a tofu press the secret to cooking really good vegan/vegetarian tofu is squeezing all the moisture out. But it’s kinda tricky to do by hand, so these simple kitchen tools help with that. Vegans love em.
I have the Tofuture tofu press and it's been working really well. The built in reservoir is super nice especially if you want to press some tofu and throw it in the fridge for later. The $30 price tag kinda stung though...
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Tofuture literally HALVES the size of my tofu block if I leave it in the press overnight. 1000% worth it if you want to get as much moisture out of your tofu as possible.
There aren't any vegan-friendly grocery stores near me, so I've gotten good at making the best of what's available. Get in the groove of cooking legumes, whole grains, and frozen dark greens and you'll have a very well rounded diet. Buy a tofu press of this style and store a block of tofu in it at all times, so you always have quick-to-cook protein on hand. Tofu scramble tacos (don't press tofu for scramble! Too dry) are super cheap fast and easy. Bulk cook black bean burgers and keep them in the freezer. Mash up chickpeas with a fork and add lemon juice, paprika, pepper, and veganaise for a quick cold-served tuna-salad-style meal that keeps for a few days in the fridge.
It was this Tofuture's Tofu Press - the original and the best Tofu Press for transforming your tofu https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01698J0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_i_8Q3WT6BMCSJ88GR3QWQK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
But I did not pay anything close to that amount lol, no idea why it's so expensive here. Before that I used a chopping board with something heavy on top and some paper towels/a thing to collect the water underneath.
I love my Tofu Beyond Super Firm. I want to be able to stand ontop of it.
Use this all the time! You can put it back in the fridge while it squeezes.
Tofuture's Tofu Press - the original and the best Tofu Press for transforming your tofu https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01698J0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_7STW4ASCCV1BGRVKHCD2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Honestly, I pressed tofu this way for years until my SO moved in together and she had this.
It is AMAZING. It's easy to use, works great, and small enough to fit in a kitchen drawer (or the fridge or freezer). 10/10
It gets easier the more you do it! You can always change up what you're adding as well, it definitely doesn't have to be an exact science.
Liquid smoke is a concentrated liquid, you can get it from most grocery stores or somewhere like Amazon. I like it because it adds a little bit of smokiness / depth to the tofu.
If you're going to be eating tofu, you will definitely want a dedicated press. This one is my personal favorite. There are others out there that are good at getting rid of the liquid in the tofu, but they tend to smash it and change the shape. I like this one because it keeps everything together, while still squeezing out all the liquid. I've used it for almost a year now and I'll never switch to anything else personally, haha.
Get a tofu press, it makes pressing water out of the tofu super easy and that leads to a better texture. Once you press out the water, marinate the tofu to get some flavor in it, it is very bland and soaks up flavor better after pressing.
My vegan friend recommended doing a press, freeze, press routine (I think she repeats this several times, but I’m too lazy) to get a good firm texture, it takes some advance planning, but I find it does make a difference.
I really like this one: Tofu Press
I have two and use them often. You just put a block in, after a few minutes tip it over to dump out the liquid, and then do it again a few hours later. You don't have to adjust knobs or springs and there's no messing around with putting weight on it. It's easy, presses the tofu thoroughly, and has a small footprint so it doesn't take up much space in your fridge.
I had the same dilemma for a long time! I highly recommend buying one, as it's so much more convenient. I recently got this tofu press, and it's been great!
My goto lately has been either tofu "eggs" or scramble, which I make by combining a seasoning mix to coat the outside of pressed, not previously frozen firm tofu. I just eyeball it, but it's mostly nutritional yeast, with a few dashes of turmeric, some onion and garlic powder, some ground mustard, salt, pepper, and about a Tbsp of corn starch mixed well. I just cut a hunk of tofu into four equal sized flat planks and coat them well and throw them in the skillet with veggie sausage, onions, peppers, sometimes vegan cheese, and always hot sauce. Super easy, and super tasty!
This one. I just switched from a different style and I love it. Easier, quicker, and barely any clean up.
This is the one I have:
Tofutures Tofu Press - the original and the best tofu press for transforming your tofu https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01698J0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VHSEW93D04Y7H23AA8N5
I sautee tofu on the regular. About a year ago, I bought a tofu press and I use it often: https://www.amazon.com/Tofu-Press-stylish-transform-Tofuture/dp/B01698J0RU/
Tofu gets a bad rap, but that's because it's often not prepared in the best way. Trader Joe's sells extra-firm tofu that is full of protein, and if you get a tofu press you can make it extra chewy, restaurant-style. Marinate that in a sauce overnight and bake it! It should be amazing. I love this peanut sauce. Plus the peanut butter in it adds extra protein, too.
Freeze-dried edamame is also a really good source of plant-based protein as a snack. Same with peanut butter, dried/baked chickpeas (you can toss them in a spice blend for more flavor), and nuts. Also don't forget about Greek-style yogurt! Those little 6oz containers usually have at least 14g per serving. They have kid-friendly flavors, too.
I use one of two methods....
if I'm crumbling the tofu, I use my hands and squeeze the tofu out until it's dry and it crumbles in my hands.
if I'm cutting the tofu, I use this tofu press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01698J0RU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm sure you can find a cheaper tofu press, just the Amazon link is easiest.
it basically has the tofu block siting on a drainage surface and puts pressure on it with silicone bands causing the top layer to press down. Put in tofo block, strap on top and put in fridge. Come back an hour later to cook dinner, and the bottom has captured all the water.
Tofuture's Tofu Press - the original and the best Tofu Press for transforming your tofu https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01698J0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_9V3BM3BDPEV3J5S1MYH8
Tofuture's Tofu Press - the original and the best Tofu Press for transforming your tofu https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01698J0RU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_J0MMVJ8S8YD18R4HXKNF
I really like this one. Got it three years ago. Works great. You can pop in the tofu and throw it back in the fridge.
Tofuture's Tofu Press https://www.amazon.com/Tofu-Press-stylish-transform-Tofuture/dp/B01698J0RU
If anyone wants a hassle free press, this works really well:
Cant remember what i paid or if it is cheaper elsewhere.
If you can afford it I would grab a tofu press.
https://www.amazon.com/Tofu-Press-stylish-transform-Tofuture/dp/B01698J0RU
I make a lot of tofu and often need to press it, so I bought this on Amazon. It works like a dream. Highly recommend if you ever want to upgrade.
Tofu is pretty easy to put in everything if you know how to cook it and is a better source of protein than meat on a per oz basis. And it's inexpensive also, you can get a brick of tofu for like $2 and it contains +40g of protein and only like 360 calories. A cheap tofu press will pay for itself the first time you use it, only real requirement for cooking with tofu. I have this press and its really nice, because you can keep increasing the strength of the press as more water drains, and the water just sits in the basin on the bottom so there is no mess. The power towel and heavy object trick is tedious and I don't recommend it.
Personally, asian style tofu dishes are the fastest to make imo.
Press and cube the tofu, then toss it in corn starch. Put about maybe 1/4 cup of high heat oil (I use canola) in a pan and get it real hot, then fry the tofu. If the tofu looks dusty still, add a bit more oil. The outside of the tofu should be nice and golden and crispy when its done, takes about 4-6 minutes. Turn the heat off, and then put your favorite choice of sauce on, using the heat left in the pan to reduce the sauce. Eat. If you want to get fancy you can add rice or veggies like lightly steamed broccoli into the mix. Assuming you let the tofu press sit while you did other things, the actual prep & cook time is less than 20 minutes. The oil, sauce, and corn starch obviously add some calories.
Burritos with imitation Chipotle sofritas are also a fav of mine, but that takes more time and planning since beans are involved (please see my recent PSA of why you should never rush bean prep lol). You can cheat the intricate recipes for sofritas mix with straight up pulling the pressed tofu apart with forks, then mixing taco seasoning (I recommend medium or hot), some lime juice, a bit of black pepper, and a tiny bit of vinegar, a bit of water, then letting it simmer. It doesn't taste as legit, but requires WAY less time and ingredients.
Or if you are feeling real lazy and don't mind boring foods, quinoa and a bit of brown sugar go a long way also for good macro split meal that is also on the cheap.