Believe it or not, tofu is GREAT on the grill! It’s fast, easy, healthy and tasty, so next time you decide to fire up the grill, try tofu!

Basically, you just need extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2″ thick rectangular “steaks” (I slice my tofu the short way, but it really doesn’t matter!) Drain your tofu by placing the slices on some paper towels, placing more paper towels on top of the tofu, setting a baking sheet on top of that, and topping it off with some heavy jars or cans or cookbooks.

After at least 15 minutes of draining, place the tofu in a glass pan or Ziploc bag and marinate it in, well, whatever you want! Tofu loves any marinade, so you really can’t go wrong. Here’s my staple recipe:

• 1 part soy sauce/tamari/Liquid Aminos (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to cut out all that sodium)
• 1 part lemon or lime juice
• A couple dashes Worcestershire sauce
• A couple dashes Tabasco
• Pepper
• Optional Add-Ins: a few shakes of sesame oil gives it an Asian flavor; a splash of balsamic vinegar makes the flavor richer– perfect for pairing with potatoes & veggies; a little cumin and chili powder create a distinctively Mexican taste

Let the tofu marinate for at least 20 minutes, up to an hour or so. Now you’re ready to grill!!

Simply grill the tofu over medium to med-high heat, just a couple minutes per side. I like to oil my grill or spray it with a little Pam For Grilling so it doesn’t stick, but I have thrown it on the grill without doing either and had no problems– just don’t try to move around the tofu too soon… wait until it’s nice and crispy before you turn it to prevent sticking.

Happy grilling!

Easy answer: my 12 inch cast iron skillet. Hands down.

I know, I know… it’s so old school. Yes, my great-grandma had one too. Yes, I have over $1,000 in All Clad from Williams-Sonoma sitting in my pantry and I’m choosing the pan I bought for$19.99 at Target.

It’s just that good.

Once you have your cast iron skillet properly seasoned (which really isn’t as scary as it sounds) that pan can make anything taste amazing, and it becomes naturally non-stick! And did I mention tofu is virtually made for the cast iron skillet?

It’s true. They’re a match made in heaven.

Here’s my technique (start the day before for best results):

Cast Iron Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 bottle/2 cups of your favorite dressing/marinade (I love a tarragon-Dijon!)
• Olive oil

Method

• Drain your tofu over the sink.
• Cut the block the short way into 6 rectangle.
• Place the tofu “cutlets” (for lack of a better word) onto a stack of paper towels; cover with another stack of paper towels.
• Cover the paper towel/tofu sandwich with a baking sheet, and then stack that sucker with some heavy stuff (balance it or you’ll have mess) like cans, cookbooks, whatever.
• Leave it alone for an hour - go read a blog, watch Ice Road Truckers, or check out some bamboo clothing online.
• Now that you have nicely pressed tofu, place it in a glass dish and cover it with the dressing/marinade.
• Place it in the fridge overnight for best results, or bake it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees for a classic tofu speed-marinade.
• Now we’re ready to bust out some cast iron. Put about 1/4 inch of olive oil into the pan (10 or 12 inch), and heat it to just over medium heat.
• Now, simply fry your tofu until it’s crispy and golden brown, flip, fry, place on a stack of paper towels to drain for a minute or two, and enjoy!

Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 3 cups medium tofu
• 1 cup margarine or coconut oil, melted
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups dry sweetener
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1 graham cracker pie crust

Method

In a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour into a cheesecake pan that has been lined with a graham cracker crust. Chill for at least 12 hours before serving. I like to garnish with raspberries.

Tofu Noodles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-firm tofu, drained
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup soy flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus some for water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus some for water
• Water
• Optional mix-ins: 1-3 tablespoons of anything you would put in homemade pasta~ herbs, seasonings, poppy seed, etc

Method

In a small bowl, crumble tofu. Add rice and soy flours and mix-ins and mix with a fork. Add olive oil and salt; mix. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a dough.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured counter top or cutting board. Knead briefly, form into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Before cooking the noodles, have a pot of boiling water ready (add some olive oil and salt to keep noodles from sticking).

Remove dough from fridge; place on floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll out to 1/4 inch thick; cut into strips with a knife or pizza cutter. Carefully life noodles with a metal spatula/knife and place in boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes (DON’T OVERCOOK!!!)

When tender, drain noodles, sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt, and top with your favorite pasta sauce!

4 servings

Recipe adapted from Vegan Family Favorites.

You’ll notice that I throw out lots of options to change up this recipe based on what you have on hand/ your tastes. Feel free to change it even more… be fearless with your tofu and you will be rewarded.

Greek Salad with Marinated Tofu “Feta”

Ingredients

• 12 ounces firm tofu, cubed and drained
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans (cannellini beans are great too), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (or any good olive), pitted and sliced
• 1/2 cup parsley springs, chopped (sub basil if you feel like it)
• 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced (sometimes I use sun-dried)
• 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced
• any other veggies you feel like adding, such as chopped zucchini, celery, red bell pepper, etc

Dressing (sometimes I double this… can you really have too much dressing?? You can always use any extra as a dressing for another salad, or to marinate tofu and/or veggies for the grill.)

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or try 1 T white wine or rice vinegar with 1 T balsamic, or you could just swap out lemon juice for the vinegar)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or Braggs Liquid Aminos
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1. Place the “ingredients” in a large salad bowl; mix.
2. Combine the “dressing” a mixing bowl, and pour over the salad. Toss; marinate at least an hour, but I prefer overnight.
3. Enjoy!

Here the story from the June 25th Des Moines Register:

The Clive Board of Adjustment has scheduled a special meeting at 6:30 tonight to discuss the fate of a tofu-producing restaurant and grocery store.

The forum will be in the council chambers at City Hall, 1900 N.W. 114th St.

The board will reconsider its earlier decision affecting Joy of Soy, a business some neighbors worried would create a bad smell in their neighborhoods if it opened.

Board members had voted, 3-2, to allow Joy of Soy to open if the owners limit soy processing to a 200-square-foot area and not use external venting.

The owners protested to the Clive City Council after the board’s original decision. The council took the unusual step of sending the decision back to the board of adjustment.

Both sides of the dispute are expected to reiterate their arguments at tonight’s meeting.

Board members will either affirm or change their original decision.

This just seems a little sad an ridiculous to me. This shop is trying to do a great thing for Des Moines by promoting healthy lifestyles with yoga and tofu… our city needs more things like this! Not to mention it’s just logical… we are the biggest soybean producing state, yet we ship our soybeans out so that they can be made into tofu and shipped back to Hy-Vee or Campbell’s. That makes little to no sense… tofu is gaining in popularity like never before- why are we not producing it when we have all the raw resources right here? Where is the Iowa Soybean Association on this one??
I hope the Clive board doesn’t listen to these ridiculous homeowners… if Joy of Soy is able to stay, I will be there tomorrow picking up my fresh tofu!

But an article on MSNBC today shows evidence that relays yet another of soy’s health benefits - a compound found in soy has been shown to boost bone density in women! This is great news, especially for vegans who need to be extra careful when it comes to bone density.

So says the article…

In fact, women who took the soy compound showed a modest increase in bone density over two years, compared with a small decrease among women who used only calcium and vitamin D, the researchers report in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Of course, this study does mention the fact that to get enough of this particular soy compound, known as genistein, woman would have to drink two gallons of soy milk per day, so it’s probably better left to a supplement. Unless you really can’t get enough soy milk.

My opinion? Sign me up if it’s Chocolate Silk.

My four-year-old boy had been outside this afternoon for hours, playing soccer and running around like a crazy person. He walks in the house, kicks of his cleats and lets me know he’s “staaarving.” I head to the kitchen, whip out the friendly block of extra-firm tofu (water-packed, not silken) that’s waiting for me in the fridge, and I cut it into some fun little shapes– squares, triangles, trapezoids, whatever. I arranged my tofu shapes on a plate in a fun little pattern, set them down in front of him, and he ate every last one. Even had seconds.

The point here is that YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO COOK TOFU! It was literally straight out of the package. The trick? Make it fun, and never ever ever make kids think it’s something that you grew up thinking was “weird.” Cuz they have no idea what any particular food item even is, they just eat stuff that looks fun.

Another reason why plain tofu is perfect for kids? It tastes like nothing. That might sound strange, but think about it. What does your kid eat? Plain pasta? Plain bread? Plain is what kids like, and plain is what tofu’s all about.So the next time you’re looking for a quick, healthy meal or snack for your child, try some plain tofu. I bet they’ll surprise you!

Made from soymilk, nigari (a compound found in ocean water), and calcium sulphate (a natural mineral), the process of making tofu is actually much like making fresh cheese. In fact, it’s not to hard to do it yourself at home (although does anyone have time anymore?)

Tofu didn’t make it’s way to the west until sometime in the twentieth century, generally becoming more popular and mainstream as interest in vegetarianism and veganism grew. It’s now grown from it’s former sanctuary in the natural foods store, and the many forms of tofu can be found in grocery stores nationwide.

So now that you know everything you ever wanted to know about where tofu came from, you’re probably wondering what to do with it! Lucky for you, you really can’t go wrong. Tofu has virtually no flavor, and it’s super simple to prepare. So browse through my collection of tofu recipes and resources, or go check out a cookbook at your library and get down with the curd.