Tofu .... Blahck

FlexibleMatthew · Jul 30, 2006

*** Please do not read this is you have a weak stomach *** 
Ok, I have tried several different Tofu product and they all ended up in the trash can. 
Is there a Tofu that does'nt taste and look like rotting carcass ? I mean I'm open minded but this stuff is vulgar. 
I'm trying to find protien but not have too much luck considering that Tofu, beans, eggs make me sick. 
Any suggestions ?? 
Many thanks and sorry for the rotting carcass remark but I'm just trying to be honest <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/worried.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":worried:">

HandcuffedAngel · Jul 30, 2006

Tofu is great if you use it in the right recipes! 
I just use original tofu and make things like vegan lasagna or "chicken" salad [both recipes I got from <a href="http://www.cok.net" target="_blank">Compassion Over Killing</a>]. 
Really, just look for good recipes. My boyfriend hates cooking it, but once it's all done it's delicious!

rabid_child · Jul 30, 2006

What kind of tofu are you buying now and what are you doing with it?? 
Try seitan. It's delicious.

jeneticallymodified · Jul 30, 2006

yeah, i agree- its all in what you do with it. i personally think it smells slightly like boyfriends stale socks- not remotely attractive in its natural state. 
you could look into ways of preparing it- i bet there is something in it in the tip of the day thread- as what you do with it will affect the taste and texture a lot. i guess you're talking about the non silken type (in the chiller- not on the shelf) - cos the silken version is more like milk jello pudding than carcass. 
i tend to go with draining it, rinsing it in clean water, draining it again, then pressing it, and slicing it into strips, cubes, or triangles- (but you could use cookie cutters for non carcass shapes, lol!) - and then marinading it- you need to add another substantial flavour to it, or it'll just taste like tofu (bleurgh!) lol. then i tend to pan fry it or add it to chinese food or curry, etc- but you can crumble it and make tofu scrambled 'eggs' or add it to lasagne, etc- check tesseracts tip of the day thread, she explains it really well. 
you can also buy it preflavoured, a store near me has it pre-marinaded with indian, italian, and asian spices and sauces built in to the packet, and i've seen silken tofu made into sweet pudding style things with keylime, coconut, and other different fruits blended into it- (great for snacking on, or adding to smoothies- you might find drinking it in a sweet format easier), etc- so you could try looking out for those too. 
i know you said you're getting a carcassy association, but i kind of see it more like a blank canvas- its just a square of mushed up beans really, in either a wobbly version (silken) or a dense textured version (non silken). 
ETA: thinking about beans- what about them makes you sick? there are loads of different things you can do with them to get round the bits you don't like about them- so give us some more info, and we'll try and help with suggestions!

kpickell · Jul 30, 2006

What are you doing, opening the box and biting a chunk off? 
Blahck is right if that's the case. :lol 
Try Tofutti Cuties in the freezer section. They don't taste like rotting carcas.

chiaraluna · Jul 30, 2006

You definitely have to prepare tofu before you eat it, unless you buy the pre-seasoned/marinated kinds available in some grocery stores. My favorite recipe is this one (it was a hit with the all of the omnis I served it to): 
(from <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=10831.0" target="_blank">http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=10831.0</a>) Lemon and Ginger Tofu with Beautiful Sauce 
Ingredients (use vegan versions): 
1 pack firm tofu (about 400 grams or 14 ounces) 
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated 
2 tablespoon chopped spring onion (shallots) 
1 teaspoon ground coriander 
1 teaspoon cumin powder 
1/2 teaspoon chilli paste, more if you like (sambal oeleck, if not available use chopped fresh red chilli) 
2 tablespoon soy sauce 
3 tablespoon water 
4 tablespoon lemon juice 
freshly grater rind of 1 lemon 
1-2 tablespoon brown sugar 
2 tablespoon vegetable oil 
pinch of salt 
6-8 tablespoon coconut milk 
steamed jasmine rice 
steamed vegetables (I use a frozen mixture of Thai vegetables, with carrots, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum etc.) ) 
coriander leaves to garnish, if you like 
Directions: 
A delicious Thai inspired dish, which looks beautiful on a plate with colorful Thai vegetables. Substituting the lemon juice and rind for lime also works brilliantly and makes it much more Thai. 
1) Cut tofu into slices of the size you desire, I cut it into about 12 rectangular pieces 
2) Mix together garlic, ginger, spring onion (shallots), coriander powder, cumin, chilli paste, soy sauce, water, lemon juice, lemon rind, sugar, 1 tablespoon of the oil and the salt in a dish to make a marinade. Stir it well so all the flavours bond. 
3) Place the tofu in the marinade making sure each piece is well coated, cover and leave in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, 2 or 3 hours would be ideal. 
4) Heat a frying pan up to medium-hot and put the rest of the oil (1 T) in it. Take the tofu out of the dish letting excess marinade drip back into the dish (do not discard the leftover marinade!) and cook tofu in pan for about 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. 
5) When tofu is cooked, put it aside and keep it warm. I keep mine on a plate in the grill on the low setting. 
6) Turn the pan down to low-medium and pour the leftover marinade (chunky bits and all) into it, stir for a minute or two and add the coconut milk, turning the heat down to low as you do so. Bring to the boil or until it reaches the desired consistency for the sauce (I like a thick sauce, but not too thick) and its all ready. 
7) Place the tofu on the steamed rice and pour the sauce over it. Serve the steamed vegetables next to the rice, garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy! 
Serves: 3 
Preparation time: 30 min

Tesseract · Jul 30, 2006

I dunno how you got from "white square that tastes like nothing" to "rotting carcass," but if you added rotting carcass to it, I'd recommend you stop that now! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/laugh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lol:"> 
It just so happens there IS a tofu tip in the Tip of the Day thread, so here's the <a href="http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showpost.php?p=1171811&postcount=2" target="_blank">link</a>. It has some general guidelines for preparing tofu and a couple of simple starter recipes that I've personally taste-tested and approved. 
One thing about tofu is that you can't just take it out of the package and chunk it straight into any old dish-- it is a unique ingredient with unique preparation requirements. If you want something you can just toss into tacos or Sloppy Joes or lasagna and that taste sort of meaty without any special preparation, I'd recommend checking out TVP or a "hamburger crumble" type product like Morningstar Farms burger crumbles. As rabid_child mentioned, seitan is also a good bet. You could also try tempeh. 
And FWIW, some people just never like tofu despite all our good advice. I say they're just crazy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/tongue3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> Seriously, I'm with Jen-- if you've tried our advice and you still hate it, try the flavored baked tofu before you give up, as it's quite different. And it's possible that you may just never like it, baked, flavored, marinated, or fried. Some people don't.

FlexibleMatthew · Jul 30, 2006

Thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking that regular Tofu is out of the question for me because of the whole icky & corpsey thing. 
I'm a single dad with a million things to do (not that you don't have a millions things to do) and I don't want to have to transform and camouflage my food prior to eating it. 
Thanks again

jeneticallymodified · Jul 30, 2006

for quick and easy and carcass free- see if you can find some of these in the supermarket: <a href="http://www.sunrise-soya.com/petestofu.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sunrise-soya.com/petestofu.htm</a> 
(dessert tofu on the left) <a href="http://www.sunrise-soya.com/sunrise.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sunrise-soya.com/sunrise.htm</a> 
(other dessert tofu styles on the right) 
the 'dessert tofus' : either eat them like pudding from the pot, or throw them in the blender with some fruit (even frozen fruit), and maybe a bit of juice, and make a smoothie. 
the premarinaded non dessert ones (on the first link) might be interesting to try too- quicker and easier than messing about with marinades!

kpickell · Jul 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by FlexibleMatthew <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Thanks for all the replies. I'm thinking that regular Tofu is out of the question for me because of the whole icky & corpsey thing. 
I'm a single dad with a million things to do (not that you don't have a millions things to do) and I don't want to have to transform and camouflage my food prior to eating it. 
Thanks again</div>
</div>
 
Yeah, I don't know anyone that eats regular (that is, plain) tofu. heh. I suppose it'd be sort of like eating a raw potato.

Tofu-N-Sprouts · Jul 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by FlexibleMatthew <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I'm a single dad with a million things to do (not that you don't have a millions things to do) and I don't want to have to transform and camouflage my food prior to eating it. </div>
</div>
 
Hey FM, as a single MOM, I so TOTALLY understand the "in a hurry with a million things to do" perspective! While I happen to love tofu, (bet ya never would have guessed that!) I honestly rarely have adequate time to fix it in ways I enjoy. 
One tip I can offer though, (should you ever want to give tofu a try again) is venture into an Asian market sometime (they can be scarey places at first but a storehouse of great bargains and cool things to eat!) and get some really FRESH tofu. It sometimes just comes in a big tub and you fish out a chunk - sounds weird but the taste is so totally 100% different I can't recommend it enough. 
This link is great for explaining the differences: <a href="http://www.pakupaku.info/knowledge/tofu.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.pakupaku.info/knowledge/tofu.shtml</a> 
THEN when you have some really great tofu to work with - THEN try a recipe...<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/lick.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lick:"> 
And good luck!!

karenlovessnow · Jul 30, 2006

I love firm/extra firm tofu but can't stand the silken kind..I've tried smoothies and puddings with the silken tofu and IMO they are awful. I don't know why the taste is so different to me, it just is. Maybe for the same reason I can't tolerate the taste of soymilk. You should probably try some of the suggestions here, if you are so inclined, before giving up. Some people just don't like tofu...you may be one of them! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

FlexibleMatthew · Jul 30, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by karenlovessnow <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
I love firm/extra firm tofu but can't stand the silken kind..I've tried smoothies and puddings with the silken tofu and IMO they are awful. I don't know why the taste is so different to me, it just is. Maybe for the same reason I can't tolerate the taste of soymilk. You should probably try some of the suggestions here, if you are so inclined, before giving up. Some people just don't like tofu...you may be one of them! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"></div>
</div>
 
I have to put chocolate in my soymilk just to stomach it !! It taste like nuts and I don't like that <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

orapunzel · Jul 30, 2006

I second the seitan suggestion... particularly the "chick'n" seitan flavor. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/lick.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":lick:"> 
*sigh* Can't wait until I can eat it again. I miss it. 
Anyway, you can buy it already made... or make it yourself and save $$. But considering your preference, buying it is the way to go. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
And on tofu... I have never eaten it "raw". It's a must to throw in some recipe before consuming. 
You might like tempeh. The garden veggie one is my personal fav. Although if you buy it in its "raw" state, you'll need to cook it a short while before consuming. Just read package to make sure it's already been cooked. (Many are.) 
Or just go straight to the variety of analogs... like Nate's me*tballs - they've got "traditional" flavor, Mushroom flavor, Italian flavor and "chick'n style". They are all good but, the latter is my super fav but distributers in my area dropped it from their line-up. (Dolts! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/doh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":doh:"> It always sold out whenever stores got it in. Why did they have to drop carrying it! grrrr. But I digress. *sigh*) Anyway, these you just warm up and toss in to your desired dish and eat.

rabid_child · Jul 30, 2006

Sounds like maybe you are just taking a chunk off of a block of tofu and eating it, though you didn't actually answer my question as to what you're buying and what you're doing with it. 
Try a smoked or premarinated tofu and toss it in a stir fry. You could also slice your tofu into 1/4" slices (and then into triangles if you're feeling fancy), dry them off well, and fry them in olive oil until they're browned, then drain them a bit on paper towels while you wipe out the pan. Add the tofu back, and cover with barbeque sauce, then simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Tadaa! BBQ tofu!

Tuffenoughtoroc · Jul 30, 2006

Tofu pepperoni is excellent stuff! You should try it.

FlexibleMatthew · Jul 31, 2006

I may give the "taste included" version a spin. I hate to give up so early but man, that last trial was nasty at best !! 
Thanks for all your help !!!

Tesseract · Jul 31, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by FlexibleMatthew <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
...I don't want to have to transform and camouflage my food prior to eating it.</div>
</div>
 
It's not about camouflaging your food, it's about turning raw ingredients into a finished dish. Just as you wouldn't have wanted to eat a plain raw chunk of chicken as an omni (even a plain cooked chicken breast is pretty blechh), and you wouldn't want to eat a plain raw potato or eggplant, you wouldn't want to eat plain raw tofu. Adding seasonings to it and strategically applying heat to make it yummy is no different than what we do to the rest of our food. 
But if all you have time for is heat & eat meals, there are many delicious products that are very undemanding. Several of them have already been suggested to you.

FlexibleMatthew · Aug 4, 2006

Update LOL : 
I found a Quebec product called Unisoya "greek style Feta" no dairy no trans fat made from soy beverage (4g protein, 2g fat). 
Yay, it will be my way to eat "tofu". I throw it in a buch of stuff and it tastes "ok" so long as theres something going along with it. Right now I'm eating a chunky salsa, feta, yellow pepper, black olive, cucumber soft tortilla WRAP. YAY, and my son will love it. 
Anyone else use this ?? 
Matt

ketivnilloc · Aug 4, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by kpickell <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
Yeah, I don't know anyone that eats regular (that is, plain) tofu. heh. I suppose it'd be sort of like eating a raw potato.</div>
</div>
 
i do sometimes....it's not that bad. the baking dish i was using wouldn't hold all the tofu, so i ate a block (raw). it's not that bad.

Tofu .... Blahck

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