Tofu Triangles

 

Tofu is a powerful wonder food.  It is made from soy beans, also known as edamame, which have 8.1g of protein, 5.4mg of Iron, and 350mg of calcium, according to Wikipedia.  This food is perfect substitute for those who need protein in their diet, but limit their meat intake, or for those who are dairy free and need calcium. I like to use tofu as the main source of protein in a meal or hide it in the form of a dessert to add a healthy punch. One of the great things about tofu that most - who don't understand this food or have troubles cooking with it - often misunderstand that tofu doesn't really have much flavor. Tofu will take on what ever flavorings you add to it and soak them up. That is why I can use this for desserts and know one will ever know. To learn how to make your own tofu check out my sister's site Gluten Free, It's A Lifestyle.... By the way, her mother in law, who lives in Japan, loves her tofu.

Cooking with tofu can be a challenge at first, you kind of have to think out side of the box. The first couple times I tried cooking with tofu didn't go so well, until I learned the secrets to cooking with this wonderful food. The key to cooking with tofu is to choose the right tofu. Their are three types of tofu: Extra firm, firm, and silken or soft. The firm and extra firm are perfect frying or adding to soups. Silken tofu is perfect for desserts.  The next tip is to use a non-stick coated pan, otherwise the tofu will just stick and then you have a mess and not so pretty tofu pieces. Also you need to squeeze all the extra water out. This is most important for the firm and extra firm tofu's, the silken doesn't really need squeezed and it is too soft anyway.  So here is my basic how to for frying tofu. Try this recipe the next time you are having a party. Make a bunch of triangles and reduce the sauce or marinade to make a dipping sauce. It will the hit at your next party.

Tofu Triangles

1 package of firm or extra firm tofu

Tamari soy sauce or favorite marinade

A lint free kitchen towel

Take the tofu out of it's package. Stand it on its end and cut into thirds, then lay it down and cut into triangles (you could do strips or cubes too). Lay out the kitchen towel and spread the tofu pieces on one half. Fold the other half of the towel over and push down on the tofu. Don't press down too hard, just a bit of pressure to allow the extra liquid to come out.  Let the tofu drain of the towel for a a few hours. If you so desire you can place the tofu in a bowel with your favorite GF marinade or just soy source for 30 minuets before cooking. Be creative with your marinade. You can mix together soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and brown sugar. Or soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic and lemon juice for a southwestern flair. 

Tofu after it's been flipped and brushed with soy sauce.

When you are ready to cook the tofu, heat up a non-stick pan or griddle on medium high heat. Place tofu on pan or griddle. Use a spatula gently press on the tofu to squeeze out more liquid. Cook the tofu on each side for several minutes to great a nice brown color. I like to brush on my marinade or soy sauce on the tofu after I've flipped it and start cooking the other side. The second side will take less time to brown. Continue cooking till all the tofu is cooked. If you are doing a lot of tofu, preheat the oven to it's warm setting and place the tofu on a plate and keep it warm while you finish cooking the rest of the tofu.  

Stir Fry

Make a stir fry with mix Asian vegetables, you can get a bag of these at any store. Add some soy sauce, ginger and mirin to the vegetables and cook until they are thawed and warmed through. Add the tofu and spoon over sticky rice. 

Tacos

If you try the southwestern style cut the tofu into 1/2 inch strips. Saute some peppers and onions with a little lemon juice. Grill some corn tortillas. Pan fry the tofu as stated above. Add the peppers, onions, and tofu to the tortillas to make tacos, add some salsa or guac. Squeeze a bit of lemon for some added zest.

Grilled corn tortillas

Miso Beef with Sweet and Sour Broccoli

I love ethnic foods. They are fun to make and to eat. I love going traditional and just being creative with the flavors. Another great thing about ethnic foods are that they are often gluten free to begin with. American food just seems so full of carbs and junk. There isn't much in our cultures cuisine that doesn't require some tweaking to make it work. It's fun to see what each store carries in their ethnic section, because they are hardly ever the same. I've found great quinoa and rice crackers at Target, but found great Mexican flavors at Kroger stores and cheep Asian fixings at the local health shop. Just taking the hint of those cultures and putting them in my cooking is always fun and exciting for the taste buds, as if my Mexican Lasagna didn't tell you that already.


I came up with this recipe after going on an Japanese easting frenzy. I was in the mood for real ramen and sushi. I bought some miso to put in my ramen and of course I have a lot of miso left over. So I thought I use some of it for a marinade and create something new. Growing up my mom made flank steak often and I would always have to make the marinade for it, because she was at work and I was at home. So by the time I left for college I had her recipe memorized, which I believe came from a Betty Crocker cookbook. So I took that traditional recipe and add in a few twists of my own to create something new, that my friends is the true joy of cooking.

Miso Beef
1-2 lbs of either flank steak, London broil or round steak
2 Tbs gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbs Worcestershire
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tbs miso paste
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste (I used red pepper flakes)

Poke holes in the steak with a fork all over the top. Mix soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper together and pour over steak. Take the miso paste and smear over the top of the steak. Let the meat marinate all day, covered, in the refrigerator or for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Grill either on an outdoor grill with the lid down or on an indoor grill with a foil tent on top. Cook until desired inside temperature, we like medium well. Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut the meat in thin slices across the grain. Serves 5-6.

To go with my miso beef I wanted something that would really add to my meal. I started thinking of other Asian side dishes and for some reason broccoli came to mind. I was thinking about the broccoli you get when at a Chinese restaurant, but of course mine is nothing like that, but went very well with the beef.

Sweet and Sour Broccoli
Two medium/small heads of broccoli with the florets cut off
2 Tbs water
1Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1Tbs Mirin (Japanese cooking rice wine)*
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp tapioca starch
1Tbs butter substitute
Salt and pepper to taste


Put the water in a frying pan heat on medium heat. Add broccoli and cook, this will steam the broccoli. Once broccoli is bright green add soy sauce, ginger, mustard, salt and pepper and mix well. Add lemon juice and mirin, cook till broccoli is tender. Whisk in the tapioca starch, a little bit at a time to avoid lumps. Stir in the butter. Serves 4.