The Best Way To Cook Tofu

Organic tofu is one of the healthiest (and cheapest) proteins that you can incorporate into your diet.  When I talk to people about eating tofu, I often hear that maybe they've tried it in a restaurant and liked it but are intimidated to cook it at home because they just don't know what to do.  This blog is intended to bridge that gap by showing you the easiest way to cook tofu and how to incorporate it into a meal.

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's a lot recently because I discovered that they have the best prices on produce and I eat a ton of produce!  Here are the ingredients that you will need for this recipe:

1 package of organic firm tofu

1 bag of mixed frozen veggies

Trader Joe's Island Soyaki sauce (or any other low-fat sauce)

brown or black rice (not pictured)

Directions:

1.  Cut open the package of tofu and drain the water.

2.  Cut off 1/4 of the block of tofu if you are making 1 serving (use 1/2 of block for 2 servings) and put remaining 3/4 block of tofu back in original packaging.  Fill original packaging with fresh water and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week, changing the water daily.

3.  Slice tofu into 6 pieces.

4.  Heat non-stick pan to medium-high (I like to use my crepe pan for this because it's completely flat and the tofu never sticks to it).  Place tofu into pan.

5.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes until tofu just begins to brown.  This step helps get some of the excess water out of the tofu and prevents you from having to press the tofu prior to cooking.

6.  Pour your sauce of choice over the tofu.

7.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the pan side of the tofu browns. Using a sauce that has a little bit of sweetness to it, like Trader Joe's Island Soyaki, helps the caramelization process and gives your tofu a nice color.

8.  Flip tofu and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned.

9.  Serve over rice & veggies and pair with an apple for a healthy energizing meal.  This is GREAT for athletes!!!!

This is a very simple and quick cooking method that uses NO OIL!!!  It is also very easy to package this meal into a tupperware container and bring to work and heat up in the microwave later.  You can vary the types of sauce, veggies, and grains used in this recipe for literally endless possibilities.  Another idea that I've done recently is cook the tofu in BBQ sauce and then use it as the filling for veggie fajitas - I love the BBQ/Tex-Mex combo of flavors!  

I hope this helps inspire you to try cooking tofu at home because it really is easy peasy :)