When I was around 14 I decided I was going to become a vegetarian.
If you have kids I'm sure you're familiar with the "vegetarian" epiphany. Every 14 year old is pretty sure they've come up with the idea that eating meat is archaic and all living things deserve to be revered not roasted.
I spewed my thoughts in the idealistic, pompous and patronizing way that only a 14 year old girl in brand new Topsiders can muster up.
So off I went to the local health food store. I came back home with the ingredients for vegetarian chili. From what I remember it was some sort of spongey meat substitute that came in a cardboard box. It had the uncanny ability to both resemble and taste like silly putty, without actually being silly putty.
I cooked it. I ate it. I quietly hated it. I did not become a vegetarian.
Things have improved greatly on the vegetarian and vegan cooking front since then. And even though I'm not even close to being a vegetarian I usually only eat meat twice a week or so.
Sometimes that involves the dreaded tofu. I know. A lot of people don't like tofu. I happen to like tofu because it takes on the taste of whatever you marinate it in. It took me a couple of years to figure out a marinade I really liked for it.
And this is it.
Ingredients:
Red Wine Vinegar
Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
ANY CHARA CTER HERE
Toasted Sesame Oil
ANY CHARA CTER HERE
Tamari Soy Sauce
ANY CHARA CTER HERE
Allow your tofu to drain a little bit and then it pat dry.
I like to cut off the outside "skin" of the tofu to make it easier for the tofu to absorb the marinade.
Cut your tofu into bite sized pieces. I always use extra-firm tofu for frying or baking.
Set tofu in marinade for 1-2 hours, making sure tofu is covered with Saran Wrap to keep it from drying out.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Tamari Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Sesame Oil (toasted sesame oil)
- 2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar Unseasoned
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together well.
- Chop tofu into bite sized pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour.
If the marinade doesn't completely cover up the tofu I stir it every so often over the time it is marinating.
I usually add this tofu to some brown rice and top it with bean sprouts and peanut sauce.
If you don't like the texture of tofu, don't try this recipe. If you don't like the basic taste of tofu, don't try this recipe. If you don't like the look of tofu, don't try this recipe. You either like tofu or you don't.
I'm not going to look down on you, chastise you or preach to you if you don't want to eat tofu.
Because I'm not 14 anymore.
It's interesting that I am just seeing this...
In order to have my tofu soak up marinades, I make the cuts I need ahead of time and freeze them. When thawed, the tofu then looks like sponge (hole-y?) and much of the moisture depart, leaving lots of room for the marinade. Once 'marinade uptake' takes place, the spongy appearance disappears and I'm in business. ;-)
So you freeze the cut bits from the outside that you cut off? That's a good idea. ~ karen!
I just had the Buddha Bowl at Fresh last week and I was so curious about how they marinate their tofu so this is pretty perfect timing for this post! My family is pretty close to obsessed with the Memories of Szechwan sauce and I can't wait to try and make a Buddha Bowl at home. I'm choosing soba noodles instead of the rice though!
Sarah - What's funny is I've only had the *real* Buddha Bowl at Fresh a couple of times and my *own* version about 100X. Hope you like it. I think it's a pretty good facsimile. ~ karen!
Karen,
I think we might be kinda stalkers. Sarah is my daughter - she made your valentine tarts in her toaster oven in her basement apartment last year. We both follow your blog pretty much every day.. And we talk about you like you're family - or at least good friend. Good stuff. I am not a joiner - Sarah follows lots of stuff but. You make us keep up. Keep up the good work. We will cheer. And happy second bday. Btw I got a rolling pin from pei for Christmas. Almost worth sleeping with. Love it,
I also do a very similar marinade and often I will take said marinated tofu, roll it in nutritional yeast, place on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and bake. If you do it just right, it is slightly crisp. If you do it a bit too long it takes on a jerky sort of texture (which is good too). The trick is to not let anyone in my house know there is marinating tofu in the fridge - they all 'sneak' a piece and there's not enough for dinner!
Karen, I have never had a Buddha Bowl and would SO LOVE to try this! It sounds amazing. Could you please, please, Please! blog it or email it! I have been looking for other ways to enjoy tofu other than scrambles. ~ Sandy
Have you posted the whole recipe for the Buddha Bowl? If not, would you? I'm sure I could manage the brown basmati rice and broccoli myself, but am at a las for the spicy peanut sauce. Thanks! BTW...love your blog and check it daily to see if you've posted something new.
Hi Kathy thanks! I post every day so chances are ... there's always gonna be something new. :) (no post Sundays). I've made a few spicy sauces, but in truth I've found bottled stuff that I actually prefer to my homemade. Odd, but true. However, it's a Canadian brand, "President's Choice". Memories of Szechwan peanut sauce. If I happen upon a really good sauce I'll let you know. ~ karen! OH! And no broccoli in Buddha Bowl ... just bean sprouts. But I spose you could add broccoli if you wanted, LOL. ~ karen
I'm Chinese American. I didn't know tofu was an option. I'll eat it raw, I'll eat it marinated, I'll eat it any way...but not deep fried. I don't know why. I just don't really like deep fried tofu.
My partner's nieces decided they were vegetarian at 13, yup. Unfortunately, they don't like vegetables. I'm not sure how you manage that, and I'm really not sure at all how they've managed to stay so thin, because, insofar as I can see, they mainly subsist on chips/French fries, fruit, bread, and maybe some kinds of cheese. One has started liking carrots, though.