Pressed Tofu Salad MAKES: 4 to 6 appetizer servings TIME: 20 minutes, plus 2 hours to marinate There are two keys to this salad. The first is to buy dry, pressed tofu, which is sold in most Asian food markets and some natural food stores. It's much firmer than regular...
Poached Tofu MAKES: 4 or more servings TIME: 20 minutes The easiest precooking method and one that gives the tofu a swollen but firm texture that is entirely pleasant. And more than baking, grilling, or frying it does not mess with the tofu's subtleties. (In Kyoto,...
Pan-Seared Seitan MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 10 minutes with prepared seitan The simplest way to cook seitan is to cut it in slices and fry it in a little oil. For more elaborate dishes, substitute seitan for tofu in any of the stir-fry recipes in The Basics of...
Oven-Roasted Seitan MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: About 1 hour with prepared seitan, largely unattended With a crunchy crust and a tender interior, this is one of my favorite ways to cook seitan. When it's done, you just slice it thinly and eat, either as you would...
Marinated Tofu MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 30 minutes, plus time to marinate You can grill, broil, or pan-cook marinated tofu, and you can use pretty much any marinade you can think of as a base, from Japanese style to Italian style to barbecue sauce. 1/4 cup extra virgin...
Homemade Tofu MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: About 2 hours, largely unattended Tofu kits typically come with good equipment for making tofu at home: coagulant, liner, press, and often a soy milk maker. But the old way is simple enough: You make a tofu press out of any...
Grilled or Broiled Tofu MAKES: 4 to 6 servings TIME: 30 minutes Not quite as simple as other basic preparations, because it's almost essential to freeze or press the tofu (see Preparing Tofu) before grilling or broiling. But once that's done, the process is easy...
Fast-Braised Tofu with Tempeh MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 20 minutes A take on the classic ma po tofu, this substitutes crisp crumbled tempeh for the more common pork, and a wonderful substitution it is: The texture is just as crunchy and the flavor if anything more...
Deep-Fried Tofu MAKES: 4 or more servings TIME: 20 minutes Deep frying is a standard precooking preparation for tofu, used throughout Asia to produce a nice crust and tender interior. It's faster than baked tofu, but needless to say a little bit messier. Fried tofu...
Crunchy Crumbled Tempeh MAKES: 4 servings TIME: 10 minutes My favorite way to use tempeh is crumbling it into other foods, which distributes delicious bits throughout the dish and makes the most of tempehs unique flavor. Think of how you might use grated cheese, only...
