Sauteed Tofu and Spinach

Another tofu dish everybody like, from Spark.

Ingredients

1 T. olive oil
Extra firm tofu, one 1 lb. block
Spinach, about 1 pound
Garlic, 3 cloves
Tamari soy sauce, reduced sodium, 3 tbls. -

I used regular gluten-free soy sauce.

Directions
 

Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large pan over mediium heat.
Cube a block of extra firm tofu and add to hot oil.
As the tofu heats, wash and de-stem the spinach, and tear up the larger pieces, then add it to the tofu.
Chop 3 cloves of garlic and add.
Lower heat and continue cooking until the spinach is wilted.
Drizzle with the soy sauce and serve.
Serves 4, about 1.5 cup servings.

Pork, Tofu and Eggplant Stir Fry

Tofu is a favorite for both my kids so I try to find different ways of cooking them and so far the recipes were a success in our house.  This is from casaveneracion.  I was not able to find the Asian eggplant and fish sauce, I used regular giant eggplant and soy sauce instead.

Ingredients

• 150 g. of pork (neck, tenderloin or butt will all work)
• about 1 tbsp. of patis (fish sauce)
• black pepper
• a generous pinch of sugar
• a 300-g. block of firm tofu
• 2 eggplants (the long Asian variety which are sweeter)
• 2 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 c. of chunky tomato sauce (see recipe for basic tomato sauce — just cook longer to make it chunky)
• about 1 and 1/2 c. of vegetable cooking oil
• finely sliced onion leaves, to garnish

Instructions

1. Cut the pork into thin, thin slices — less than a quarter of an inch thick if you can manage it. Season with fish sauce, pepper and a bit of sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan.
3. Cut the tofu into about 1 and 1/2 inch squares.
4. Split the eggplants into halves vertically then cut into 3/4 inch slices.
5. Chop the shallots and garlic.
6. When the oil is hot, fry the tofu until golden (see tips for frying tofu). Dump into a colander and set aside.
7. Reheat the oil and flash fry the eggplants for about a minute. Scoop out and drain on a stack of paper towels.
8. Pour off the oil until only about a tablespoonful remains.
9. Saute the shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add the pork slices and stir fry until the edges start to brown (thin slices of meat take a very short time to cook).
10. Return the tofu and eggplants to the wok or frying pan. Pour in the tomato sauce. Toss and cook until everything is heated through.
11. Turn off the heat. Taste and add more seasonings (fish sauce, sugar or pepper, or all of them), if needed.
12. Sprinkle with onion leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Tofu Cutlets Marsala

As I was surfing through the worldwide web for cooking inspiration, I found this recipe and I am glad I tried this. We all like Marsala and since the kids also like tofu, this turns out to be a good find.  Tofu from Shine.yahoo.com

Ingredients


1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained, rinsed and cut crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups sliced cremini or white mushrooms (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine (see Ingredient note)
1 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Procedure:

1.Preheat oven to 300°F.

2.Whisk 1/4 cup cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Pat tofu with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

3.Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge 4 tofu slices in the flour mixture, add them to the pan and cook until crispy and golden, about 3 minutes per side. Place the tofu on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the remaining tofu, adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent scorching.

4.Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallots and thyme to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots are slightly soft and beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Marsala and simmer until slightly reduced, about 1 minute.

5.Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch with broth and tomato paste in a small bowl. Stir into the mushroom mixture, return to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and glossy, about 4 minutes.

To serve, spoon the hot sauce over the tofu.

Tofu-Scallion Stir Fry

This Tofu Stir-Fry is very easy to make. This Tofu-Scallion Stir-Fry is so tasty.   I got this from about.com

Ingredients:

14 oz. (400 grams) tofu

1/2 cup scallions, sliced into 2 inch pieces
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. finely grated ginger root
2 T sesame oil ( I use stir-fry oil)
4 Tbsp. chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Preparation:

1. Drain tofu cakes by wrapping in paper towels and placing under a cutting board. Weigh down cutting board by placing some canned goods on top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Unwrap the tofu cakes. Cut the tofu into cubes of about 1/4 inch (1 centimeter). Set aside.

2. Cut scallions and set aside.

3. Mince garlic and ginger, and set aside.

4. Put oil in wok or heavy frying pan. Heat oil until very hot.

5. Add garlic and ginger. Heat about 10 seconds. Add tofu cubes and scallions. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, or until the tofu is golden brown.

6. Add the stock and soy. Stir until the liquid has been absorbed.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve tofu hot with rice.

Egg Drop Soup with Tofu

We usually have egg drop soup at restaurants so I thought of trying it.  Everybody loves it.  The egg drops are a little on the thicker side but that is due to not whisking the eggs quickly enough when I poured it in the pan.

Ingredients

4 cups Chicken Stock or Water
3 Large Eggs, beaten with a pinch of sea salt and white pepper
1 to 2 Scallions, sliced
Tofu sliced into serving sizes
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground White Pepper
Roasted Sesame Oil (optional)

Method

1. Bring Tofu with the chicken stock to a rolling boil. Slowly stream the egg into the stock and whisking  quickly with a fork to form fine shreds. Season the soup with sea salt.

2. To serve, top with chopped scallions, pepper and drizzle with sesame oil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Tofu Cutlet ala KCK

From Foodista. 

I tweaked this recipe just a little by sauteing green beans and onions in the same oil where I fried the tofu and added it on top of the tofu. 

Ingredients:

1 pound firm tofu

1 tablespoon Soy sauce

1 tablespoon Whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 tablespoon sesame oil or canola oil

1 tablespoon Saki or dry white wine

2 teaspoons Mirin sweet Japanese wine

1 green onion minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger root grated

Preparation:

1. Cut block of tofu lengthwise into 4 slices. If using medium tofu, wrap in a cloth and press with a 5 lb weight for about 20 minutes.

2. Put 1T of soy sauce in a dish and roll tofu slices in it until they are coated.

3. Combine whole wheat flour and cornmeal. Roll tofu in this mixture until they are evenly coated on all sides.

4. Heat oil in a skillet. If you don't want the oil, use a teflon pan. Fry on medium heat until tofu is golden brown on both sides.

5. Combine remaining soy sauce, sake and mirin. Drizzle over tofu slices.

6. Remove skillet from heat. To serve, sprinkle each slice with grated ginger, minced onion and spoon sauce from skillet over them.