How To Cook & Use Tofu | 5 Easy Recipes

Hey everyone, it's Jasmine and Chris. Welcome back to another video. In today's video we are talking all about tofu. We asked you if you wanted us to do a video like this and so many people said yes, so here we are. We're going to be using different types of tofu like silken, medium, firm, extra firm, and we're also going to be showing you different methods on how to prepare them. The reason why we wanted to do this video is because there's a misconception that tofu is gross. People say that it is bland and of course it is bland. It's literally just soybeans and there's no seasoning, no flavoring, so you gotta season it. Tofu makes a great base for so many recipes depending on how you season it. You can actually use it in both savory and sweet applications. We're going to show you both today and hopefully this video will convince you that tofu is delicious and get you to try more tofu recipes. 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So if you're new to tofu you may get confused when you go to the store and you see all the different varieties of tofu and you may not know which one you should choose for the recipe that you are making so we are going to go over four different types before we get into the video and the different tofu varieties vary depending on their firmness and the amount of moisture in them. Also on some tofu packages there is a firmness meter so the higher the firmness the lower the amount of moisture and vice versa so that's something you can also take a look at as well. So first we have silken tofu and silken tofu is the softest tofu. This is an undrained and unpressed Japanese style tofu and it has the highest water content therefore it has a custardy texture. This is great in blended foods like smoothies, desserts, puddings. Today we're going to use it in a mousse. You could also use it in savory applications like dressings, sauces, and dips. You may also come across soft tofu at the store and soft tofu is the Chinese equivalent to silken tofu. It's less smooth but it can be used in the same exact way. Next we have medium tofu and medium tofu is denser than silken tofu but it is still pretty delicate and the reason why we're using this is when you freeze it and you thaw it and you do that once more it makes the perfect vegan chicken texture. We learned this from Mary's Test Kitchen and she experimented with it and she discovered that medium tofu was the best option for that. It can also work well in gently simmered soups. Next up we have firm tofu and firm tofu can be used in many different ways. It can be pan fried, it can be stir fried, even crumbled into tofu scramble or in the video today we're going to show you how to make some taco meat with it and it absorbs flavors really well and it has great texture. I feel like it's kind of a basic form of tofu. This is our go-to in this house and this is the one I would recommend for beginners. Lastly we have extra firm tofu and extra firm tofu out of all these is the most dense and it has the least amount of liquid. Extra firm tofu holds its shape really well and it's great for slicing, cubing, pan frying, stir frying, and deep frying. You can also use it to bake or grill and you can also crumble it like firm as well. Firm and extra firm are pretty interchangeable in different recipes. The only thing is extra firm doesn't absorb marinades as easily as firm so just keep that in mind if you want a more flavorful tofu if you're going to marinate it, firm tofu may be your best bet. The first tofu preparation method we are covering in today's video is pan fried. I feel like this is the most simple and straightforward method and it doesn't require many tools or ingredients so we're going to be making an easy lemongrass tofu today from our blog and we're using firm tofu for this but you can also use extra firm as well. Let's just dive into it. The first step to this recipe is actually to press our tofu and you're going to be doing this for a few other recipes in this video as well and the reason why you need to press tofu is think of tofu like a sponge. You want to drain out all the flavorless liquid and then replace that liquid with a flavorful marinade so that your tofu tastes good. So to start we're going to cut open our tofu container and we're going to drain out all the liquid. Remove the tofu from the container and wash the bottom of it and then you're going to take a sharp knife and carefully cut some holes on the bottom. Place that onto a lipped plate or a baking dish and then place the tofu on top along with a clean kitchen towel and some heavy flat objects and allow that to press for about 30 minutes to an hour. Once the tofu is pressed you're going to cut it based on the requirements of your recipe. So for this recipe you just need to simply dice it so that's what we're going to do here. First up I'm adding some oil to my pan. I'm going to add in my pressed tofu in a single layer and we're going to saute this until it's nice and golden flipping often so that it gets golden on all sides. We're also going to add a pinch of salt to that as well. Once the tofu is golden I'm going to remove that from the pan and set it aside. To the same pan I'm going to add another tablespoon of oil and once this is heated up I'm adding in some garlic, green onion, lemongrass, some red chilies, and some ginger. I'm going to cook this until it's nice and fragrant and soft. Once that's all cooked my pan I'm adding in some soy sauce, some maple syrup, and sesame oil. Then I'm going to add in my tofu and mix that all together and we're going to cook this for about a minute more just to reheat the tofu and get it all nice and flavored and you're ready to serve. You gotta get the rice in there. Oh my gosh so good man. This tofu is a great base for so many things. You can add whatever sauce you want. Wow. It's so good. Does anybody else think that lemongrass tastes and smells like Lucky Charms? Trix. Trix. It does. Definitely does. Oh my gosh. I could eat this all day. This would be great for meal prep too I feel like. You just make a big batch, keep it in the fridge, serve it in like a veggie bowl. I know I would love this with some veggies. We didn't have any broccoli today. That would have been perfect with this. Broccoli, cucumber, carrots. Now we're going to show you a baked tofu method and this method not only checks that box but it also checks a few other boxes as well. It is no press so you don't have to waste any time pressing out any of the liquid. It's also gluten-free so if you are allergic to gluten, have a sensitivity, or just want to avoid it, this is a perfect recipe for that. And also it requires just one sheet pan to make it and also one bowl to prep it so it is very simple, very straightforward, and this recipe is really good for beginners and it is so good. Don't let the tofu fool you like we mentioned in the intro. It is packed with flavor and I honestly was mind blown when we prepped this and when we tested this and I was like why didn't we do this sooner? It's so good. It's unbelievable and the way it looks too. It looks just like taco meat. It's a winner. So the recipe is linked down below on our blog so let's get into it. So first you're going to remove your firm tofu from the package. No need to press it and then crumble that directly into a large bowl. Next I'm adding in some tomato sauce along with some apple cider vinegar, some tamari or soy sauce if you're not gluten-free, oil, and then some chili powder, cumin, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, black pepper, dried oregano, some diced onions, finely minced garlic, and that's it. Mix it together until it is nice and uniform and then transfer this to a lined baking sheet and spread it out in a single layer as thin as possible. We're going to pop that into the oven and bake it until it's nice and golden brown and you have yourself some vegan taco meat. You can serve this however you'd like. We served ours with some diced onions, cilantro, and some lime juice. I'm really excited. This looks so good. The way the tofu crisped up and like looked from the oven. Oh my god. I can't wait. That is so good. The key is not to dry out the tofu too much. Without pressing the tofu, it retains that moisture. Makes it nice and juicy. Yeah. I think if you were to press this and then cook it, it might get too dry. It's also gluten-free so very cool. If you do have a gluten allergy or sensitivity. All right, on to the next recipe. The next way we're going to show you how to prep tofu is in a handy dandy air fryer. We love making our tofu in here because it gets so crispy, so crunchy, so good and it's a really great way to make tofu to snack on, to put tofu into salads, into pastas. There's so many different things that you can do with this crunchy tofu so let's get started. So in my bowl, I'm going to be adding in some soy sauce. Then I have some olive oil. You can use any oil of your choice and then we're adding in some red wine vinegar. If you don't have red wine, balsamic would be a great alternative. Then we have some nutritional yeast, some Italian seasoning and if you don't have this, you can also add some individual dried herbs as well. Some red pepper flakes, garlic powder and then some onion powder, some salt and pepper and then last but not least, we have our cornstarch. Just mix that all together until nice and uniform and then I'm going to add in some tofu. This is also pressed like our first recipe. Press it the exact same way and then I just cut it into cubes and then now I'm just going to gently toss this all together. You can also put all of this into a reusable Ziploc bag. We love stasher bags and that would be great to just add in and shake everything up but I'm doing it in a bowl today just to show you that option as well. So I like to let my tofu sit in this mixture for about 10 minutes and now I'm going to pop it into my air fryer and when you're putting it in your air fryer, you have to make sure that it's not overcrowded and you're only doing a single layer of tofu. So I'm just going to air fry this for about 20 minutes. It may depend on your air fryer so just feel it out, check on it and air fry it for less time or more time depending on your air fryer and we're also going to make sure to flip it halfway through. So I just gotta say I know these aren't the cutest tofu's in the world but tofu's don't judge a book by its cover. Trust me. Also I do have to say when we were testing this recipe earlier this week, I had it cold out of the fridge the next day and it tasted so good. It wasn't as crispy obviously because it's been in the fridge but I don't know, it tasted like really good cold and leftover so good to know. Do you want to try that? I need to finish chewing. Honestly this is so good as just a snack. I could just watch TV and eat these like popcorn. I'd want to dip it in something I think. Yeah this would be really good with the sauce like a creamy sauce oh my god fettuccine alfredo or like dipped in pesto or something or like in a salad with ranch. Ooh salad with ranch that'd be so good. So the next tofu preparation method we're covering in today's video is deep frying. We're actually going to make a veganized KFC fried chicken and don't let the tofu fool you this is some of the best vegan chicken I've ever had and I also want to mention if you don't like deep frying we have an air fryer option for this recipe as well. I really love this recipe. I think it's one of the best I've ever created and a lot of people say it tastes just like chicken or what they remember chicken tasting like so if you do make it let us know. I think you'll really enjoy it. So this recipe does require some prep a few days before and it is not difficult but it does take some time so you're going to take your tofu and pop it into the freezer let that completely freeze and then remove it from the freezer and then you're going to do that one more time so freezing the tofu actually draws out a lot of liquid it helps the tofu become nice and porous and it just gives it that chickeny texture that we want so you don't want to skip out on that because it won't turn out the same so we did that over the last two days and the tofu is now ready so once you have taken the tofu out and thawed it you're going to drain out all the liquid and then you're going to just press out the liquid from the tofu you can actually do this with your hands it is very easy you just have to be very gentle with it you can also do it between two cutting boards if you'd like as well just squeeze out all the liquid and then we like to pat it with a clean towel just to make sure we get all that out so now we have our tofu we're going to break that up into some small pieces and add it to a baking dish next I have some vegan chicken broth we will link the one we use down below and this is not chicken but it just has the herbs and these spices to taste like a chicken broth it is very spot on and is very important in this recipe because it helps bring that flavor so I'm going to pour that over my tofu and soaking the tofu in this actually brings some moisture into the recipe it gives you that nice like juicy chicken texture it is very good and very spot on so we're going to set this aside next we're going to prepare vegan buttermilk this is super simple you just mix some non-dairy milk with some apple cider vinegar mix it and set it aside to curdle next up I'm prepping the dry ingredients so this recipe is all about the seasoning blend the seasoning blend in the dry mixture is what really makes this taste like KFC fried chicken so you don't want to skip out on anything if you can so first we're going to add some all-purpose flour to a bowl and then for my seasonings I have some Italian seasoning paprika mustard powder garlic salt celery salt ginger black pepper and white pepper and I'm just going to mix that all together until it is nice and uniform the next step is to bread our tofu so I set up an assembly line I have the tofu in the broth then I have my buttermilk mixture the dry mixture that we made and then just something to put the tofu on after I dredge it and everything also a tip that Chris taught me is to use dry forks and wet forks because if you use the same one gets clumpy and messy and this is just cleaner so we're going to grab our piece of tofu and then just squeeze out the extra liquid and then first we're going to dunk this in the buttermilk mixture just use our fork to toss it around and then we're going to get that and drop that into the dry mixture and then using our dry forks we're going to coat the piece make sure it's nice and well coated and then we're just going to grab that and set it aside and I'm going to continue with the remaining tofu and next we're going to bread our tofu once again this is a double battered recipe before we double batter it we're going to actually add something else to the flour mixture and this is the key to making it nice and crispy and having that flaky texture and what we're going to add is some corn flakes so I'm just going to take the corn flakes and crush them in my hands and add it to the bowl and it's okay if you get some big pieces in there you don't want them to be super uniform because that's what gives the chicken the flaky texture and we're just going to batter that once more so we're going to dunk our tofu into the buttermilk mixture and then into the flour and cornflake mixture and then back onto our rack we're getting ready to fry our tofu and we just want to make sure that it's at the right temperature so we just have a little scrap from the tofu we breaded and we're just going to dip it in the oil and as long as it's bubbling which it is we know we are good to go I'm so excited I'm so ready I'm eating mine with ketchup of course I don't think you want I'm just going to have mine as is I want like extra crispy this one's super crispy this I love the way it looks the smaller the pieces are like the tofu pieces the I feel like the crispier it is yeah totally oh my god look at the inside too this is so good doesn't get any better bringing back to my childhood my mom used to buy kfc we're going to the park with some rice wouldn't let her eat the skin now like the coating you would literally peel the skin off then I like the breading and everything yeah I was sad and like we mentioned earlier we do have an air fryer option if you want to air fry next tofu preparation method we're covering in this video is a blended recipe and we're also going to be making a dessert so silken tofu is the star of the show for this recipe and we're going to be making a pumpkin chocolate mousse tart this is such a great dessert to make and it's so easy to put together plus it is high in protein it is super creamy and no one would ever know that there's tofu in it so let's get started so to get started we're going to prep our crust and to my food processor I'm going to be adding in some hazelnuts some rolled oats coconut oil maple syrup and a pinch of salt and I'm going to process that until it is nice and uniform and you'll know it's done when the crust sticks together when you squeeze it between your fingers next I have a greased tart pan and I'm going to add my crust into that and press it in tightly and we want to evenly distribute it make sure there's no holes and make sure that you're going up the side so you have a nice crust on the edges and then we're just going to pop this into the oven to bake so as the crust cools we're going to prep our filling and all you need is a high speed blender to do this so to my blender I'm adding in my silken tofu along with some melted dark chocolate then some pumpkin puree maple syrup for a sweetener some vanilla extract pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon and then some espresso powder and then I'm going to blend this all together until it is nice and smooth once your crust has cooled we're going to pour in our filling and we're going to spread that out until it's nice and even and it's going to seem loose at first but once you pop it in the fridge and let it set it's going to have that perfect mousse consistency and it's going to be so good so the tart is now set and now it is time to decorate it you could really do whatever you'd like with this you could also skip this step as well I am going to be putting some berries some extra hazelnuts and some mint on it and this is probably going to take me a while because I want it to be perfect so we're going to do a little time lapse here with you and show you the finished product ready I'm excited all right taste test time I love that it's sweet but not too sweet and you can really taste like the cinnamon and it's very well rounded the flavor it's not just sweetness you gotta try this thank you all so much for watching we hope you enjoyed this video if you did please give it a thumbs up if you can it really helps us out here on youtube and also consider subscribing down below if you aren't already subscribed let us know what your favorite recipe of the day was and let us know if you're going to try any of these also let us know if there's any tofu recipes that you make that you want us to try I'm always down to try a new tofu recipe I love tofu clearly as you saw in this video and I'm always open to trying something new yeah we appreciate you guys being here we love you and we'll see you soon bye