Tofu

Tofu is one of those things that people either like or hate. I think of it as being in the brussel sprout category. I started cooking tofu a couple of years ago and haven’t stopped since. It’s a nice alternative to meat since it is full of protein and is very easy to cook. You can find it many times in soups (miso soup for example), salads, stir-frys or deep fried on its own.

I usually buy extra firm tofu since that keeps its shape and is easier to cook with. I drain the tofu and pat it dry really well. Then I marinade it in Asian spices (Chinese Five Spice powder, ground ginger and garlic), and sauces (soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame seed oil) for 3-5 days in the fridge. After that, I pat it dry again and sauté it in oil and serve with a side salad. This makes for a very satisfying and not heavy lunch.

You can also cut it into small cubes, roll it around in a dry rub (mixture of various spices) and stir fry along with other vegetables. Sprinkle the whole dish with white or black sesame seeds and you’ve got another fast and vegetarian-friendly dish.

My husband was fortunate to travel to China and Taiwan for business a couple of times and ate various tofu dishes there. Of course the authentic tofu dishes there are much better than what you’d order at a restaurant in the Western world but even so, I encourage you to try ordering it when eating out or cooking it at home. It is easy to prepare and healthy for you (if you are not deep-frying it). I even heard of blending it with fruit to make smoothies. Haven’t tried that myself but will do so soon since I’m on a smoothie roll right now. You never know, tofu might just surprise you.

Here are a couple of shots of Asian tofu dishes.

Fried Tofu

Tofu Soup