Best Sautéed Tofu Recipes

SAUTEED TOFU WITH BITTER GREENS

Steps:

• Cut tofu in half lengthwise, then cut each piece across into 6 slices. Place tofu on a paper-towel-lined plate. Cover with more paper towels; place another plate on top. Weight with a few soup cans. Chill 30 minutes so towels absorb excess water.
• In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce; sesame oil; chili paste or Tabasco, if using; lime juice; ginger; and garlic. Set aside. Transfer tofu to medium bowl; toss with half the marinade; let sit for 30 minutes.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, arrange tofu in a single layer in pan. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter; repeat with remaining tofu. Gradually add greens to skillet with remaining marinade. Cook, tossing occasionally, until greens are wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to platter with tofu. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper; serve.

GRILLED TOFU AND SAUTEED ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices. Arrange in 1 layer on a triple layer of paper towels and top with another triple layer of towels. Weight with a shallow baking pan or baking sheet and let stand 2 minutes. Repeat weighting with dry paper towels 2 more times.
• Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, Tabasco, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a glass pie plate. Add tofu slices in 1 layer and marinate, turning over every couple of minutes, 8 minutes total.
• Heat a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Lift tofu from marinade with a slotted spatula (reserve marinade) and grill, turning over once carefully with spatula, until grill marks appear and tofu is heated through, 4 to 6 minutes total.
• While tofu grills, heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté greens, tossing with tongs, until beginning to wilt. Add reserved marinade and sauté, tossing, until greens are just wilted, about 1 minute. Lift greens from skillet with tongs, letting excess marinade drip off, and divide between 2 plates.
• Serve greens with tofu slices.

SAUTEED ASPARAGUS WITH CURRIED TOFU AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Dice the tofu into pieces the size of sugar cubes.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add in the tofu cubes and reduce the heat.
• Simmer for two minutes. Carefully drain (the tofu is a bit fragile at this point) and then gently pat dry. Toss the cubes with 1/2 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper to taste, the sugar, turmeric, and curry powder. (sometimes I lay the tofu out on a plate and sprinkle the seasoning on, turning the tofu to get all the sides covered rather than "tossing").
• Saute the seasoned tofu in the 2 tablespoons oil, heated, over medium high heat until golden but still tender. turn the tofu so that all the sides are colored. Remove the cubes to a plate, covered to stay warm, and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce the heat to medium.
• Add the 2 teaspoon of oil to the pan, and when it's hot, add in the onion, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cumin. Cook until the onion is translucent. Turn the heat to high, and add in the asparagus, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Saute until the asparagus is tender but not limp, and a beautiful bright green. The timing will depend on the thickness of the stalks. Add in the tomatoes and the tofu, saute to heat through. Turn off the heat and add in the cilantro or parsley and the remaining cumin (if needed).
• Serve immediately.

SAUTéED TOFU

Steps:

• Here's a preparation I've been making for years. It's in my earlier book, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, as an actual recipe, but it can just as easily be improvised. Slice, blot dry, and dice a 16-ounce tub of extra-firm tofu. Gently heat a tablespoon or so each of soy sauce, olive oil, and maple syrup or agave nectar in a wide skillet. Before they get too hot, add the tofu. Stir quickly to coat, then sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the tofu turns golden and crisp. Season with additional soy sauce to taste. If you like, add some grated ginger and/or sliced scallions to this preparation.

WOK SAUTEED MUSHROOMS AND TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu in half horizontally to make 2 pieces, each about 3/4-inch thick. With a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut 6 rounds from each half to make a total of 12 rounds. In a bowl combine 2/3 cup vegetable broth, 1 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Place a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil, swirling to coat sides. Add tofu and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove pan from heat. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add leek, chili pepper and all mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch solution. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. To serve, arrange tofu in a circle around the edge of a serving platter. Place mushroom mixture in the center.

GRILLED TOFU AND SAUTEED ASIAN GREENS

Steps:

• Cut tofu crosswise into 6 slices. Arrange in 1 layer on a triple layer of paper towels and top with another triple layer of towels. Weight with a shallow baking pan or baking sheet and let stand 2 minutes. Repeat weighting with dry paper towels 2 more times.
• Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, Tabasco, and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a glass pie plate. Add tofu slices in 1 layer and marinate, turning over every couple of minutes, 8 minutes total.
• Heat a lightly oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Lift tofu from marinade with a slotted spatula (reserve marinade) and grill, turning over once carefully with spatula, until grill marks appear and tofu is heated through, 4 to 6 minutes total.
• While tofu grills, heat remaining teaspoon vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté greens, tossing with tongs, until beginning to wilt. Add reserved marinade and sauté, tossing, until greens are just wilted, about 1 minute. Lift greens from skillet with tongs, letting excess marinade drip off, and divide between 2 plates.
• Serve greens with tofu slices.

CHINESE STYLE SAUTEED FIRM TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu crosswise into pieces the shape of French-fried potatoes.
• Heat a wok, coat with oil and sprinkle on the salt.
• Add onion then mushrooms, stir-frying each over high heat for about 30 seconds.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add carrot, green pepper and tofu in that order, sauteing each for about 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low and add sake, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and water.
• Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in dissolved cornstarch and simmer 30 seconds more.

MARINATED SAUTéED TOFU

Steps:

• Drain the tofu and cut it into small cubes.
• Place the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour this over the tofu and toss to coat well. Let the tofu marinate for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to make sure the tofu is well saturated.
• Place the tofu cubes along with the marinade in a large nonstick sauté pan. Dry-fry the cubes for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally with a spatula to make sure the cubes are well browned on all sides.

CHINESE STYLE SAUTEED FIRM TOFU

Steps:

• Cut tofu crosswise into pieces the shape of French-fried potatoes.
• Heat a wok, coat with oil and sprinkle on the salt.
• Add onion, then the mushrooms, stir frying each over high heat for about 30 seconds.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add carrot, green pepper and tofu in that order, sauteeing each for about 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low and add sake, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and water. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in dissolved cornstarch and simmer 30 seconds for another 30 seconds.

SAUTEED WALNUT AND 3-GRAIN TOFU

Steps:

• Place tofu slices on a plate. Combine hemp seeds, flax seeds, wheat germ, walnuts, oregano, and thyme on a separate plate. Beat egg in a large bowl.
• Dip tofu slices in the egg, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl. Press coated tofu in the seed-nut mixture, coating both sides. Arrange coated tofu in 1 layer on a plate.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tofu in the hot oil until browned, about 5 minutes per side.

SWEET AND SAVORY SAUTéED OR BAKED TOFU

Steps:

• Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Blot well between clean tea towels or several layers of paper towel, and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
• To sauté, slowly heat the oil, honey, and soy sauce together in a wide skillet, stirring together as they heat. Add the tofu and stir quickly to coat with the liquid. Sauté over medium-high heat until golden-brown and crisp on most sides, about 10 minutes, and serve.
• To bake, preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the oil, honey, and soy sauce in a mixing bowl and stir together. Stir in the tofu to coat with the sauce. Bake in a shallow, foil-lined baking pan, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is golden brown and the liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes, and serve.
• Sweet and Savory Sautéed or Baked Tofu (this page)
• Chinese-Style Vegetable Fried Rice (page 94)
• or
• Asian Sesame-Soy Noodles (page 85)
• Crisp raw bell pepper strips and carrot and celery sticks
• Calories: 138
• Total Fat: 8g
• Protein: 9g
• Carbohydrate: 7g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 511mg