what is tofu

[mollykins]

I know it doesn't taste of much and you have it instead of meat, but has it got a lot of protein in it, or even some other kind of nutrients?

[ChuckFickens]

http://tinyurl.com/b3b6k9

[mollykins]

googles not working at the moment, thats why i asked on here!

[mollykins]

only a ouple of websites are working at the mo on my computer.

[mccfluff]

what's wrogn with google, its been working firn for me anyway tofu is bean curd made from soy beans, its an aquired taste and i can;t eat it on its own i'll happily eat it in a stir fry with oyster sauce or with a peanut satay ,
i take it you're still debating going veggie

[mccfluff]

apart from my spelling which is atrocious...... that was meant to be wrong and fine

[mollykins]

yes, my dad make this horrible stake stuff last night, the steak was chewy and pink in the middle, the sauce was unhealthy, there were no vegetables with it and the gravy was salty and tasted of conentrated beef.

yuck! i felt sick afterwards.

[mollykins]

Just beef, horrible beefy gravy and potatoes (deep fat fried) the greasiness of it also make me feel sick.

[mollykins]

Ps. we have a really bad internet connection which is jsut getting worse and worse, but we're getting it sorted soon.

[mccfluff]

well look up the vegetarian society website, i gave you a link for it before and they have a lot of advice on going veggie, staying veggie, recipes etc etc. its worth a read.

[mccfluff]

ok well very basic recipe, cut tofu up into chunks and marinate in a mix of oyster sauce & soy sauce, heat a wok and add the tofu stir fry for a few mins then add a bag of stir fry veg, or whatever veg you fancy and cook, add more or less sauce to your taste.

[mollykins]

cheers

[Clanad]

I think just a lttle expanison on Mr./Mrs/Ms. Mcfluff's good advice might help.

First, if you're going to marinate the tofu to add flavor, be sure to select the firm or extra firm variety, not the soft. Secondly, it's ironic that with tofu (which is sort of an unfermented soy based cheese), the colder it is the more readily it will absorb flavors. In fact, the quickest way to marinate tofu is to freeze it and then thaw it first. This has the added advantage of making it tough and more easily handled for dishes. However, the colder the better. Place it in a glass or plastic container with whatever the marinade is and cover with plastic wrap. Again, if it's good and cold or frozen then thawed, it will just take a few minutes.

I use a lot of extra firm tofu sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips about two inches long for my highly successful (at least by my judging) Hot and Sour soup, which is really good for a winter soup For that purpose, I marinate it in a Balsamic vinegar and Chinese Chilie sauce for about two hours before frying lightly in wok oil. This locks in the flavor when you're going to use tofu for soups or sauces.

Best of luck!

[mollykins]

sounds yum, as i've mentioned before, i either don't like the taste/ texture of a meat, or it has no flavour at all so i don't enjoy it, so what the point and thought of getting tofu next time i go to the supermarket (don't know when that'll be in this weather)

[karenmac60]

You used to get smoked tofu which was lovely cut into strips, breaded and grilled. I used to have it with American style Beanfeast, but I've not seen either in the shops for years :( There are a lot of other meat substitutes out there if that's what you're looking for, and I always found mushrooms (especially shi-take) go really well in stews, curries etc. Have a look in the supermarket but also check out your local health food shop if you have one.

[mollykins]

Idon't like anything smoked, most meats i don't like in their normal state but smoking them makes them taste even worse.