~~Tofu ~~ ????

[Cavycrazy]

Looking forward to my AAM week soon and wondering what to do with my choices. I am a veggie so cant have the meat or fish, so can have quorn or tofu!

Quorn I have had before so ok with that.

But ~~Tofu ~~ cant say I have had any of that!! Anyone had it and whats it like ???

I dont seem to be able to find it anywhere ?? Was scouring Asda last night looking but not finding. Its on their internet shopping site but couldnt see any on shelves or fridges!!

I would like to get some to try it !! but what do you do with it cooking-wise!!

Any advice or tips anyone ? Cheers

Deb x

[icemoose]

What about the cottage cheese Deb ?

M.

[gaijingirl]

I eat tons of tofu (or at least I did when I wasn't ss-ing).

I used to live in Japan so I ate it daily!

Here you can get Cauldron tofu in most supermarkets. They do several flavours.. the regular, smoked and marinated.

Also you can get the "real" stuff from East Asian supermarkets - but most British people seem to prefer the cauldron stuff.

You can also buy heat treated tofu in packs in the dried food section.

If you get to a health food shop you can buy some amazing tofu by Taifun who do basil/sun dried tomato etc flavours. They are probably the least authentic thing ever - but they are gorgeous.

I eat "real" tofu raw with spring onions, soy sauce and wasabi.

But a very nice way to introduce yourself to it is to stir fry the marinated Cauldron tofu with vegetables.

I've got some nice recipes which I'll find for you.

You can also buy silken tofu and use it to make desserts, dressings, mousses, etc etc... whizz it with fresh fruit to make a gorgeous mousse for example.

People tend to love or hate tofu but it's worth trying all the different kinds before making your mind up. Also bear in mind that the different types require v. different cooking methods. The Cauldron tofus are the most "user friendly" for a beginner.

[Cavycrazy]

What about the cottage cheese Deb ?

M.

Ooops I forgot about the cottage cheese. can have that too as long as its a veggie version.

I am really looking forward to my AAM week.

[clairejen]

AAM is brilliant, just started it today and being able to have a bit of real food again is such a treat.
I'm not a tofu fan, to me it doesn't taste of anything so you have to add a load of flavourings. My sister in law used to make tofu burgers with a sort of spicy crunchy coating, I don't know if you could get a similar result with the vegetable soup pack?

[gaijingirl]

Here are a few tofu recipes. These are all "pointed" from my WW days.
I'll leave the points in for any WWers who are interested. I've also got loads of quorn/soya mince/tofu sausage recipes if you're interested. (I'm veggie too)

Tofu fried rice (serves 2)
(Total points 10. Points per serving 5)


80g basmati rice
150g pack ‘cauldron foods’ marinated cooked tofu
½ savoy cabbage, shredded
bunch of spring onions, sliced
250g shitake mushrooms, sliced

- cook rice and mushrooms in vegetable stock, then drain.
- stir fry cabbage and spring onions.
- mix all ingredients together and stir-fry until tofu is heated through.
- season with soy sauce and black pepper.

Mushroom and tofu stew (serves 4)
(Total points 9. Points per serving 2½)


4 onions, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
2 tbsp ginger puree
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 kg mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp lemon thyme
400g tin chopped tomatoes
250g tofu, cubed
30g tahini (or peanut butter)
2 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)

- cook the onion, celery, ginger and garlic in a little water for 5-10 minutes, until beginning to soften
- add the mushrooms, and cook for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked through
- add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, tofu and tahini and simmer for 5 minutes
- stir in the soy sauce and season with black pepper

Roasted vegetables and tofu, Chinese style (serves 4)
(Total points 18. Points per serving 4½)

450g sweet potato, peeled and cut into wedges
450g potato, peeled and cut into wedges
2 carrots, peeled and cut into wedges
2 courgettes, cut into diagonal slices, 1 cm thick
2 onions, cut into wedges
2 red or yellow peppers, cut into about 16 chunks
250g tofu, cubed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp ginger puree
75ml rice vinegar
75ml soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Chinese five spice

- par-boil the potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots for 5 minutes, then drain and transfer to a large ovenproof dish (preferably non-stick), along with the courgette, onion, peppers and tofu
- mix together the garlic, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and five-spice, and pour over the vegetables, stirring well to coat
- roast at 220°C for about 45 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times

Smoky bean and tofu stew (serves 4)
(Total points 11½. Points per serving 3)


220g pack Cauldron foods beech smoked tofu, diced
2 tbsp soy sauce
6 spring onions, chopped
250g mushrooms, quartered
2 red peppers, chopped
3 x 300g tins cannellini beans (not drained)
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
250g spinach, washed and roughly chopped

- fry the tofu for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, and cook until crisp and brown. Remove from the pan and set aside
- fry the onion and mushrooms for 5 minutes, then add the remaining soy sauce and cook for a further minute
- add the peppers, beans (with liquid), nutmeg and mustard, and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is halved
- stir in the spinach and tofu, and cook until spinach has wilted
- season well with black pepper (will probably not need salt)

Creole stew (serves 4)
(Total points 5½. Points per serving 1½)

250g plain tofu, cubed
3 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 sticks celery, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp tomato puree
½ tsp tabasco sauce
1 tbsp molasses or brown sugar
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
6 spring onions, finely chopped

- fry the tofu until brown and slightly crisped, then set aside
- fry the onion, garlic, celery and peppers for about 15 minutes, until softened
- add the courgettes, tinned tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, tomato puree, tabasco, molasses, allspice and dried herbs and simmer, uncovered for another 5 minutes
- season to taste, and serve topped with the spring onions


Smoked paprika and tofu goulash (serves 4)
(Total points 13½. Points per serving 3½)

220g pack Cauldron foods smoked tofu, diced
2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp plain flour
750ml vegetable stock
50ml sherry
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 red peppers, diced
1 green pepper, diced
750 g mushrooms, quartered
1 tbsp cornflour, blended with a little water
100g half-fat crème fraiche

- fry the tofu until browned. Remove and set aside
- fry onion and paprika for 5 minutes
- stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute
- add the stock, sherry and tomato puree, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken
- add mushroom and peppers, and simmer for 30 minutes
- stir in cornflour paste, tofu pieces and seasoning, and cook for a few minutes, until thick
- stir through the crème fraiche, and serve

Five-spice rice with tofu (serves 4)
(Total points 20. Points per serving 5)

220g pack Cauldron foods smoked tofu, diced
8 spring onions, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
500g mushrooms, sliced
2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp Chinese five-spice
250g brown basmati rice, rinsed well
350ml vegetable stock
50ml dry sherry
soy sauce

- fry the tofu until browned. Remove and set aside
- fry the spring onion, pepper, mushrooms and broccoli until cooked
- meanwhile, fry the ginger, garlic and five-spice in the sesame oil for 1 minute
- add the rice and cook for 2 minutes
- add the stock and sherry, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the stock has been absorbed
- season with soy sauce and black pepper, and mix with the vegetables and tofu


Seared tofu with spinach and pinenuts (serves 2)
(Total points 9. Points per serving 4½)

1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
150g radishes, sliced
soy sauce
250g spinach, roughly shredded
220g pack Cauldron foods smoked tofu, sliced in half to give 2 pieces ~ 1cm thick
30g pinenuts, toasted

- fry the onion for 5-10 minutes, until softened
- add the garlic, radish and a generous splash of soy sauce, season with black pepper, and cook for a further 5 minutes
- add the spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer to plates and keep warm
- season the tofu with black pepper and soy sauce, then fry on a high heat for about 3 minutes on each side
- serve the tofu on the bed of spinach, and top with toasted pinenuts


Ranch pie (serves 4)
(Total points 22. Points per serving 5½)

600g potatoes, peeled and chopped
120g sweetcorn
40g low fat cream cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
220g Cauldron foods smoked tofu, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 red/yellow peppers, finely chopped
250g mushrooms, sliced
2 x 300g tins cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tsp chopped fresh red chilli
80ml water
1 tbsp brown sugar
20g parmesan, grated

- boil the potatoes until soft, than drain and mash
- mix the sweetcorn, cream cheese and parsley with the potato, and season
- meanwhile, fry the onion and tofu for about 10 minutes
- add the carrots, celery, peppers and mushrooms, and cook for a further 10 minutes
- add the beans, tomatoes, chilli, water and sugar, and simmer for 5 minutes
- place the tofu mix in an ovenproof dish, top with the mashed potato, then sprinkle with parmesan
- bake at 190°C for 20 minutes


Smoked tofu, cauliflower and lentil curry (serves 4)
(Total points 10. Points per serving 2.5)

2 leeks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
pinch of asafoetida
1 large cauliflower, chopped
220g Cauldron food smoked tofu, diced
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tbsp ‘everyday curry paste’
100g red lentils
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

- fry leeks, garlic and peppers until softened
- add asafoetida and fry for 1 minute
- add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes
- stir in coriander and season to taste


Smoked tofu burgers (serves 4)
(Total points 14. Points per serving 3½)

1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
220g Caldron foods smoked tofu
200g tin kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
70g sunflower seeds

- blend all the ingredients except the sunflower seeds in a food processor
- stir in the seeds, then shape into 8 burgers
- bake for 25 minutes at 220°C



Tofu, sausage and cabbage bake (serves 4)
(Total points 18. Points per serving 4½)


250g tofu, diced
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp mustard power
800g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g Quorn sausages with leek, sliced
1 savoy cabbage, shredded
3 red / yellow peppers, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
large handful chopped fresh parsley
200ml vegetable stock

- mix the tofu with the spices and leave to marinate for at least an hour.
- cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, then drain
- fry the onion for 10 minutes until softened
- place everything in a large baking dish, cover, and cook at 180ºC for 1 hour, then
- uncover, turn heat up to 200ºC, and cook for a further 20 minutes

[Crystal Star]

This may be a silly question :-) but what is AMM please

[Crystal Star]

gorgeous sounding recepies by the way :-)

[Oinkstop]

Tofu is good, but it tends to be a little bland unless it's mixed with something else. If you stir-fry (with oil substitute) up some tasty veggies and some chinese seasoning, I think you might like it.

By itself, it's just sort of blah.

[miss jelly tot]

I had tofu a few weeks ago as I am veggie too It was rank and was like eating a square of chewing gum! Maybe it was how I cooked it. It is normally in the chilled section of supermarkets near the Quorn.
Thank you for the receipes though I will try again as they sound yummy.

[eyeontheprize]

I love the cauldron tofu, the marinated one is lovely and so easy to prepare. i also love cauldrom falafel, pity we can't have that!

[furrysmudge]

AAM is 'add a meal' Crystal... xx

[Purple Hugs]

I eat tons of tofu (or at least I did when I wasn't ss-ing).

I used to live in Japan so I ate it daily!

Here you can get Cauldron tofu in most supermarkets. They do several flavours.. the regular, smoked and marinated.

Also you can get the "real" stuff from East Asian supermarkets - but most British people seem to prefer the cauldron stuff.

You can also buy heat treated tofu in packs in the dried food section.

If you get to a health food shop you can buy some amazing tofu by Taifun who do basil/sun dried tomato etc flavours. They are probably the least authentic thing ever - but they are gorgeous.

I eat "real" tofu raw with spring onions, soy sauce and wasabi.

But a very nice way to introduce yourself to it is to stir fry the marinated Cauldron tofu with vegetables.

I've got some nice recipes which I'll find for you.

You can also buy silken tofu and use it to make desserts, dressings, mousses, etc etc... whizz it with fresh fruit to make a gorgeous mousse for example.

People tend to love or hate tofu but it's worth trying all the different kinds before making your mind up. Also bear in mind that the different types require v. different cooking methods. The Cauldron tofus are the most "user friendly" for a beginner.

Great advice here

I have eaten tofu before as I'm veggie, and prefer to freeze it then thaw it, and SQUEEZE out the water that's in it.. put it into a sauce (even soy sauce) and it'll soak it up for flavour. Not sure that'd be ok on AAM or not though so need to check.
Like it in a thai style curry, or stir fry

Didn't know you could ge it dried Will have a look for that as may solve my issue of marinading it