Product Review: Tofu Xpress, Plus: Simple Golden Tofu

Simple Golden Tofu

Ever since I first saw reviews of the Tofu Xpress popping up in my blog reader a year or so ago, I've been wondering whether this little contraption could possibly be worth it's price tag or the hype it gets.  A few weeks ago, I contacted the company to see if they would be willing to send me a press to review, and they were kind enough to oblige.  I got my tofu press in the mail a little over a week ago, and I've been happily pressing and chowing down on tofu ever since.

before pressing

The Tofu Xpress is simply designed, being basically a plastic box with a spring-loaded lid, but the device definitely removes more water from tofu than I've ever been able to remove using the high-tech heavy-cans-stacked-on-a-plate method.  Essentially, after a few hours in the Tofu Xpress, water-packed tofu is transformed into compact, dry bean curd.  My experience has been that the dry, pressed tofu is less crumbly and also browns faster than unpressed or plate-pressed tofu.  I've been baking and frying big batches of pressed tofu to toss with salads and stir-fries, and expect that the Tofu Xpress will continue to see heavy use in my kitchen.

after 3 hours of pressing

Here's my favorite simple way to pan-fry pressed tofu.  These golden tofu cubes are good for snacking on as-is, or for tossing in salads or stir-fries.  I enjoy them hot or cold.

1. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil or margarine in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add cubed, pressed tofu.
3. Sprinkle with soy sauce, garlic powder, and a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
4. Cook, tossing occasionally, for a few minutes, until the cubes are golden-brown. Enjoy hot or chill and save for later.

Pineapple & Tofu Red Curry

Happy Halloween!  Because we can't live on candy alone (although I may sometimes seem like I'm trying to), I decided today would be a good day for a nourishing savory dish.  Although I rarely make curries, when I do I usually want them to include two things: lots of sauce for the rice to sop up, and big chunks of fresh pineapple.

The Ingredients:
1 package extra-firm tofu
2 1/2 c fresh pineapple chunks
1 1/2 c coconut milk
1 1/2 c vegetable broth
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 c chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish
2 T red curry paste
1-2 thai chilis, minced, or chili paste to taste
1 T minced ginger

The Process:

1. In a nonstick pan, fry tofu over medium-high heat in a little oil until golden on both sides.  Set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ginger and curry paste in a little oil until fragrant, about 1 1/5 minutes.
3. Raise heat to medium-high, add onion and celery, and continue to cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until onion is softened.
4. Add bell peppers and continue to cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.
5. Add broth, pineapple, and chilis, and bring to a simmer.  
6. Stir in tofu and coconut milk, return to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 c cilantro.  Serve over rice and garnish with more cilantro.

Whew! With that, I guess Vegan MoFo is over.  This has been my favorite MoFo yet, and I've had a lot of fun trying to come up with interesting variations on my theme ingredients each week.  I'll be sticking with the pineapple/coconut posts through the end of the week, including a delightful little dessert I cooked up for the Virtual Vegan Potluck tomorrow.  After that, I'll be back to roughly once-weekly posting, with a temporary hiatus expected in February when I anticipate being busy with such other endeavors as having a baby.  Thanks to everyone who has dropped by my blog this month, especially to the folks whose kind comments on my posts have brightened my days!

Peanut Tofu with Fried Bananas

This meal photographed poorly, but it sure tasted great.  Tofu is marinated in a gingery soy-lime sauce, then coated in crushed peanuts and topped with fried bananas and green onion. I served it with steamed broccoli, and brown rice with green onions folded in.

The Ingredients:
Marinade:
3 T soy sauce
1 T lime juice
1 t agave
1/8 t ginger powder

1 1/4 c roasted, unsalted peanuts
1/4 c flour
1 T cornstarch
a pinch garlic powder
1/2 c water
1 block extra-firm tofu
2 slightly green bananas, halved lengthwise then widthwise
4 green onions, trimmed

oil for cooking

The Process:

1. Mix together marinade ingredients.  Cut tofu into 4-6 slabs, coat with marinade, and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
2. Pulse peanuts in a food processor or hand-chop like a fiend until they form coarse crumbs. Pour onto a plate.
3. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, and water. 
4. Heat a shallow coating of oil in 2 frying pans over medium heat (or preheat the oven to 200 degrees and work in batches, placing finished food in oven while cooking remaining food).
5. Dip tofu slices in flour mixture, then press firmly into peanuts to coat both sides.  Fry for a couple minutes per side, turning carefully to prevent the peanuts from falling off.
6. Meanwhile, dip banana slices and green onion in the flour mixture, then fry in the other pan until browned.  Serve tofu topped with fried bananas and a green onion.

Tempeh & New Potato Salad

This salad can be served warm or cold, on its own or over a lettuce-based salad.  I used a combination of purple, red, and yellow potatoes because that's what I have in my garden, but any color will work.

The Ingredients:
about 5 c small new potatoes
1 package tempeh
3 T fruity balsamic vinegar (I used tangerine/fig balsamic)
2 T olive oil
1 T + 2 t mustard
1 T agave
leaves from a 2-3 inch sprig of rosemary, minced
1/8 t salt
a pinch black pepper

The Process:

1. Fill a large saucepan or small stockpot with enough water to cover potatoes and tempeh.  Bring to a boil, add potatoes & tempeh, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain.
2. Meanwhile, to make dressing, combine all remaining ingredients in a mason jar.  Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until well-combined.
3. Combine potatoes and tempeh with dressing.  For the best flavor, refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Tempeh Home Fries

This is one of my favorite no-fuss dinners.  Cube some red potatoes and some tempeh.  Toss with crushed garlic, chopped parsley, a little diced onion, salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 450 for about 45 minutes, stirring and turning them once or twice during cooking.

Maple-Marinated Stuffed Tofu Cubes

These were a pretty addition to my Thanksgiving feast, and they require next to no time to prepare.  Freezing the tofu gives it a spongy texture and allows you to extract more water from the tofu.

The Ingredients:
1 block firm tofu, frozen, then thawed
3/4 c stuffing
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c vegetable broth
2 T vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t onion powder
a pinch cayenne

The Process:

1. Squeeze as much water as you can from the tofu while still keeping it in tact. Cut tofu into four cubes. Use a small spoon or apple corer to hollow out the middle of each cube to within 1/4 inch of the cube's bottom.
2. Combine syrup, broth, oil, garlic, onion powder, and cayenne, and pour this mixture over the tofu.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, then drain.
3. Spoon stuffing into the hollow of each cube, and bake at about 425 degrees for about 25 minutes or until tofu is golden.

Maple Glazed Tempeh, Squash, and Brussels Sprouts

I thought I didn't like brussels sprouts, until I tried them baked in sweet/spicy maple sauce.  This is warm and autumny, and would make a good Thanksgiving dish.  Just keep in mind that unless you have mad knife skills and way sharper knives than I've got, the acorn squash takes some time to prepare, so don't try to make this when you're in a hurry.  The tempeh tastes best if you marinate it at least overnight, or up to 24 hours in advance.

The Ingredients
16 oz. tempeh, cut in 1-1 1/2 inch pieces (I prefer triangles, because they look fancier.)
1 lb brussels sprouts, halved
1 medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut in 3/4 inch cubes.

Marinade:
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c maple syrup
1 T apple cider vinegar
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t cayenne

The Process:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients.  Place tempeh in a container, pour marinade over it, and refrigerate up to 24 hours, shaking occasionally to coat the tempeh.
2. Preheat oven to 375.  Toss together all ingredients (including the marinade) in an oiled Dutch oven or casserole dish.
3. Bake covered 40 minutes, stirring a few times.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Tempeh and Green Beans in Spicy Garlic Sauce

This was a spur of the moment invention because I had tempeh and green beans in the fridge that I needed to use up, but it turned out awesome—I'll definitely be making it again.

The Ingredients
2 8-oz. packages tempeh, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half if large
1 head garlic, minced or crushed
olive oil for frying

Sauce:
1/2 c + 2 T vegetable broth
2 T hoisin sauce
2 T sweet chili sauce (the pink kind with red flecks of chili peppers in it)
1 T rice vinegar
1 1/4 t cornstarch


The Process

1. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer, immerse the tempeh in it, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. While tempeh is simmering, whisk together all sauce ingredients.
2. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a wok over low heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
3. Remove tempeh from water.  Add tempeh and green beans to garlic, raise heat to medium-high, and continue to cook for 9-10 minutes, stirring, adding olive oil if it starts to stick.
4. Add sauce, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 more minutes.  Serve with noodles or rice.

Peanut Battered Tofu

This dinner rocked.  I've been using Trader Joe's peanut flour in my smoothies, but this was my first time cooking with it.  I made a peanut flour batter, battered and fried the tofu, and then drizzled on a coconut milk-peanut flour sauce before serving.  Crispy, peanuty, and just a little sweet, the peanut flour batter was somewhat reminiscent of pancakes.  I served this with steamed broccoli and peanut-scallion rice.

Battered Tofu

1. In a shallow bowl, make batter by combining 2 parts peanut flour to 1 part white flour, a sprinkle of cornstarch, and enough almond milk to make a thick batter.
2. Slice a block of firm or extra-firm tofu into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.
3. Heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Dip tofu in batter, then fry about 2 minutes per side or until golden-brown.

Coconut-Peanut Sauce

1. Stir together about 1/2 cup peanut flour, 1/2-1 teaspoon powdered ginger, and a dash of salt.
2. Add a spoonful of sesame oil, and enough coconut milk to make the sauce the consistency you want.
3. Blend or vigorously whisk to get out the lumps.  Microwave sauce for a minute before serving.

Peanut-Scallion Rice
 Make rice.  Just before serving, stir a couple handfuls of chopped peanuts and a few thinly-sliced scallions into the rice.

Garlic Pepper Tofu Fingers

I recently spotted some "Tofu Yu" brand Garlic Pepper Tofu at Whole Foods that I had to try immediately.

It looked so fresh and lovely, I didn't want to mask it's flavor with other ingredients, so I simply sliced it into "fingers" and cooked it on a hot griddle until it was golden-brown on all sides.  It was delectable dipped in agave nectar.

Pickapeppa Tofu Sandwiches

I'll admit that I usually skip over sandwich posts when I'm reading people's blogs, because as much as I like eating sandwiches, I don't really think I need a recipe for how to make one.  "Take good stuff, put said stuff between bread" pretty much does it for me.

So I guess what I'm saying is, if I were you, I wouldn't be reading this post.  But congratulations on being less of a snob than I am, because you're about to discover something amazing:

It's called pickapeppa sauce.  and has a strange and rather motley ingredient list: Tomatoes, onions, sugar, vinegar, mangoes, raisins, garlic, salt, peppers, thyme, and cloves.  It tastes a little like worchestershire sauce, only thick and a little sweet, and maybe kind of tropical (could be the mangoes, could be the picture of a parrot on the bottle).

It tastes pretty darn good just brushed on a slab of seared tofu and stuck between two slices of store bread, but why not go crazy and add sliced peppers, onions, and artichokes to the tofu, and serve it up on fresh chiabatta?  Run out to the garden for some butterhead lettuce to stick on there, too.  Now THAT'S a good sandwich.

Sick Tofu

I like to eat lots of garlic, ginger, and onions when I feel a cold coming on.  Not that it seems to particularly help, but at least it gives me a brief glimmer of false hope and a feeling of virtuous proactivity.

I made this garliclicious tofu yesterday to try to fend off a sore throat…in which regard it was a complete failure, but it did taste great. 

Ingredients

2 T olive oil

1 cup green onions, thinly sliced

10-12 cloves garlic, pressed

1 T ginger

1 package super-firm tofu or baked tofu, sliced into very thin strips

1 cup vegetable broth, mixed with 2 t cornstarch

2 c broccoli florets

The process

1. Steam broccoli a few minutes until half-cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, Heat oil in a large skillet. 
3. Over medium heat, sauté garlic, onions, and ginger 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add tofu, broccoli, and broth, and stir to combine.
5. Simmer about 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.
6. Serve over rice.

Walnut Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce

This is my husband's favorite dish, which he's been known to moan just thinking about...I don't make it often because it's so unhealthy and I lack the patience to fry tofu regularly.  But yesterday was his birthday, so I whipped up an enormous batch, which I served with brown rice and a beautiful plum-glazed cinnamon-spice cake.

Walnut Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce
2 blocks tofu, frozen, then thawed and drained, cut into 1 1/2-inch triangles.
oil for pan-frying
Sweet chili sauce (lots!)
lime juice or vinegar
liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
about 2 cups walnut halves and/or pieces
vegetables if desired

1. Fry tofu (easiest in a non-stick pan) in a few Tbsp of oil, turning at least once, until golden-brown.  Set aside.
2. Toast walnuts on stovetop or in toaster oven and set aside.
3. Stir-fry vegetables (I recommend peppers and broccoli).  Add walnuts and tofu, and completely coat with chili sauce.  Season to taste with lime juice and soy sauce.  Thin with a little water or vegetable broth if too thick.
4. Serve over rice or noodles.

Cinnamon Spice Cake with Plum Glaze (makes two 8- or 9-inch round layers)

CAKE:
1 3/4 cups almond milk
2 t apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 c cornstarch
1 T + 1 t cocoa powder
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 scant t salt
2/3 c canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 T plum syrup (or plum jam blended until smooth)
2 T pomegranate liqueur
1 T + 1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract

1. Whisk vinegar into almond milk and set aside.
2. Whisk together all dry ingredients.
3. Add syrup, liqueur, oil, and extracts to almond milk, then whisk wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.
4. Pour into 2 oiled cake pans and bake about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.

GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups plum syrup or plum jam
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2-1 T cornstarch, as needed

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan and cook over low heat until slightly thickened. Whisk in cornstarch to if not thick enough.  Let cool slightly before spreading between layers and  pouring over top of cake. 

Maple-Glazed Grilled Tempeh

Here's the maple-glazed tempeh recipe from Thanksgiving. Fortunately, the weather is usually fine here for grilling outside, but I expect it could also be done on a griddle or grill pan indoors. You'll probably want to make a double-batch, 'cause it's crazy good both on its own and as a sandwich filling.

Ingredients:
2 8-oz packages tempeh
1/4 c + 2 T liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c + 2 T maple syrup
1 T rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 t cayanne

The Process:
With tempeh flat on the cutting board, cut each block in half, then cut each half into 2 triangles. You now have 8 chubby triangles. Halve each triangle horizontally to make 16 thin triangles.

Steam tempeh for 15-20 minutes if you want a milder tempeh flavor. Let cool.

Mix ingredients together, and pour over tempeh to marinate. Let marinate, covered and refrigerated, about 24 hours, basting occasionally.

Get the grill nice and hot, and grill for 2-3 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade.