Best Tofu Recipes Ever

MARINATED TOFU (THE BEST TOFU EVER!)

Steps:

• Quick press the tofu: Cut the tofu into cubes. Place them evenly on a flat surface such as a cutting board lined with paper towels or a clean towel. Cover with a layer of paper towels, set a baking sheet on top and then something heavy, like a large book or cast iron skillet. Press like this for 15 minutes while you make the marinade.
• Make the marinade: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
• Marinate the tofu: Place the pressed tofu pieces in a shallow dish. (In the photos above I doubled the recipe, so I used a 9 x 13 inch dish, but for one batch you will need a smaller dish, such as an 8 x 8 inch.) Pour the marinade over the tofu. Let it marinate for at least 1 hour, covered, in the refrigerator. If you want to leave it overnight, it will be even more flavorful.
• Cook the tofu: In a large skillet, cast iron preferred, add a few tablespoons of a neutral oil, such as canola oil and heat over medium-high heat. You can omit the oil if needed, but you will need a very good non-stick pan so the tofu pieces don't stick. Remove the tofu pieces from the marinade and add to the pan. Do not discard the marinade sauce. Fry the tofu until golden brown on each side.
• Once the tofu pieces are browned, pour any leftover marinade sauce into the pan with the tofu, and stir to coat. This makes the tofu even more flavorful! The tofu will quickly absorb the sauce. Remove from heat, and serve with rice and stir fried vegetables such as baby bok choy, mushrooms and carrots.
• Store leftover tofu in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It's also good cold, as a high protein snack or in sandwiches and salads.

BEST EVER AIR FRYER TOFU

Steps:

• Pat the tofu dry with paper towels and do not press. Pressing often leads to dry tofu, we want crispy, juicy, flavorful tofu. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Add the tofu to a bowl and all the ingredients except the oil. Toss until the tofu is well coated and very little dry seasoning is left in the bottom of the bowl. Add the oil to the bowl and toss again until everything is evenly coated.
• Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees. Add the tofu in an even layer, cooking in two batches, if needed. Cook for 15 minutes, shaking once halfway through.

THE BEST KUNG PAO TOFU: A QUICK RECIPE

Steps:

• Use a tofu press or DIY pressing method to squeeze any excess liquid out of the tofu.
• While your tofu is pressing, prep your veggies.
• Once the tofu has been pressed, transfer it to a cutting board, place the block on its side, and slice it lengthwise. Next, flip it back over to lie flat and cut the tofu into 32 equal-sized cubes, roughly 1-2" each.
• Arrange the tofu cubes in a shallow container, so that they make one even layer.
• Place the tofu to one side and combine 2 tbsp of soy sauce with 2 tbsp of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk them together, then pour the sauce over the tofu.
• Flip the tofu cubes to ensure all sides are well coated in the marinade, then leave to sit while you make the Kung Pao sauce.
• Take a medium bowl and add the remaining ¼ cup of soy sauce, ½ cup of water, and the remaining 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Next, add the vinegar, sherry, brown sugar, and Sambal (I would recommend using a maximum of 3 tsp of Sambal if you like your sauce spicy, but start with less and add more to taste).
• Whisk the sauce ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
• Place a large skillet or wok over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of sesame oil.
• Once the sesame oil is warm, add the marinated tofu cubes, being careful of splattering oil.
• Fry the tofu for 8-10 minutes, occasionally flipping and stirring to ensure it cooks evenly and get nice and crispy on all sides.
• Once all sides of the tofu cubes are browned, remove the cubes from the heat and set to one side.
• Add the final tbsp of sesame oil to the hot pan, then add the ginger, garlic, and scallion whites and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Increase the heat to high, then place the zucchini and peppers in the pan.
• Cook the veggies for 3-4 minutes, occasionally stirring, then add the tofu and sauce to the pan.
• Stir-fry everything for 2-4 minutes. The sauce should thicken, and all the ingredients should be well coated.
• Serve hot, sprinkled with the halved peanuts and scallion greens.

EASY PAD THAI RECIPE ( CHICKEN, SHRIMP OR TOFU)

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package instructions (or place rice noodles in a shallow bowl or baking dish and boil enough water to cover them. Cover with boiling water for 7- 8 minutes, until tender, then drain. They don't have to be totally soft, just bendy and pliable)
• shallot, garlic and ginger and set aside.
• the two eggs in a bowl with a fork and add a generous, 3-finger pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Whisk fish sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. (see notes) in a small bowl. Set aside.
• slice chicken into very thin strips and season with salt and pepper. Crispy Tofu: Blot tofu with paper towels pressing down firmly. Cut tofu into ¾ inch cubes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and for extra crispy, dredge in a little corn starch. Shrimp: Peel and season with salt and pepper. COOK: Sear the seasoned chicken, shrimp or tofu in a wok with hot oil until cooked through over medium-high heat. Set aside, on top of a paper towel, wipe out the pan. Turn heat off.
• Gather your chopped shallots, whisked eggs, cooked noodles, cooked protein and Pad Thai sauce around the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in the wok over medium heat, add shallot-garlic-ginger and stir, cooking just a few minutes until golden and fragrant.
• Make a well in the center of the wok, scooting the shallot mixture to the side of the pan, add the whisked eggs. With a metal spatula, scramble them and break them apart into little bits, letting them brown just a little, and incorporate them into the shallots continuing to break them into small bits.
• Add the drained, semi-soft noodles and toss with the egg mixture, stirring, flipping, frying constantly for 3-4 minutes until noodles become soft and pliable.
• and cook 1 minute. It will smell quite fishy at first - turn your fan on - but it will mellow out perfectly. Add the cooked chicken, tofu or shrimp and turn and toss the noodles for a few more minutes. Cook until the noodles are soft (but still a little chewy) adding just a little water if it seems too dry.
• and roasted peanuts (or serve on the side) and sprinkle with chili flakes and scallions. Squeeze with a little lime juice. Taste. Adjust salt, lime and sweetness to your liking adding a pinch of salt, more lime or more a pinch more sugar to taste. Give one more toss and serve immediately. Divide among two plates.
• with more bean sprouts, fresh scallions, cilantro or basil, chili flakes, lime wedges and roasted crushed peanuts. Or make this Peanut Chili Crunch!

BEST TOFU STIR FRY

Steps:

• In 2-cup measuring cup, combine broth, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch, until well-blended.
• In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring frequently (stir-frying), until heated through and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add red pepper, green onions, garlic, and ginger to skillet and stir-fry until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes longer.
• Add mushrooms and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broth mixture and tofu and stir-fry until sauce has thickened slightly and boils, about 3 minutes.

THE BEST TOFU SCRAMBLE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, saute the onions in oil until translucent.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbled tofu, garlic,nutritional yeast, tamari, mustard, turmeric, sage, basil, salt and pepper until well-mixed.
• Add tofu mixture to onions and scramble until tofu is browned and all the liquid has evaporated.
• Toss with tomatoes and serve immediately.