A few weeks ago, you may recall that I discussed the pros and cons of soy. The bottom line was that tofu is far from a forbidden food—it’s a healthy source of plant protein that can be enjoyed in moderation.

So now that you have the green light to introduce a little ‘fu into your life, how are you going to prepare it? One reader asked that very question:

“I saw your post on soy yesterday and it caused me to reconsider implementing a little more soy in my diet.  I eat tofu when I’m dining out at restaurants and I have purchased the pre-seasoned/pre-baked tofu at the grocery store, but I’ve never prepared it before straight from the white block.  This is mainly b/c I’ve heard you have to press it and I don’t have a tofu press, but I’m not sure I recall you saying that you press yours before cooking?  Is pressing necessary to cook tofu?”

Well, you caught me. When it comes to tofu preparation, I am one lazy chef. I don’t typically press my tofu—and I even have a tofu press! Really I have no excuse other than the fact that I have a raging appetite when dinner-time rolls around, so I skip that often time-consuming step.

However, many recipes won’t really work with water-logged tofu; just like meat, it needs to have a certain texture and density to “hold on” to a sauce or breading. So here’s a quick cheater’s guide to tofu prep:

• Buy firm or extra-firm tofu. If you buy firmer varieties of tofu, much of the liquid extraction is already done for you—the tofu is already pressed and has a dense texture, straight from the package!

• Blot. Just like greasy pizza, tofu benefits from a little paper towel patting. After slicing/cubing my tofu into the desired shape, I use a few paper towels to remove as much moisture as I can before seasoning it. Take it from someone who knows—breading water-logged tofu totally does not work.

• Put your pans to work. If you have the time and inclination to press your tofu, you don’t need a fancy tofu press. Simply place the block of tofu on a plate or cutting board, add a layer of paper towel, and place a medium-weight pan (i.e. not your granny’s iron skillet) on top. Even five minutes of this treatment makes a difference, but most recipes recommend about 30 minutes of pressing.

• Just mash it. If you like the flavor of tofu, but don’t want to deal with all these pressing and blotting shenanigans, choose a recipe that calls for mashed or pureed tofu. Take a look at my Scrambled Tofu, Tofu Banana French Toast, or Pumpkin-Tofu Soup for inspiration!

So now my secret’s out. I’m too lazy to press my tofu. Don’t judge me.

What are some of your favorite short-cuts in the kitchen?

Let’s take a look at some of my quick-fix meals today…

Before running out the door to lab, I made myself a quick PBJ waffle. Well, technically, it was an SBJ waffle—sunflower seed butter and jam. I also gulped down some almond milk mixed with Spirutein. This was an unexpectedly fantastic breakfast!

For lunch, I packed a batch of Peanut Sesame Hummus. I was lazy last night (hm, I detect a theme here…), so I just used straight-up peanut butter instead of a combination of PB and tahini.

Tonight’s meal featured an Ellie recipe, Asparagus with Mimosa Topping.

First, I’ll say that I learned something new with this recipe—apparently “mimosa” does not just refer to an alcoholic drink. Who says cooking isn’t educational? Anyway, the preparation of the topping wasn’t exactly easy. FYI, grating a hard-boiled egg is no simple task. The egg kind of disintegrated into my hand…but I managed to get enough into the bowl for an appreciable flavor.

Off to hang out with Marge and watch Chopped. Good night!

Filed under: Meals