Tofu isn’t Pretty

But it’s a good source of protein, and you can easily make it taste like anything you want! I will admit that fried tofu is my favorite. I won’t lie. Especially if it is topped with a good peanut sauce.

I have had quite the events schedule lately, and now that it is settled down a little, I am enjoying cooking at home again. I guess the glam life of a blogger has to slow down sometimes 😉

Last night, I pulled together a dinner that my husband called flippin’ delicious. And since it was extremely healthy, that kind of praise makes me doubly happy.

I started out by pressing the bejezus out of the tofu. I placed it in a colander with a piece of foil and several cans of beans on top. Improv, but it worked. This was extra firm tofu, by the way.

Before cutting, I gave it a generous coating of hot sauce. Then I sliced it thinly and added more hot sauce and coarsely ground black pepper.

extra firm tofu with hot sauce

extra firm tofu slices with hot sauce

I pan fried it. I only used a teeny bit of olive oil, and I made the pan really hot so that the tofu had a good sear on it and had a little crunch on the outside. I am all about the texture.

For the salad, I used Olivia’s Organics Herb Salad which is amazing. Olivia’s salads are always really dry and stay fresh for much longer than other packaged salads. They are a bit more expensive, but I never have to throw them away because they rot from all of the water. I love the Herb Salad because it mixes together so many different flavors.  The box also had a little story about a charity in East Boston that Olivia’s supports. It made me a little weepy, it was so nice. 

tofu salad with Olivia's Herb Blend, corn, cheese, Mezzetta pepperoncini, avocado, and homemade salsa

Salad toppings included the tofu, avocado, Mezzetta pepperoncini, corn, shredded cheese from Trader Joe’s, yellow onion, and homemade salsa.

All in all, an amazing meal. I won’t eat tofu everyday, but with this preparation, I definitely need to remember to buy it more often.

What is your favorite tofu preparation?

If you haven’t entered my blog birthday wine and cheese giveaway. . . what are you waiting for?!

Tags: Food, salad, tofu

  1. Erin’s avatar

    I love tofu when I get it at restaurants but have never made it at home where I love it. Once I coated it with TJ’s green curry sauce, which was pretty good, but it was still kind of slimy. 😕

    Reply

    1. traveleatlove’s avatar

      I had a curried tofu DISASTER this past winter because I didn’t get enough liquid out. Seriously it was bleh… from now on I will totally drain and then sear my tofu before adding it to a meal.

      Reply

    2. Constance C’s avatar

      while you made that look absolutely delicious – as a gal that’s allergic to soy, I will never be able to appreciate tofu 🙁 I’ll live vicariously through you though!

      Reply

    3. Brian @ A Thought For Food’s avatar

      Being (mostly) vegetarian, I really enjoy all the things that you can do with tofu. What a lot of people don’t like about it is it’s consistency, but here’s the trick: press as much water as you can out of the tofu (the extra firm variety). You can do this by covering it with paper towel and placing something heavy (I use a plate) to press the water out. Do this for at least 45 minutes… replacing the paper towel every 20 min or so.

      This gets it nice and “meaty” and makes it a lot easier for pan frying or grilling.

      I like to cover it with ground ginger/garlic powder/a touch of soy sauce. Rub that on and throw it on the grill.

      Reply

    4. Kristina @goodnweird’s avatar

      I just learned the pressing trick a few months ago. Makes such a difference. I love it pan seared!

      Reply

    5. genesis’s avatar

      ugh i wish i had a tofu press. my tofu press also consist of a colander and a marble mortar and pestle and a canister of flour….usually i expect to hear something crashing down in my kitchen every 10 or 15 minutes…

      p.s. fried tofu is the best. baking doesnt measure up to it!

      Reply

    6. Rebecca @ How the Cookies Crumble’s avatar

      I was always scared to eat tofu at home until a few months ago because I didn’t know how to prepare it. Now that I do know, I love to make it!

      Reply

    7. A Boston Food Diary’s avatar

      I have never gotten into tofu! This looks tasty though-Ill have to give it a shot!

      Reply

      1. traveleatlove’s avatar

        It was really good and even better for lunch today. The tofu was really chewy and nice after I drained and seared it!

        Reply

      2. Corinne’s avatar

        I have yet to try to prepare/eat tofu. Pressing it seems like a complicated process and I think that’s what is holding me back! I stare it down just about every grocery store trip…one of these days…

        Reply

      3. Raija’s avatar

        This is a great recipe. I haven’t cooked with tofu before, but want to try. I also have really liked Tempeh — have you ever tried that? Sauteed with vegetables is delicious – Bella’s in Northampton makes some amazing preparations with it. Did you ever go to Bella’s while we lived in Western MA? I really enjoy it — I always feel so healthy (and full!) when I leave.

        Reply

        1. traveleatlove’s avatar

          I am not crazy about tempeh, but maybe I would be if I marinaded it more. I never even heard of Bella’s! What kind of vegetarian hippie was I?!!
          Will have to plan a Western MA trip.

          Reply

        2. Anne @ the doctor takes a wife’s avatar

          I still haven’t jumped on the tofu train, but this looks absolutely delicious 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!

          Reply

        3. roxan’s avatar

          Whaaat!? Tofu is totally pretty. And you make it beautiful 🙂

          Reply

        4. Anne @ Food Loving Polar Bear’s avatar

          I’ve never prepared tofu at home, but someday I’ll try 🙂

          Reply

        5. Michelle’s avatar

          I love lightly pan frying tofu and then adding it to a spicy stir-fry!

          Reply

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