There is a great little bodega around the corner from my building that, while a bit more expensive than how I normally shop, it offers essentials including some vegan products like my favorite locally made tofu, vegan cheeses,and even coconut ice cream. I usually stop in for an emergency can of cat food and a bag of spinach or something. Just a couple essentials to get me by until I have time to go to the store again.

The other night I popped in to buy some of the aforementioned items. As I was checking out, the Ukrainian woman who was ringing me up picked up the tofu and said, “What do you do with this? I want to try, but don’t know how to make…”

I live for opportunities like this to explain to people all the different ways you can prepare tofu. It’s easy for me to forget that this food stuff is completely foreign to a lot of people, and though some may be curious and interested in plant alternative, often people do not know what to do or where to begin.

I started by explaining to her that tofu doesn’t really taste like much on its own, that it’s all about how you prepare it, that it has a similar texture to ricotta cheese and thus can be used as a cheese substitute, egg substitute or when seasoned and prepared properly can be a great substitute for animal protein. I’ve been a plant eater so long that it was good for me to explain to her some basic ways to prepare this vegetarian staple.

So now, I pass these ideas along to you. Here are three simple ways to prepare tofu.

Tofu Scramble

I started making this for brunch a long, long time ago. The first recipe for tofu scramble I made was out of the Post Punk Kitchen cookbook. It is a tried and true brunch classic and is a great substitute for scrambled eggs.

There are about a million variations out there on the internet, in cookbooks (including my own), on my website, and on Off the Water’s site.

These days, I don’t just eat this dish for breakfast, rather I make it for dinner, too. It’s a great way to use up all the random veggies you have in the fridge that are on the verge of going bad. You get all the vitamins and food groups you need a one skillet dish which is another huge plus! Keep it simple and don’t worry too much about sticking to the recipe.

If you are new to plant based eating, turmeric is key for giving the scramble a yellow color, nutritional yeast adds richness, and black salt an eggy-sulfuric flavor. Keep lemons or limes around to brighten the dish up and whether lunch or dinner, it never hurts to top a dish with green onion and avocado.

 

Baked Tofu

At least once a week I mix a slurry of Energ Egg Replacer and water, brush it on tofu, and then dip the tofu in either blackened spices or some other yummy coating and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. The blackened tofu is definitely my go to, but I’ve been trying to mix it up a bit lately. Having this flavored tofu around makes healthy meals in a hurry SO much easier.

Just throw the tofu on a salad, or pair with a green vegetable and quinoa for a balanced meal. This week I used Victoria Gourmet 7 Seed crust (available on amazon.com), but last week’s Buffalo Tofu Bites were the real prize winner. These scrumptious bites are actually a great appetizer for the holidays. Pair with a vegan ranch dipping sauce and you’re in business!

Baked Buffalo Tofu Bites

Yield: 2 dinner sized servings (about 12 ounces)

1 12 ounce package extra firm tofu, drained on a paper towel for about 20 minutes

(or just press lightly if the tofu isn’t too moist).

2 teaspoons Energ Egg Replacer + 4 tablespoons water

About 3-4 cups yellow cornmeal

About 2 cups Franks Red Hot or other hot sauce

About 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste (I suggest 1/2-3/4 teaspoon)

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Energ and water making a slurry. Next, poor the cornmeal in a medium sized mixing bowl.

2. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Dredge in the Energ-water slurry the place in the cornmeal bowl. When you have about half the tofu in there, toss gently, but well with tongs. Make sure all the pieces are coated and then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tofu then bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. The pieces should be starting to golden and any loose cornmeal crumbs will be browned.

3. Meanwhile, rinse out the cornmeal bowl and just use the same one to whisk together the Franks, oil, and sea salt. Give it a taste and adjust proportions as needed.

4. Remove the tofu bites from the oven and once again toss half of the tofu at a time using the tongs. Place back on the baking sheet and bake another 4-6 minutes until they are a little crispy. The total baked time should be between 15-20 minutes.

5. Drizzle with Tahini Dressing or place on toothpicks and dip in tahini or vegan ranch as an appetizer.

 

Tofuc Ricotta

Tofu ricotta is an excellent substitute for cheese in pasta dishes, casseroles, on pizza, or even as a salad and filling snack all on its own. I often make a batch with no real intention of what to do with it, and use it however I see fit throughout the week. There is a great recipe for it in The New Chicago Diner Cookbook, but I will include a variation I make with kale instead of spinach here.

Tofu and kale salad
Yield: about 4 cups salad
1 small yellow onion chopped
1 package extra firm tofu drained and crumbled
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. grapeseed oil
3 cups kale, washed, massaged and torn into 1/2-inch pieces

Drain tofu on a paper towel for 30 to 60 minutes. Heat a skillet over medium low.  Add the oil, and, once it’s warm, add the onion.  Saute the onion until nearly translucent, then add the garlic. Once this mixture cools, the tofu should be ready. Toss everything in a large mixing bowl. Combine thoroughly with clean hands. Enjoy as a snack, tossed in pasta or as a lasagna stuffing.

Kat Barry, a St. Joseph, Michigan native, is owner of Kat’s Hot Cakes vegan catering, and co author of “The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat Free Recipes from America’s Veggie Diner.” She also develops recipes for eHow.com, where you can find over 30 of her vegan instructional cooking videos. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Kat currently resides in Chicago, and in her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, sampling local spirits, listening to live music, and getting outdoors. Follow @katshotcakes on twitter. Kat can be reached via email at: kat@katshotcakes.com.