I’m very new to cooking with tofu and am still to convince the hubby that it’s delicious and deserves its place on our weekly menu so I normally cook it when he’s having something that I wouldn’t eat for dinner. I certainly don’t think I’m any sort of expert and my range of dishes and cooking styles is still somewhat limited but I’m really enjoying it as an alternative to meat and as I’m trying to eat more plant based these days, its definitely becoming a favourite.
One thing that surprised me is how filling it is – I’m someone with quite a big appetite and also someone who rarely leaves food on their plate but quite often, if I’m having tofu for dinner, I’m full with food to spare!
Why is tofu so good for you?
Tofu is derived from soy beans and is packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals and it has loads of health benefits and its definitely worth giving it a try!
- high in antioxidants which protect your cells against things called ‘free radicals’ which may play a part in aging and many diseases such as heart disease, cancers and many more
- high in phtyo-oestrogens which may help women with menopausal and peri-menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and mood swings
- it provides all nine essential amino acids which your body needs for growth and repair of cells as well as body functions such as your immune system
- its a good source of calcium which is essential for our bone health
- it may lower the levels of cholesterol in your body and because its low in sodium, its great for those looking to lower your salt intake or have high blood pressure
- its low in calories so a great food to add to your diet if you are looking to lose weight
My Introduction to tofu
I had a good friend who turned vegan in 2019 and several of my Slimming World members were also vegan and I was interested in their meals and dishes they cooked and enjoyed and tofu came up many times as something they really enjoyed so, I’m always up to experiment and try new things so after asking for advice on how best to prepare and cook tofu off I went to give it a go.
The key (and to be honest, what put me off a bit at first) is in the preparation so if you’ve never given it a go, I thought I’d show you what I do and simplify the process, because, if like me, you’ve never tried it before, you may not have a clue what to do!!!
Preparing your tofu
This is the one I’ve been using – Cauldron Authentic Tofu – I think its a standard in all supermarkets but its often on special in Asda or Tesco (the two supermarkets I visit the most) and costs about £2 or thereabouts when on offer.
It’s found in the vegetarian / vegan section of the fridge aisles.
It comes in a plastic container filled with water and the first step is to ‘press the tofu’ to get rid of the excess water. Apparently you can buy a special kitchen gadget to do this but I’ve not invested in one and got some tips from friends!
Step 1
Drain excess water out of the packaging and place the tofu block on a couple of layers of kitchen roll
Step 2
Wrap the tofu block in the kitchen roll and then in a clean tea towel to make like a birthday present!
Step 3
Place something heavy on top of the tofu and leave for about half an hour.
Cooking your tofu - and one of my favourite recipes
Tofu by itself doesn’t have much of a flavour but it really soaks up any seasoning and marinades you add to it so once you’ve ‘pressed’ it to remove the excess water, prepare it and let in marinate in your chosen spices for at least half an hour (the longer the better). For this recipe, I was making Mexican style fajita tofu and rice so I chose a Mexican rub.
Preheat your oven to 190ºC / gas mark 5 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Chop your tofu block into pieces – you can do cubes, strips or whatever takes your fancy.
Add your chosen spice – I use 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and a good heaped tablespoon of Mexican rub (or whatever spice I’m using). Give the bowl a gentle shake to evenly coat your tofu – don’t be too vigorous as you don’t want to break up your tofu shapes as they are a bit delicate.
I’ve seen lots of ways of cooking your tofu online but for me, I bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes turning it over a few times to evenly cook and it goes a bit crispy on the outside. I’d love to go to a proper vegetarian restaurant and have tofu cooked by an expert chef to try and pick up some tips but I’m quite happy with my way of cooking and it tastes really nice and keeps it healthy too.
My Mexican style fajita recipe
Ingredients
- Tofu – prepared and cooked as above
- A red onion sliced thinly
- Peppers sliced thinly
- Mushrooms sliced
- 1 tbps of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of Mexican rub for the veggies
- Rice (I use 50g per serving)
Method
- Cook the tofu as per the instructions above (this will need about 1 hour 30 minutes for the pressing and marinating and then the cooking part.
- Slice all of your veggies
- Place a large non stick pan or a wok over a medium heat, add a splash of water and 1 tbsp of Mexican rub spices and stir fry the onions, mushrooms and peppers for about 10 minutes. Add the soy sauce and gently simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
- Once the rice is cooked, add it to the pan with the vegetables and stir to mix through. You can add more soy sauce if you wish at this point.
- Serve up the rice and veggies and top with the tofu and enjoy!
Optional – add some grated cheddar cheese (I do and love it!)
As I said above, I’m definitely not a ‘tofu expert’ and I’m still experimenting with recipes and ideas but if you go to Cauldron foods website, they have lots more tips on cooking tofu.
Other dishes I’ve tried:
Marinating my tofu in soy sauce and Chinese 5 spice to add to a stir fry
Marinating my tofu in honey and chilli (this was delicious!) to make a sticky tofu stir fry dish.
My Vegetarian 7 day meal plan includes a recipe for marinated aubergine and tofu with quinoa and if like me, you are looking to try more meat free dishes, do have a look. I offer a range of 7 day meal plans – providing you with a week’s worth of healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks – just visit the shop to have a look.
If you do try tofu, please let me know – and if you are already a tofu fan and have any great recipes or tips to share, I’d love to hear from you!