Welcome to Monday! Today I made caramelized tofu, one of our all-time favorites. I fried squares of firm tofu until golden, then glazed them with a mixture of brown sugar and soy sauce. I packed the tofu next to some basmati rice, and topped them with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. On the side is a dish of "Baby Carrot and Baby Corn Stir-Fry" from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas. For dessert, a honey tangerine.Verdict: I was excited to finally get some baby corn into the lunch box; it seems so perfectly lunch box-sized. And mixing baby corn with baby carrots was certainly inspired (thanks, Nava!). Shmoo seems to have played with the corn more than eating it -- cutting it into pieces, eating the kernels off one like corn-on-the-cob, etc. The tofu was a hit, as usual. Although it's not in the picture, shmoo asked for a tiny container of soy sauce at the last minute, so he could sprinkle some on the rice and veggies. 4 stars.
28 comments:
No matter how hard I try, I can't get past the texture of tofu. I finally found a recipe that just barely covers the nasty taste, but that icky eggy texture just grosses me out. Tofu is something I really want to like but so far it's a no-go.
jessica from TN here. i finally registered so i could post here! it took me awhile.
i love honey tangerines. i have been eating them hand over fist lately. yum.
as always, love the spectacular lunch!
How delicious! :)
Do you mind sharing the measurements for the tofu marinade? Thanks!
Happy Monday!
I really adore your site; it's such a great resource for cooking ideas. Your creativity is so inspiring!
Speaking of vegan twinkies....any ideas as to where to find real coconut extract? All I ever seem to be able to find is the imitation stuff which is full of corn syrup and the like.
Jennifer, with Passover just ending, I got to thinking...have you ever tried charosets? It's an apple, walnut, and wine (or grape juice) mixture that is traditional for Passover. I think it's one of the few Passover foods that I actually look forward to! Anyway, I've noticed that little Shmoo really seems to like apples and walnuts, so I thought he might like to try charosets.
I haven't been able to figure out how to cook tofu that way, where it gets crispy on the outside. Do you have to use a lot of oil?
Gee, I'll have to watch "Big" now! :-)
>>Do you mind sharing the measurements for the tofu marinade?
Sure, it was about 2 TB low sodium soy sauce and 3 TB natural brown sugar. You mix them together and pour them into the pan after the tofu has turned golden. Add a couple tablespoons of water and simmer, tossing a couple times, until the tofu is well-coated with a shiny glaze. Mmm.
>>any ideas as to where to find real coconut extract?
Yes, here's the kind I use:
http://www.shop.com/op/aprod-p17999225-k24-g4-~organic+coconut+extract-nover?sourceid=3
>>have you ever tried charosets?
Actually, we just went to our first Passover meal this year! Shmoo did love the charoset. We steered clear of the lamb and egg, though.
I would love to do a Jewish-inspired lunch box. I don't have much knowledge of Jewish cuisine or culture, and I'm scared to death of causing anyone offense. I'm thinking maybe some knish, some hamentaschen cookies? Or are they only eaten at a certain time of year?
>>I haven't been able to figure out how to cook tofu that way, where it gets crispy on the outside. Do you have to use a lot of oil?
Hi, Lane! I used about 2 TB of oil (canola works well) for a pound of tofu. Heat the oil on medium-high, add the tofu and let it sit, not moving it, for 2 to 4 minutes, until golden on the bottom. Flip and repeat on the other side. I use a large nonstick skillet for this. You can drain the tofu on paper towels afterwards to soak up extra oil.
I also struggle with both the texture and flavour of both tofu and soy. I really REALLY dislike that nutty flavour that soy has, and there's a lot of nuts I don't like for the same reason. I'll eat cashews, pecans, and macademias, pretty much the buttery-rich ones and not regular nuts. The only way I've been able to tolerate tofu so far is the dessert ones blended into my smoothies! I actually would like to learn to like tofu but I find it very difficult.
If you don't like the texture of raw tofu, try freezing it and thawing it. It will get a much "meatier," chewier texture (which I personally am not fond of, but many people are). It'll also soak up sauce or marinade much better when frozen and thawed. Also, if you press and drain firm Chinese tofu (not the Japanese silken kind) it has a much different texture, firm and chewy.
If the taste of tofu is bothering you that much, try dunking it in boiling water for a few minutes, then drain, press, or do whatever you want with it. It definitely helps to get rid of some of that beany taste. Marinating it for a bit in whatever sauce you want can also help, since tofu really is pretty bland and will soak up the flavor of whatever you put on it. I know a lot of people who thought tofu was totally gross until I showed them how to prepare it in different ways, then they generally found a tofu dish they liked. Best of luck!
Thanks Jennifer!
I totally understand about tofu. I can only eat it if it's well prepared, like those beautiful golden cubes Jennifer made!
I'm having total cravings for that tofu, now.
(And I always wondered why Americans pronounced it 'carmelized' instead of 'caramelised'. I'd never noticed before that it was spelled differently too! Like aluminum and aluminium.)
Also, I would love to see you do a Jewish themed lunchbox.
Thanks for the tips. I have tried freezing it and pressing it, although I'm not sure if it's Chinese or Japanese tofu that I'm buying. I also use the dessert tofu in my smoothies. I do think it's a preparation thing as I've had really good fried tofu in a Chinese restaurant. I'm an omni but am really trying to cut my already minimal meat intake down further. My dh on the otherhand won't touch anything new. I made a nice chocolate banana smoothie with coconut tofu in it and gave him some. He really liked it until I told him what was in it. Now he won't drink any smoothies that I make! Oh well, his loss!
Tofu, the classic!
New York Bathrooms
This looks wonderful. I was all excited about the potato/chili gratin in my lunchbox today, but now I'm craving tofu!
Thankfully, I have a block at home in the fridge. It seems that your lunchboxes often determine what I make for dinner. . . hmmm. . .
Great lunch!
On browning tofu: I've found, through trial and error, that you must have the pan fully heated before you put the tofu in. Like stir-fry, if the pan isn't fully heated, the tofu will just get soggy.
It seems to be delicious!
See Tofu scramble
"caramelized tofu" -- oh, heck yes. I'm trying that out tonight...
I’m definitely trying that glaze! I am so uncreative with the way I prepare tofu.
Lori- I love Soy Vay sauce too, I use it almost every time I make a stir fry.
One of my friends made the best hamentaschen for Purim this year. The poppy seed filling was just divine. I think a Jewish themed lunch box is a great idea, although I have to admit all my favorite Jewish foods come in the form of fattening baked goods :P
Try freezing tofu, too. Drain it, then wrap it up and freeze it, and when you take it out to thaw it, drain it again. It makes it soooo good!
Great looking lunch!
I'm so glad I finally checked out this blog. Every lunch looks amazing. And how nice to see a veganized version of my banana-molasses muffins in the previous lunch box.
I have a question though - all of these are served cold right? I am curious because while the tofu seems like it could be good cold, I'm not sure about the rice and the carrots and peas.
Hi, Cathe! Hey, thanks for the great muffins.
Here's an answer from the FAQ (I knew that FAQ was going to come in handy!):
"How does he reheat things?" He doesn't; he eats things like cooked veggies, pizza, etc. cold or at room temperature. Although I have seen some classrooms with microwaves, his class does not have access to one. Before you decide that sounds awful, think of all the great cold cooked veggies and beans you find at salad bars, and think of the cold pizza college students eat for breakfast! You can eat a lot of things cold that we are simply in the habit of eating hot.
The glaze for the tofu looks awesome. I make tofu all the time and need something different to do with it.
Jewish food would be great. Just a clarification though so you don't end up offending people, a lot of the stuff you're thinking about like knishes, kugel, and rugalach, are only Jewish food for the Eastern European decended Jews. Lots of other Jews have never eaten it in their lives. Just like a commentor above said, it could also be falafel etc. Stuffed vegetables are also big(peppers, grape leaves, onions, all with rice). Can't wait to see what you do.
Thanks for the reply Jennifer and HI 4cutieboys4me - hope you like the books.
I am going to try the room temp stuff with my girls and see how it goes over. I am very excited to see the thermos on the laptop lunch system. I've been looking for stainless steel ones since I don't like to put hot food into plastic and that's all I can find in stores around here.
Just checking out your archives. This is awesome, I go to a vegan Chinese restaurant and have been wanting to find a recipe for their sesame tofu to make at home, this may just do the trick:-)
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