A lot of people don't have a clue about cooking with tofu and that's okay- I got you. It's understandable if you didn't grow up having it, but it's really easy once you get the hang of it. You can use it in so many kinds of dishes. But I'll give you the down low on tofu.
There are different kinds of tofu used for different dishes.
Silken tofu Silky, creamy and highest water content
Firm Tofu Compact and texture is like feta; most versatile and absorbs marinades
Extra-firm Tofu Less water and doesn't absorb marinades the best
Super-firm Tofu Dense
Seasoned Tofu Variety of flavors like Teriyaki
Smoked Tofu Extra firm and smoky flavor
Tofu Pieces Pre-cut cubes of tofu sometimes seasoned
Prepping Tofu
Prepping and pressing your tofu is one of the most important steps in most recipes. There are tofu presses you can buy, but you can simply press the tofu with paper towels or a kitchen towel to get some of the liquid out. You can also put a towel over the tofu and put something heavy on top of the towel so that it does in fact get pressed. But I don't really worry about this that much. Sometimes I press it just a little bit and I've never had a problem. The only problem with this is if you're weighing your food and counting your macros- if you don't press out the liquid enough, you won't be eating that much tofu if you're limiting yourself to a certain weight for each food.
A lot of people say tofu is tasteless. Isn't chicken and meat pretty tasteless, too, without all the herbs and spices people use to bathe it in? The great thing is that tofu is so versatile and you can do so many things with it!
Here are just 5 ways you can use tofu
Smoothies. Use silken tofu. Yes, silken tofu works great in smoothies and it gives your smoothie a yogurt-like consistency! Here's a really great smoothie recipe that's easy!
Tofu Scramble. Use firm tofu. Here's my favorite tofu scramble recipe.
Pudding. Use silken tofu. Here is a really easy recipe for Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding!
Tofu Curry. Use firm tofu. Here is a great curry recipe!
Popcorn Chick'n Tofu. Use firm or extra firm. A great substitute for fried and popcorn chicken-without the chicken and without the deep frying! See below.
This Popcorn Tofu Recipe is loved by everyone and I am constantly being asked about it. You don't need to deep fry it and no air fryer is required. Enjoy!
The Secret: Saute THEN Bake!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 block of extra firm (or firm) tofu
1 tbsp flour
1 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oil (avocado, olive, canola, etc.) or cooking spray (spray on top of the tofu as well)
Spice blend: 1 tsp each of garlic powder and paprika + pinch of salt. I also like to add white pepper powder and onion powder if I have it.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400F
Squeeze some of the liquid out of the tofu - use a tofu press or press it with paper towels/cloth towel. Don't worry about this too much- sometimes I don't press the tofu that much to get the liquid out and it works just fine.
Over medium heat add oil.
Break apart tofu in small-medium pieces to expose the rough texture inside and add to pan with spices and soy sauce following and mix well.
Turn to low-medium and saute for 5 minutes and add flour- make sure the flour coats every or most of the tofu-add more if needed.
Saute for about 5 more minutes and stir occasionally.
Put tofu in single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or use a spray (if you use a spray, you can also spray the tops of the tofu if you want) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until it's golden brown and crispy.
Helpful tips: I don't recommend using a whole block of tofu at a time because it's harder to saute and evenly coat. Only use a whole block if you have a large pan and want to double the other ingredients. When you're done sauteing the tofu it won't be crispy - don't worry. You can add more flour but I find that 1 tbsp is just enough.