Tofu, a food of Chinese origin, is soy bean curd made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curd into a block. That hardly sounds appetizing, and for good reason. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, and if you do not prepare it properly, it can be quite unappetizing. However, prepared properly, you can make an absolutely delicious vegetarian tofu that will make even non vegetarians ask for your recipe!

What Type Of Tofu Should I Use?

There are three basic types of fresh vegetarian tofu: Soft or silken tofu, Asian firm tofu, and Western firm or dried tofu. Soft or silken tofu is also referred to as “smooth tofu” or “silk-filtered tofu.” This vegetarian tofu has the highest moisture content of fresh tofu because it is undrained. Many people describe the texture of this particular tofu as that of a very fine custard. Traditionally, this soft tofu is made with seawater. This tofu is the best tofu for making a vegetarian tofu desert because of its texture. This tofu is so soft that it cannot even be eaten with chop sticks, which is how tofu is traditionally eaten in its country of origin. You can sweeten this tofu into a vegetarian tofu desert very easily.

Asian firm tofu is the second basic type of fresh vegetarian tofu. This tofu is not nearly as moisture filled as soft tofu because it is drained and pressed, but it still contains a large amount of moisture. A good way to describe it is that is has the same firmness of raw meat, but instead of staying down when pressed, it bounces back. Inside of this vegetarian tofu is like firm custard. This tofu’s skin has the same pattern of the muslin it was drained with, and it is firmer than the inside. Unlike soft tofu, it can be easily picked up with chopsticks. This particular type of tofu is great for a vegetarian tofu recipe like fried tofu or vegetarian tofu and beans.

The third basic type of fresh vegetarian tofu is Western firm or dried tofu. This is an extra firm type of tofu and it has the lowest moisture content of any fresh tofu. It feels like fully cooked meat, but it still has a rubbery feel to it. When this vegetarian tofu is fully cooked, it can crumble easy. This is a favorite as a salad topper for a vegetarian trying to get more protein in his or her system. Like Asian firm tofu, the skin of this tofu is the same pattern of the muslin it was drained with, but sometimes the pattern is missing because the tofu is milled and reformed after the pressing. This type of vegetarian tofu is also great for a stir fry recipe.

No matter what type of tofu you are using, you can create a delicious tofu meal or dish as long as you prepare it correctly. Make sure to pick the proper type of tofu to prepare your dish, or else the dish will not turn out how you desire it to.

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So you have a vegan friend coming over for dinner and you have no idea what to feed him. Relax; many people have been in your shoes. With the truth behind slaughter houses and how livestock are raised for their meat and byproducts, more and more people are turning to vegetarianism and veganism. Vegetarians do not eat meat, but vegans go a step further: they do not eat animals or anything that is prepared by animal byproducts, contains animal byproducts, or is an animal byproduct. However, there is one problem with the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle: a lack of protein. The solution to this problem is tofu, a soy product that is rich in protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients. With your vegan friend coming over for dinner, it would be a great idea to prepare a vegan tofu recipe for him.

Easy Vegan Tofu Recipes

There are many easy vegan tofu recipes around. Stir fry is a simple vegan tofu recipe. You can use your basic stir fry ingredients like vegetables, stir fry sauce, soy sauce, etc, and add some extra firm or firm tofu. Make sure that if you are putting it over noodles that the noodles do not contain eggs or milk. Another easy vegan tofu recipe is tofu quiche. It is both attractive and delicious to vegans and non vegans alike. Make sure to use a vegan crust recipe, and that the filling recipe does not include any animal products or byproducts. Yet another quick and simple vegan tofu recipe is a tofu scramble. While this is usually prepared for breakfast, breakfast for dinner can be a treat once in a while. The possibilities for a tofu scramble are endless. You can add faux meat crumbles to it, various vegetables, and different spices. You can serve the scramble in a tortilla, like a breakfast burrito, or on a plate topped with soy sauce for a little more sophistication.

What To Look For In A Vegan Tofu Recipe

The thing to note is that a vegan tofu recipe can vary greatly from a vegetarian tofu recipe. You may be aware that your vegan friend does not eat any vegan tofu recipe that includes animal meat or byproducts like eggs, milk, and cheese, but what you may not know is a little more complex. Some vegans do not eat anything that is processed with animal byproducts, even if there is no animal byproduct in the final product. One example is refined white sugar. Make sure to ask your friend what his preferences are before you chose a vegan tofu recipe for dinner!

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Slaughter houses are disgusting, vile places. Many animals are killed in inhumane ways, but even that is a relief to the horrifying life they had to live. Chickens are kept in tiny cages where they cannot even stand up. Baby cows are kept in ridiculously small pens with a tiny cage outside that does not even allow them to step outside. These animals are then taken to the slaughter house and killed to put food on people’s tables. For many, tofu has become a welcomed alternative to supporting the industry of animal slaughter.

Why Chose Tofu

Tofu is a better alternative to meat for human beings. To begin, the human body does not properly digest meat products. Red meat raises cholesterol and generally worsens a person’s overall health. Tofu, on the other hand, does not. Tofu is easily digested and is filled with the same vital nutrients that meat has: namely, protein. Choosing tofu over meat can lead you to a wonderful vegetarian tofu recipe, or many for that matter!

How To Find A Vegetarian Tofu Recipe

With the tide turning for vegetarianism, there is not a lack for vegetarian recipes or vegetarian tofu recipes. Any vegetarian recipe book will have tofu recipes, and more likely than not you will be able to find a vegetarian tofu recipe that suits your need.

Various Vegetarian Tofu Recipes

Vegetarian tofu recipes are as varied as any other type of recipes. Soft tofu is one type of fresh tofu that lends itself to many sweet vegetarian tofu recipes. It has a texture like very fine custard, and is unable to be picked up with chop sticks, making it more of a desert like tofu. A vegetarian tofu recipe for soft tofu could be as easy as adding vanilla flavoring to the custard like tofu or as complex as making baked goods from it. Firm tofu can be used in a vegetarian tofu recipe like stir fry, which is extremely popular since it includes plenty of fresh vegetables. Extra firm tofu is often fried into a vegetarian tofu recipe like fried chicken, only with tofu. You can also make a vegan baked tofu dish like quiche from a firmer tofu. The possibilities with vegetarian tofu recipes are truly endless. Because tofu takes the flavor of whatever it is cooked with, you do not have to worry about the tofu being bland if you are cooking it properly. A vegetarian tofu recipe will take this into account and allow the most flavor to be added to the tofu. Enjoy!

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Veganism is more than a label: it is a way of life. A vegan is someone who swears off meat, animal products, and animal byproducts. Not only do they not eat meat like a vegetarian does, they also swear off things like eggs, milk, cheese, all dairy, and other products that come from animals. Vegans object to more than just slaughtering animals and eating their meat. They also object to how animals are raised in the livestock industry and the brutality that they incur throughout their lifetime. Because of this, they refuse to support the livestock industry in any way, shape, or form.

Food For Vegans

So what exactly do vegans eat? Tofu is a major source of nutrients for a vegan. While meat is not great for a person’s body, it does provide the necessary protein needed in life. Tofu also provides the protein necessary for daily life. There are thousands of tofu recipes, including tofu stir fry, vegan tofu salad, fried tofu, tofu dogs, tofu sausage, tofu bacon, etc. etc. etc. One of the favorite tofu recipes, however, is vegan baked tofu.

Different Vegan Baked Tofu

Tofu can be baked in many different ways, and there are many different vegan baked tofu recipes. One favorite vegan baked tofu recipe is miso vegan baked tofu. In this recipe, you use firm pressed tofu. Other ingredients include miso, rice vinegar, sugar (make sure you use unrefined sugar if you object to food prepared with animal byproducts even if they do not include animal byproducts in the final product), soy milk, ginger, garlic, water, soy sauce, oil, cayenne pepper, and sesame seeds. The recipe includes combining all ingredients and broiling the tofu, making a tasty vegan baked tofu straight from the oven.

Another vegan baked tofu recipe is vegan baked tofu strips. With this recipe, you cut firm tofu into strips and place them into a wide, shallow bowl. Use a marinade and marinate the tofu for up to two days. Depending on the texture and firmness of the tofu, it may take just a few hours to marinate or a few days. After marinating, coat the tofu in your favorite toppings for baking. You then bake the tofu at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on a nonstick cooking sheet or a sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Once it is golden brown on all sides, you have got a wonderful vegan baked tofu ready to eat and enjoy!

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There are hundreds of ways to prepare tofu in a vegan manner. There are only a few guidelines to keeping it vegan. Make sure that there are no animal products or byproducts in the meal, and that the tofu was not prepared in any animal products or byproducts. That means that if you are going to prepare it vegan style, you cannot cook it in meat drippings and serve it. Even though you are not eating the actual meat, you are still eating a product of the meat. In addition, you cannot cook a vegan dish with a non vegan dish containing meat and pick the tofu out. Yes, it is tofu, but it has been contaminated by the non vegan dish.

Vegan Tofu Salads

One way to keep tofu vegan is to prepare it in a vegan tofu salad. One particularly delicious vegan tofu salad is barbecue vegan tofu salad. This recipe uses one block of firm or extra firm well pressed tofu, corn, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, cumin, vegan mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce. Combine the tofu, corn, pepper, and vegan mayonnaise in a large bowl. In a different smaller bowl, whisk together all of the rest of the ingredients. This is to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the tofu, corn, pepper, and vegan mayonnaise mixture and gently toss it all. Put it in the refrigerator and serve it chilled. Voila, you have a wonderful, delicious, vegan tofu salad—barbecued!

Another delicious vegan tofu salad is a colorful vegan tofu salad with basil and cashews. It includes a variety of deliciously fresh vegetables and spices and is served in a blooming tomato. This vegan tofu salad is filled with flaxseed (which is a great natural remedy for lowering bad cholesterol!), water, tofu, carrots, onions, celery, peppers, basil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, oregano, garlic, salt, and cashews. All of these ingredients are healthy and low fat, which makes this a low fat tofu recipe. Combined together, these ingredients create one of the tastiest vegan tofu salads you will ever come across.

Nicoise Salad, But Vegan!

If you are a fan of the French Nicoise salad, you will love this last vegan tofu salad recipe. This salad recipe is very much like the traditional French Nicoise salad. This is called “Salad Lucoise.” Instead of the traditional tuna, use braised tofu. Instead of the eggs, use olives. You do not even have to braise the tofu yourself. Purchase a tin of braised tofu, like marigold, for this salad. Use all of the French Nicoise ingredients, cutting everything into large chunks. Toss and serve!

Vegan tofu salad recipes are everywhere, and it is likely that you will be able to find one that you love!

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