Transforming Tofu Into Tasty Dishes

Many food chains are going healthy and providing alternatives to animal protein dishes. Chipotle will be adding a new item to its menu, a tofu option. According to FoodBeast, this is the first new addition to the lineup in the chain’s 20-year history.

The tofu Sofritas was tested in Chiptole’s East Coast stores and now will be added the restaurant’s other nationwide menus. The shredded tofu is flavored with roasted poblano peppers, chipotle chilies and other spices. So now in addition to Chipotle’s marinated chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas and fajita vegetables, customers will be able to toss some soy-based protein into their burritos, tacos, salads and bowls.

As tofu becomes more mainstream, restaurants will adapt the food item to their menu, and home-based cooks will learn to cook with it. If you attend a culinary school online then you may be interested in learning how to prepare this soy-based product. Here are some tips:

Getting started
A block of tofu has a high liquid content, so place it into a bowl for 15 minutes so the excess water can drain from it. You’ll also want to press down on the tofu to get rid of some of the liquid. To help the tofu drain even more, you can place a clean cloth over it and add a few weights (like books) on top.

Adding flavor
Tofu has a reputation of being flavorless. You can combat that issue by cooking it with herbs and spices or marinating it beforehand. The herbs and spices you put on tofu will be absorbed because you drained the water out of it.

Cooking ideas
Tofu tastes great when tossed in a stir-fry, soup, salad and formed into burgers. Additionally, you may cook it on the grill.

Tacos: You can crumble up tofu and toss it with garlic, jalapenos, cumin, olive oil and black beans, and eat it with soft shell corn tortillas.

Stir-fry: For a veggie-filled stir-fry, cut tofu into strips with carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, garlic, soy sauce, dry sherry and ginger root. Cook it in a wok with vegetables serve it over brown rice.

Breading: You can also fry up tofu. Bread it with whole wheat flour, bread crumbs or corn flakes and toss it into frying oil. Serve it with vegetables for a complete dish.