Wonderful Tofu

Tofu is a wonderful thing. It is made from soybeans. It is 99% protein, fat free and full of wonderful vitamins and minerals and some of those other little bitty things that are good for you. Tofu has no flavor in its raw state. It take up the flavors of the foods you prepare it with, or you can marinade it. Tofu is also completely allergen free. This is why lactose intolerant folks drink soymilk.

Tofu comes in many forms, and can be substituted for meat, pasta, yoghurt, mayonnaise and many other things (only limited by your imagination). If you are in the US outside of areas with large Asian populations, you may have only seen it in Tetrapak bricks. Inside these bricks you may find a soft cake of tofu in 'soft', 'medium' or 'firm' variety. If you wish to replace your wheat pasta with a non-allergenic variation, there is dried tofu in all the same forms as most popular wheat pastas available.

I enjoy taking a brick or two of extra firm tofu, removing it from the package and gently squeezing out what liquid will drain. I then wrap it in a paper towel and place it in the freezer overnight. Next morning, I remove the tofu brick, and let it reach 35°F-45°F, and then gently squeeze the moisture out. When I say "squeeze", I'm not speaking of squashing it into pulp, but rather gently pressing it with your flat hand. This freezing/pressing process repeats for 5 days.
After 5 days of freezing/squeezing the tofu, we've gotten most of the liquid out of it, and have some very very 'dry' and firm tofu. I then cut it up into 1" cubes (2.5cm) and deep fry them in your favorite healthy frying oil. The tofu will not soak up ANY oil, and will be tasty and crunchy and golden brown on the outside when it is done. I recommend serving nice and warm with your favorite natural honey drizzled over it.



More Info:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Soyprod.html