how to tofu:

Alright, tofu. It's got a pretty bad reputation in some places, which I don't quite understand because you can make it taste like LITERALLY whatever you want. There are so many delicious tofu dishes that I've gotten out but I never tried to make it myself, and that's where I realized the bad reputation comes from. When you open a new container of tofu, you make a transition from "hungry consumer" to "talented sculptor." You've got this jiggly white mass in front of you and you make to make something beautiful out of it. It can be a daunting task! Need not your heart be troubled, I am here for you. Over this next month, I'll be exploring the many different ways to use tofu in everyday recipes. There are some super creative things that you can do with tofu, its nutrients and its consistency make it the perfect substitute for eggs and dairy in baking (even if you're not on a vegetarian or vegan diet) and since it does take the flavor of whatever you cook it with, the possibilities are endless! We'll start simple here and I'll show you how to marinade your tofu, which, after doing so, leads to so many different possibilities!

This method works best with firm or extra firm tofu. Here, I used extra firm. After draining the water from the block of tofu, take the blob and plop it on a plate, between two paper towels. Use a heavy pan and whatever else to press it. This is a neat little trick to help solidify the texture, which makes it easier to work with since it won't fall apart as easily. (AS easily. It'll still fall apart a little. This is normal.) Press it for 10-20 minutes.

Cut the tofu into blocks. Usually an inch and a half works best but depending on your preference, you can make them bigger or smaller. My cubes were too big and I ended up cutting them in half with my spatula while they were in the pan. Place the blocks in a container and pour your marinade over them. For thinner marinades, you'll only have to let the cubes soak for 10 minutes or so. For thicker ones, like the one that I used, hours or even overnight would be the best. The cubes are pretty absorbent so keep that in mind that you don't want to over-saturate them, especially if you'll be using other spices and such in other parts of the recipe. Cover the container and place in the fridge.

Take the cubes out and cook as normal! I made a stir fry (of course) in my skillet with them. So good and so high in protein!

xo, e.m.