 100% change your stance on the matter.

(again, so sorry for the horrible colors of food photos).