Recipe Station

The following recipes will to demystify this healthy, but somewhat exotic ingredient so that you can incorporate it into your next meal.

1. The Basics

Let’s start with the basics! The best tofu tip I’ve discovered is learning to give it a nice crisp. Tofu is naturally mushy and a little spongy so once you get the easy grill pan technique of cooking it with a nice crispy, golden finish you will feel confident adding it to virtually anything you’re serving. You will be substituting tofu in sandwiches, in burritos, and on salads.

Get the full recipe at Connoisseurus Veg

2. Extra Crispy Nuggets of Tofu with Special Curry Ketchup

While we are on the subject of crispy I thought I would throw in my kids favorite. Selling them on tofu wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be. Apparently re-branding the first day of the school week as Meatless Monday wasn’t enough. But this recipe, that calls for the tofu to be cut up into yummy little cubes and coated in crunchy cornflake crust then fried, was exactly what I needed to convince them. Who doesn’t love to dip? I served my girls with regular ketchup, which just meant more Special Ketchup for the adults!

If you’ve ever dined at a vegetarian or Asian restaurant and been served tofu that’s perfectly crispy on the outside, while moist and tender on the inside, it was probably pan-fried.

Get the full recipe at One Green Planet

3. Fried Rice with Tofu

The most natural place to slip in some tofu yumminess is in dishes from the regions where the ingredient reigns supreme. I have been ordering fried rice with tofu at Thai and Chinese restaurants for years but it wasn’t until I made it home that my kids would even give it a try. Smothered in the salty goodness that only soy sauce can bring this dish combines garlic ginger peas and carrots in a one pan dish. The best part is, I always seem to have left over brown rice in the fridge but you can always use white.

This is the kind of rice recipe I could live off of for the rest of my life. It’s so easy I can barely handle it!

Get the full recipe at On Sugar Mountain

4. Cajun Style Tofu Tacos

When I told my husband that the greasy tacos from his favorite drive-thru (before I saved him from fast food) were made from soy he was shocked! But it made it easier to sell him on this next recipe. Cubes of tofu covered in my favorite flavors cumin, garlic, chili powder and cilantro. Wrapped in warm corn tortillas and served with cool greek yogurt. I don’t bother trying to make a non-spicy version for the kids. They get a quesadilla on the nights I serve this!

We used homemade corn tortillas for these tofu tacos, which are so easy to put together.

Get the full recipe at The Woks of Life

5. Breakfast Burrito with a Little Kick

Another obvious way to work tofu into a meal is by replacing scrambled eggs! With almost the same exact consistency the switch is seamless. Since tofu can be bland on its own a little spice does a great job of giving flavor. This recipe with a little cayenne kick will be a hit at your meatless morning table.

This was the best Vegan Breakfast Burrito I have ever had. I'll attribute that to the inclusion of Daiya's new product: vegan pepperjack style “cheese” shreds.

Get the full recipe at Healthy Happy Life

6. Tasty Tofu Burger

Another tofu trick is the same trick I use when cooking steak or chicken, a good olive oil marinade. By soaking pieces of tofu in a blend of balsamic vinegar, herbs and garlic for a few hours is a simple extra step to getting an amazing tofu dish. Cook in a grill pan or a cast iron skillet and serve on a bun the same way you would any burger with all your favorite trimmings. A simple but perfect tofu treat!

A plain tofu slab in a bun with some lettuce is far from tantalizing, but a marinated and sautéed slice of tofu tucked in a generously seeded whole-grain bun with a flavorful sauce is just what you need when the craving for a burger arises.

Get the full recipe at sheknows

I promise these tofu recipes will satisfy even the biggest carnivore! One last tip, a lot of tofu recipes you find might be vegan and since we’ve already established that is not me, you might have guessed that when I see substitutes for dairy such as cheese, I simply sub back in whatever real cheese I might be craving! Everything in moderation right?