Peanut Noodles with Tofu

This was a great easy lunch prep I found - original recipe from My Food Story

Peanut Noodles with Tofu

Ingredients

Sesame Peanut Sauce

½ cup Peanut butter

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

¼ cup Light low sodium Soy Sauce

¼ cup Rice Vinegar

1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes

2 tablespoons Maple Syrup or Honey

2-3 Garlic Cloves roughly chopped

1 knob Ginger peeled and roughly chopped

Other Ingredients

1 tablespoon Oil

350 gms Firm Tofu cut into small pieces 

Zucchinis spiralized or rice/GF noodles

Sesame Seeds and Green Onions for topping

Method

In a blender or add all the ingredients for the sauce along with a splash of water and blend till smooth. Set aside ¼ cup sauce and divide the rest in the mini sauce containers.

Heat oil in a pan and add the tofu. (I also like to bake instead of fry - 20 mins turning half way at 375F).

As soon as the tofu is a very light brown, add ¼ cup sauce to the pan and toss the tofu in it. 

Cook everything on low heat, the sauce will start to evaporate and slowly it will start turning into golden brown and sticking to the pan and tofu. 

Things will become crispy and you finally you'll be left with crispy browned bits of tofu in the pan.

To assemble the meal prep containers, divide zucchini noodles in the containers. 

Divide the tofu amongst the containers and place the mini sauce containers on one side. 

Place the lid and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Fermented Tofu

 Also known as Stinky Tofu this pungent condiment is used for many Asian recipes. It's an acquired taste but not similar to a pungent cheese. I love it as a base for sauces or on top of morning Congee! Original recipe from Full of Plants.

Fermented Tofu

Ingredients

1 pound firm tofu, cut in half

4 cups water

1 tbsp salt

optional: 1/4 cup chili flakes

Brine

1 and 1/2 cup water

3 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup vodka (or 1/2 cup rice wine)

Method

Before starting use gloves when handling the tofu to prevent bad bacteria and mold from growing.

Bring 4 cups of water with one tablespoon of salt to a boil in a medium size sauce pan. Once boiling, add the tofu and boil for 4 minutes.

Remove the tofu from the water and place it on a few sheets of kitchen paper towel. Top with more kitchen paper towel and place a heavy weight on it to press the tofu and remove excess water. I usually use an iron skillet. Let it drain for about 90 minutes, changing the paper towel as needed if it becomes too wet.

Line a large plate with two layers of kitchen paper towel, or a clean towel. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place the cubes on the plate, leaving about 1 inch between each cube, so they don't touch each other. Top with another sheet of kitchen paper towel and cover the whole plate with plastic film. The plastic film will prevent bad bacteria from reaching the tofu.

Place the plate in a dark place at 77-86°F (25-30°C) and let it ferment for 2 to 3 days. The tofu will have taken a light orange color and will have a stinky smell. You may also see some white mold as well, this is okay. If you see blue or dark mold, scrape it off.

Prepare the brine: combine 1 and 1/2 cup of water with the salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Once boiling, remove from heat and let it cool completely. Add the vodka and stir to combine.

Transfer the stinky tofu to clean glass jars. If you want to make it spicy, dip each tofu cube in chili flakes before putting it in the jars. Pour the brine into the jars to cover the tofu. Close the jars with a lid and place in a dark cool place (around 68°F - 20°C) for at least 3 weeks. The longer you let it ages, the stronger and softer your tofu will be.

For extra flavor, you can add about 1/2 tsp of sesame oil into each jar after the 3 weeks have passed.

Use this fermented tofu to make dipping sauces, to top rice, add to vegan cheeses, use in marinades, soups, etc.

NOTES

For a quick dipping sauce, mash one cube of fermented tofu in a small bowl. Add about 1 tsp of lime juice, 1 tsp of sugar, and sliced chili to taste. Feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of water to taste if it's too salty. Use this sauce to dip steamed or roasted vegetables.

Mini Potato & Spinach Fritattas

Adapted from a recipe on The Spruce.

Mini Potato & Spinach Fritattas

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil (or other cooking oil)
1 onion (chopped small)
4 green onions (chopped, separate the greens from the bottom)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 medium potatoes (thinly sliced)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper (divided)
1 12 oz. package tofu (firm, drained and pressed)
2-3 Tbls soy sauce
4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1/2 cup wilted spinach
Optional: cheese


Method

First, drain and press your tofu. Most tofu will taste best if you press it first because tofu is like a sponge - the more water you gently press out of it, the more delicious flavors it can soak up!

Once your tofu is well-pressed, pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large frying pan, sautee the onions, garlic, and bottoms of the green onions in olive oil for 2-3 minutes.

Add potatoes, salt and pepper, and sautee for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are golden brown.

Blend tofu, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast in a food processor or blender until well mixed. Mixture will be somewhat thick. Add green onions and potatoes and pour into a greased pie pan.

Cook 45-50 minutes, until top is firm and cooked all the way through.

While your frittata is still hot, sprinkle the top with

A Guide to Tofu

So if you've never used tofu it can seem a bit daunting. If you've tasted tofu and not liked it, you haven't had it made well. Tofu can be use in literally a thousand different recipes and is extremely versatile. Essentially it's soy bean curd and comes in different forms ranging from very soft (silken) to hard (extra firm). You can also buy tofu that is already grilled or fried, a lot of options in your local Asian market. The great thing about tofu is that it really doesn't have a taste so it takes on whatever taste you throw at it. Soy gets a bad wrap because of studies that were done involving hormonal cancers. Those studies were done on people taking supplements that contained very concentrated doses of soy, far more than you could eat in a day. Asian countries have almost no instances of cancers. Also all soy made in the USA is non-GMO. The GMO stuff is feed to livestock...so as a vegan it's nothing you need to worry about!
Lets get started!

Silken Tofu

Soft or Silken tofu is used for making desserts, smoothies, soups and as an egg substitute. You will find a multitude of recipes online but here are just a few;

Spicy Scrambled Eggs

"Lobster" Bisque

French Toast

Medium Firm Tofu

Medium firm is great for when you want a bit spongy and a bit firm and need it to soak up the flavour while retaining it's shape. So for things like stir fries, soups or curries this is great. Also medium has more give and bend than firm tofu so is more rubbery and less likely to crumble. this makes it perfect for cheese substitutes in terms of texture.

NOTE: Anything that is medium and harder needs to be pressed. To press your tofu, drain it well and place of a few layers of paper towels on a plate plate or chopping board. Add another few layers of paper towel on the top of the tofu covering with a flat board or plate. Then press by adding a heavy item to the top, a large jar etc. Then wait 10 minutes.

Thai Yellow/Red Curry

Black Pepper Tofu with Coconut Rice

Palak "Paneer"

Vegan Halloumi Cheese

Firm & Extra Firm Tofu

Honestly I'm not too sure on the difference between all the firm varieties except for preference. Firm and Extra Firm will do the same job in terms of keep shape and sometimes the super firm is too firm for me. Firm tofu is the one I find myself using the most. It keeps its shape beautifully and therefore is easy to sear and bake. It's great for quiche, stir fries, faux meats and scrambles! 

Tofu actually takes on a completely different texture when it's been frozen and then defrosted. Kind of a spongy texture so great for soups and curries but not as great for firm needs.

Tofu Turkey

Quiche & Frittata

Pad Thai

Generals Tso's Tofu (Fried Tofu)

Teriyaki Tofu (great for sushi rolls!)

Spicy Smoky Tofu Jerky

Marinated Tofu is also awesome for your choice of bowls...

A Guide to Bowls

This bowl has tempeh instead of tofu. 

Tempeh is made from soy beans also but has not been as heavily processed and is slightly fermented. It has a more distinct flavour than tofu but is considered a healthier option. Try steaming your tempeh before use for a more neutral flavour.

Orange Glazed Tempeh

You can buy already baked tofu which is rubbery and great for certain recipes such as Pad Thai or Japanese Carrot & Tofu Dish.

Japanese Carrot & Tofu Dish

You can also buy puffy fried tofu from the Asian supermarket...fantastic for curries, stir fries and soups because it soaks up all the flavours!

Panang Curry

Cashew Chilli Jam Stir Fry

You can also buy soy bean skins or curd to use in many Asian recipes such as my favourite - Tofu Skin Rolls found at Dim Sum/Yum Cha;

A typical Inari Sushi is made of sushi rice wrapped inside the seasoned deep-fried tofu pockets called “Inari Age” which you can get at an Asian market. These sushi boats have a sweet taste.

So there you are! A multitude of options when dealing with tofu. Here are some more tofu & tempeh recipes!

Just have fun with it and enjoy the possibilities!

General Tso's Tofu

This seems to be a favourite among my kids when we eat out, even thought I'm sure it's not at all traditionally Chinese. I thought I'd try making it myself and it was so easy and tasted pretty good. Kind of a sweet and sour sauce with soy sauce mixed in. Adapted from original recipe on Dinner Then Dessert.

General Tso's Tofu

Ingredients

12 oz of faux chicken or tofu, cut into cubes or strips
1/4 cup cornstarch
oil for frying

1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 cloves garlic , minced

For the Sauce:*
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch


Method

Toss the tofu/faux chicken with the cornstarch in a ziplock bag and shake to combine (or you can do it individually in a bowl).
Heat the oil, enough to shallow/deep fry to medium-high.
For the sauce add the rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, water, sugar and tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together.
Add the tofu/faux chicken to a pan with the oil and fry until golden.
Remove tofu/faux chicken from the pan and  place on paper towels to catch excess oil.
Drain all but a tablespoon of the oil and add the chili flakes, ginger and garlic.
Cook until you smell the garlic (about 30 seconds).
Add in the tofu/faux chicken and toss, then add in the sauce.
Stir for about 30 seconds until thickened.
Serve immediately.

*You can make the sauce in advance in a small saucepan, bringing to bowl and then simmering, stirring/whisking constantly until thickens.

Tiny Tofu Squares

These were inspired by a mother at the baby gym we go to. They are super easy to make, easy for little fingers, soft for chewing and delicious as well! I am willing to admit I steal a few out of his bowl, they are so good!

Tiny Tofu Squares

Ingredients

1 block of tofu (I used firm but the mother used soft so the choice is yours!)
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
2 Tbls coconut aminos or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Coconut oil


Method

Press your tofu well if you are using medium- firm tofu.
Slice tofu into small squares around 1/4".
In a food storage container place the tofu squares, garlic and aminos.
Put the lid on tight and shake gently to coat the tofu in the marinade.
Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer.
Use a tsp of coconut oil in a not stick frying pan and heat on low-medium.(You can easily do this with out oil as well).
Place a layer of tofu squares on the frying pan, it may need two batches depending on the size of your pan.
Let lightly sear on all sides (a couple minutes per side) before moving to paper towel to cool.
Serve at room temperature or heat slightly in the microwave when serving.
Not all the sides need to sear, they will still taste great!

Vegan Pad Thai

This is a veganized version of this traditional street Pad Thai from RinS Cookbook on YouTube. There is a little note about the ingredients list at the end. This is worth the hassle especially when you can freeze your extra sauce (it doesn't freeze completely so make sure you have a well sealed container). This really tastes amazing, completely authentic, well as authentic as you can get once you've veganized it ;)

Pad Thai
Serves 4

Ingredients

227g Pad Thai rice noodles (dried)
Vegan scrambled eggs (optional)
1/2 cup Pad Thai sauce (recipe below)
1 block extra firm or pressed tofu
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Water
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbls sweet pickle radish
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 Tbls crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 cup garlic chives or green onion
2 cups bean sprouts
1 shallot, chopped finely
Cilantro for serving
Lime wedges for serving


Method

Soak rice noodles in cold water for 45 minutes.
Chop shallots and garlic finely.
Dice or slice tofu. I baked mine first to give them a rubbery texture but you could also fry them or just add them straight in.
Remove the bottom of the garlic chives, you only want the green part.
Slice the green parts into 1 inch pieces.
Have all ingredients ready to go before starting.
Add oil on a medium heat to a wok or a large flat frying pan.
Add shallots and garlic.
Add tofu and pickled radish.
Drain your noodles and add them with a couple of tablespoons of water.
Add half of the Pad Thai Sauce and mix through then add the rest of the sauce.
Taste the noodles to make sure they are cooked if not add some more water.
Add your vegan egg if you're using it. You can scramble it before hand or you can add it to a side of the pan to cook and place the noodles over the top.
Add chilli flakes and 1 Tbls peanuts.
Add chives and bean sprouts.
Serve with cilantro, peanuts and lime wedges.

Pad Thai Sauce
(this makes around 2 cups, I freeze the extra)

Ingredients

1 cup tamarind pulp*
1.5 cup palm sugar 
1 cup vegan sugar
1 cup vegan fish sauce


Method

Add all ingredients to pan on a medium- high heat bring to a boil.
Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 10 minutes then allow to cool.

Note About Ingredients

Tamarind Pulp - You can buy this in a can but the homemade version is better and cheaper. I buy a package of tamarind paste like below and using about half the package for the above Pad Thai Sauce recipe I soak it in hot water for around 30 minutes. The ratio is around 6oz tamarind paste to 6fl oz hot water. Once the water has cooled and the paste has softened I manipulate the paste with my fingers to mix with the water.

Then I press it through a colander to remove the seeds and then again through a sieve to get just the paste. This is time consuming but worth the wait!

Vegan Fish Sauce - There are many recipes online for vegan fish sauce so if you can't buy one you can make it yourself. I was fortunate enough to still have some of this vegan fish sauce that I bought in Australia at Green Gourmet, Newtown which is amazing!! In the States 24 Vegan - Vegan Fish Sauce I've found to be pretty good (the Ocean Halo one is horrible - don't bother)

 I added a little bit of Ume Plum Vinegar which tastes like fishy salty water but not exactly fish sauce.

Palm sugar you can buy from an Asian store, it's from a different palm tree to palm oil so no endangering animals habitats :)

Sweet Pickled Radish - I had a hard time finding any recipes online that I thought were authentic because I wanted to make it myself. I bought this from an Asian store but I wasn't sure about whether or not the sugar component was vegan. I couldn't find much on whether Thailand's sugar is vegan or not. You can alternatively leave it out.

Vegan scrambled eggs - I left this part out but you could add tofu scrambled "eggs" or use Follow Your Heart Vegan Eggs.

Chinese Cabbage, Shitake & Tofu Salad

This recipe comes from Karen Martini's cookbook "Salads & Vegetables". The salad was really good but it was time consuming, the ingredients are a bit pricey and it's really only good same day so a perfect salad to impress guests but not a staple ;)

Chinese Cabbage, Shitake & Tofu Salad

Ingredients

100 ml virgin olive oil
60 ml light tamaro soy sauce
10 cm ginger, peeled and finely julienned (I grated mine)
2 teaspoons vegan sugar
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 clove garlic, finely grated
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ lime, juiced
salt flakes
15 fresh shiitake mushrooms, cut in quarters
1 green chilli, finely sliced
½ napa/Chinese cabbage, leaves trimmed
15 cm piece daikon, sliced into ribbons
100 grams pressed (dry, firm) tofu, diced (I fried mine up a bit to give them texture)
1 bunch Thai basil, picked
6 sprigs dill, picked
6 sprigs mint, picked
2 tablespoons sesame seeds


Method

Make the dressing by combining the oil, soy, ginger, sugar, pepper, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice and a little salt.
Then add the mushrooms and the chilli to the dressing, toss to coat and let sit for 5 minutes or so.
Remove around half of the wombok leaves and lay on your serving platter. Shred the remaining cabbage and add to the mushroom mixture along with the daikon, tofu and half the herbs.
Toss through to coat well.
Pile the salad onto the whole wombok leaves, top with the remaining herbs, sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top and serve straightaway – it is much better fresh and crunchy.

The Mega Burrito Bowl

This is a makeshift version of the burrito bowl I always get when I go to Moe's. It's so delicious and filling and easily interchangeable depending on your taste preferences.Servings wise you get around 4 large servings here. Or 1-2 in my greedy ass case...

The Mega Burrito Bowl

Ingredients

Spanish Rice (I used black rice in this version and omitted the onions as I was already frying onion)
Black or kidney beans (already prepared - I cooked my black beans in vegetable stock)
Savoury Tofu Strips
1 onion, sliced
1-2 green or red peppers, cored and sliced thinly
10 medium sized white or brown mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup cooked corn kernals
Salsa of choice (I like it with pineapple, peach or mango)
Pico de gallo (mine was just chopped tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and lime juice)
Guacamole
Cilantro (to serve)
Lime wedge (to serve)
Oil for frying


Method

It's best to prepare the beans in advance as they can take a while unless you're using canned!
I prepared the beans, then the rice followed by the tofu and then set aside.

You can also make up your salsa, pico and guacamole in advance and refrigerate.
In a medium frying pan add 2 Tbls oil and fry the peppers and onion together on a medium heat until cooked through, onion should be clear, then set aside..
In a medium saucepan add 1 Tbls oil and fry mushrooms and garlic on a medium heat until mushrooms are soft, then set aside.

I like the cooked items to be warm when I eat this burrito bowl so I prepare each bowl with a serving of spanish rice (around 1/4 cup), beans (around 1/4 cup), mushrooms, onions, peppers, corn and olives and then microwave for 1 minute.
Then I top with the refrigerated items, pico (around 1/4 cup), salsa (around 1/4 cup), guacamole (pretty much as much as I feel like) and then serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Savoury Tofu Strips

This is a great recipe for tofu that gives it more flavour to add to anything you like. Especially works well in Mexican style dishes such as tacos and burrito bowls!

Savoury Tofu Strips

Ingredients

1x 16oz tub of extra firm tofu
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sambal olak or chili paste (opinional for spice)
1 Tbls rice vinegar or sake
2 Tbls oil for frying


Method

Drain and press your tofu for at least 10 minutes.
Meawhile mix together the dry spices.
When tofu is ready cut into thin strips, shreds, small cubes or crumble.
Heat oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat.
Add tofu and let brown for 3 minutes.
Add in dry spices coating well and fry for another few minutes.
Add in the ginger, garlic, rice vinegar and sambal olak.
Once tofu is nicely browned on all sides and covered in seasonings then remove from heat and enjoy.