Tofu, that quintessential vegetarian food, evokes reactions varying from deep appreciation to horrified disgust. Produced by grinding soybeans into a milk-like substance, it is sometimes called the “poor man’s protein”
The health benefits of regularly consuming tofu include lowering your risk for cancer, lowering the buildup of bad cholesterol, alleviating menopausal symptoms, helping maintain bone strength, and slowing aging. Additionally, it is a good source of Calcium, Vitamin E, and Isoflavones.
While it is true that you have to eat approximately 290 grams of tofu to get the same protein benefits as 150 grams of meat, “studies show that regularly eating that much tofu provides an equivalent amount of energy, protein, total fat, carbohydrates, alcohol and fiber.”
So don’t let a bad experience or lack of experience scare you away from eating tofu. At a time when meat is becoming more and more expensive, eating tofu once a week can be a good economical choice. To get you started, I’ll share the method by which I cook 90% of the tofu I eat. It’s tasty, versatile, and once you get the hang of it, very easy to prepare.
Quick and Easy Tofu
1 Block Firm or Extra Firm Organic Tofu, drained and pressed
3 Tbsp Organic Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1. To press the tofu, take two plates and one clean dish towel or bunch of paper towels. Wrap the tofu in the towel(s) and sandwich between two plates. Place a moderately heavy book on top of the tofu and let it sit. Change the towels after about 2 hours and let sit for another 2 hours or so. The dryer the tofu, the more marinade it will absorb and the easier it will be to fry up.
2. Cut tofu into triangles. Do this by slicing it lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slabs. Halve these width wise. Then cut into triangular halves.
3. Combine the Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil in a bowl. Place the tofu triangles in one layer on a large plate. Pour the marinade over the tofu and let sit for 20 minutes. Flip. Add more Soy Sauce/Sesame Oil if you want. What you want is for all the pieces to turn completely brown (aka soak up the marinade completely)
4. Now here’s the fun part. Heat a Cast Iron (or similar non-stick) pan Medium-High with a tablespoon (or more depending how good the pan is) of oil and add a single layer of Tofu. Let the first side really brown up so it won’t stick to the bottom of the pan when you try to flip it. Do the same for the other side. Now it’s ready to add to a stir fry or sauce. Enjoy!
