Here's how you make Tofu better! Don't eat it. Chuck it in the Bin. It has Estrogenic properties that mimic Birth Control Pills. Ever see a Chinese Porn Star?
J Kenji Lopez Alt (Food Labs) says that silken tofu is a different style of tofu. You use Mori-Nu as your silken tofu. However, silken tofu can have different degrees of firmness. To be fair, the firm silken tofu is still fairly soft. Almost every other silken tofu that is commonly found is soft silken tofu, but it can be made firm and extra firm (just not to the same degree was regular tofu).
Ever since I became a vegetarian, tofu has become my favorite food. It's so good, but I'm always looking for ways to make it better! This was great inspiration, thanks for sharing!
The tiny handles on maple syrup jars are throwbacks from bottles that weighed 4-5 pounds and handles were necessary. We are fortunate that a little history is forwarded for fun and conversation.
I have an issue with the little handle too!!!! Plus the pour spout on the last few I bought are slightly off to the side so pouring is extra difficult.
@@TheVeganGym - man, there are a way to much cuts in your video. Cutting right in the middle of sentences just for the sake of showing yourself at a different angle is at least meh, and has no purpose at all. I had to "watch" that video in podcast mode, only to realize that you use a background music that had the vibe of an ADHS toddler on steroids… Conclusion, your video editing sucks. Sorry, not sorry.
I always struggled with tofu, until I found tofu crumbles. The flavouring can be as simple as soy sauce & nutritional yeast for a snack or to add to stir-fries, but our favourite way is: Crumble tofu in a bowl, add 2-3T soy sauce 2T tomato paste 1t onion powder 1t garlic powder 1t smoked paprika Add flavourings dependent on what you are using it for, e.g. Italian herbs for a bolognese or cumin, oregano & paprika for tacos. Place on baking sheet & bake in preheated oven @ 200°C for 20 or so minutes, mixing a little after half way through. When they are done, use them as you would use mince. My whole family loves this & we eat it at least twice a week. Now I have to stop myself from snacking on them while I prepare the rest of the meal, lol.
I tried really hard to get crispy flavorful tofu but I was never happy until just started to use sauces instead. If you have wet saucy tofu in your mouth the flavors will always mix. If you have dry tofu that isn't crumbled it will always taste flavorful on the outside and bland on the inside unless you have really high quality tofu that you can eat without seasoning. Wet ingredients can spread flavor better than dry ingredients and when it comes to salt I don't want to use too much. 2Tb of soy sauce is enough sodium for the whole day. So I am happy that when I make saucy tofu and I add the soy sauce at the very end 1Tb is enough for me. Adding the soy sauce at the end makes it stick out more in the dish. And I am a lazy guy that doesn't want to wash marinating dishes or plan too much, so I only use a plate and a pan and it takes like 20 minutes from couch to fork.
@@thealiceftw Try it. Tofu tastes kind of "sweet" or "egg-like" and that doesn't work well with many sauces. It's not a good meat replacement because it tastes very different as an ingredient. If you eat tofu with a sauce you want a sauce that is made for tofu and then it can be great. If tofu doesn't work in your sauce I would recommned using lentils instead.
Your videos have helped me drastically cut down my meat consumption! Not knowing what high protein meal preps were available was a super big hurdle for me. Thank you for your high quality and informative content!
The reason there is a handle on the maple syrup bottle isn't to be practical, but to "look authentic" by reminding you of the old-timey days when stuff, be it syrup or moonshine, came in big ol' jugs with practical handles. The practice is called 'skeuomorphism' and used in a lot of things.
@@LWilkes I had no idea about this. Reminds me that despite being vegan I still need to try and keep myself informed on the production and supply chain processes involved in the vegan foods that have remained in my diet - a product being "vegan" isn't a guarantee of ethicality. So thanks for sharing this.
You can also take regular tofu and make a mayonnaise out of it. That has no oil no egg but lots of protein and lots of taste. Go to high carb Hannah and look for her recipe for mayonnaise. It’s really good. Keeps a week to two weeks if you keep it in the back of the refrigerator.💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
@@jenniferparsons3152 i used the cooking water (not soaking water) from cooking chick peas. reduce the water a bit more - it will get a bit 'slimy' when cooling down. you can freeze this water in ice cubes for later. reduced chick pea water+spice + a hand blender, while mixing add oil of your choice, step by step until it has a texture you like.
I subscribed to you when you had like, maybe 10k subscribers or less. Now you have 80k. That success is well-deserved, your production values have always been so high and it likely takes a lot of effort to plan and execute each upload. I recently made buffalo tofu strips with breading on them, and while they turned out decent, I wanted to see some other savory ways to use tofu. This video was great. I also really admire your transparency in judging your own food, since you could have just as easily lied to us and feigned a highly-enthusiastic reaction after tasting each dish, but you chose to be honest and admit how you actually felt about each outcome. Also I'd never seen the "butterfly cut" before, a cut which seems to be both practical and aesthetic visually. You are an awesome content creator, thanks for helping us vegans (and non-vegans) with making tastier vegan dishes.
This comment made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! 🙏 I'm so glad you've found value in my videos and I really appreciate you leaving a comment. Thank you!! 😊
Back when I was a youth in late 1970s early 1980s we used to have an insult we would say 'You been eaten soya-bean burgers'. Well, tofu is a really healthy food and I have been eating it on and off over the years but need some original and ingenious recipes so thanks for the pointers.
Haha I see the times haven't changed too too much when it comes to insults. I still hear similar things! Good news is that the insult doesn't make any sense because tofu is a super food! 🌱😃
Get a TofuBud. I stumbled on this method. 1. Press on setting 1 for at least 60 minutes. Drain the water. 2. Press on setting 2 for at least 30 minutes. Drain the water. 3. Put it in a container with a paper towel and let it sit for at least 24 hours. The longer the better. I’ll let it dry out a bit on purpose. So maybe even up to 48 hours in the fridge. I found with firm or extra firm it gets a wonderful flaky and more textured feel and it really soaks up flavors well for stir fry.
A few weeks ago I posted how hard it is to eat tofu every day. Ok, ;) you gave me some great ideas to try. Having the crunchy edges might win me over. I'm with you on the soymilk. If has a much better nutrition profile. I switched to it exclusively months ago. Thanks for the great ideas! Love the shirt and the tofu icon.
I love your videos. The recipes look great, not crazy complicated which I appreciate. Love the humor, I get the impression that you and your team have a blast making these videos. I look forward to new ones, keep them coming.
Thank you so much for filming this video❤ My 13 year old sister just went vegetarian and doesn’t like when tofu is chewy/soft. I’ll see which of of the recipes she likes, but to me they all look amazing🌱✨
I'm not even a vegetariian, let alone a vegan, nor do I intend to become one, but I LOVE tofu an, especially with the prices of meat skyrocketing, it's m go-to protein, especially when I want something quick, and finding new recipes is always exciting. I can't wait to try these! (I actually have a block of tofu in my fridge...so I may now have a dinner plan...or even a breakfast plan for tomorrow). Especially the spicy bites, I really want to try that one.
@The Vegan Gym nice video. I actually love tofu, so I’m always looking for new recipes. I didn’t like it until I learned how to prepare it and leaned how versatile it is and how to make good use of its versatility. You had a couple of recipes I haven’t tried yet. Recently I took medium firm tofu, avocado and spices and made a really good vegan mayo.😊
Great video! 👏🏻 I love grating tofu and then cooking in the oven (no air fryer here) with whatever seasoning, great in burritos, wraps, and tacos. Also, grating it for an eggless salad is amazing! You can leave some tofu in tiny cubes so you have two textures of tofu in the salad…OMG, I may have to go make some now! 😎🫶🏻
Great recipes! Yours is the first channel I've seen that uses Benson's Table Tasty!! I love that stuff. I usually make my tofu ''ranch'' dressing with it, and I even use it alone on my cucumbers, onions, raw zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes (the ''wet'' veggies), then add my greens. It's all I need as a salad dressing.
I thought it was cute how you rated the food you made! The last one could have been a 4.0 cuz of how easy it was to make, which definitely should score another point. Thanks for sharing ☺
first time viewer. I like the fairly simple ingredient list. I will be going tofu shopping today. I tend to not like the texture but will try again. I have even frozen it in my tofu press. I hope increasing cook times will help.
I tried out the second recipe and oooh my gosh it’s sooo yummy!! It’s the first time that I really really enjoyed tofu 🙈 couldn’t stop snacking on it haha! Can’t wait to try out the other ones! 🤩 Greetings from Germany ✨
Had to look up the last recipe on your site to figure out what you meant by *415 minutes* in the oven..... 400 degrees for 15 minutes. That makes more sense :-)
Press your tofu, and marinate your tofu in stock with soy sauce and add some 'Chinese Five Spice,' it is dynamite power, dip in batter and deep fry it golden brown, and WOW!...I love peanut sauce and you showed something, I always use peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and honey, just 4 equal parts works pretty good, adjust ingredient ratio to taste, but I never used maple syrup, I will try that, a drop of sesame seed oil would be good, as well as the seeds, Another thing I like in a tofu marinade is celery seed....Extra firm tofu is much harder to marinate, so don't shy away from an all night marinate..
Good point about firmer tofu being harder to marinate! And thank you for the recommendation!! I'll be replacing the honey with something like agave syrup but I'd like to try it. 😄🌿💚
Yeah, I did not see any tofu marinade in the grocery stores, which I was unhappy about, some are sold now marinated, but I was not impressed, you need a thin liquid like soy sauce and stock, but boy, a little of that Chinese Five Spice goes a long way. That maple syrup in a peanut sauce, may be fantastic...I will try that....
Freezing then thawing your tofu is an absolute game changer for a more meaty texture. Also, don't use pickled garlic if you can't use fresh then use dehydrated granulated.
@@lisetteem588 Personally, I find pickled garlic to change the flavour drastically, the added moisture changes the texture, and also the way it cooks... perhaps its a personal thing, but in my tests at home dried garlic is far better tasting than pickled
@@lisetteem588 I think that's probably fine to put your diced garlic in oil yourself, however it will only last 7 days or so. Longer than that you risk botulism. If you want REALLY AMAZING garlic you can look up a recipie for black garlic, which takes a while to make, but it will last 6 months in the fridge, and it's flavour is FAR superior to other forms of garlic. I do a batch or so once a year... so so delicious
@@lisetteem588 I re-read your comment - a few weeks is too long for unprocessed garlic in oil, you could get botulism from this (without heating/canning)
Love tofu faux cheese cake. I hv to make the small spring form pan .no full size servings only 2 serving cause nothing ever make it to frig or freezer.i like my plant base meals alot. And now i make vital gluten flour and rice and every kind .its like plant base meal will put an incredible smile plus get you excited to cook from garden to table meals.oh and making plant base milks and chesses. Now dehydrator processors. Mixers of all types & inta pots will become your sue chiefs.so much fun going plant base cooking and a plesure to eat.
I made my first tofu recipe about 30 years when I went veg and have been a fan ever since. I eat it about weekly or twice a week to this day. Great recipes and video!
I am so glad I stumbled onto this video! We eat tofu almost everyday! For quick meals I buy frozen tofu crumbles (Gardein or Boca) but I’m going to make your crumble recipe. We don’t eat too many processed foods but cutting these out would be good. And the music on your video is just fine IMO. I didn’t even notice it until a comment was made. Even then it’s I didn’t have any difficulty hearing you. I love your energy you bring to your channel! You make tofu fun! Haha I just subscribed and I’m looking forward to seeing more meal ideas!
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing how you consume your tofu! Nice to hear that the music isn't negatively affecting everyone. Check out the video we uploaded this past weekend! New meal prep video! 😄🌱
@@kristinachojnowski8712 You're welcome, it was one of my first vegan cookbooks and I still love it! I've had it for over 25 years, it's one of the best, imho. :)
6:05 "we're gonna use oil with lots of peanut debris in it to avoid using oil" 😂 Still great looking recipes. As an omnivore who isn't afraid of vegan options I'm gonna give them a try soon.
Awesome video! Great to get new ideas to make tofu. How I love to make my tofu: Cut the block in 3 pieces with the sides pointin upwards press them thoroughly to get all the water out cut them into strips cover them in soy sauce and them in some flour and then just fry those strips It is AMAZING Where I live we don't really have different firmnesses of tofu but i guess it would be extra firm.
1st time watching. Very interesting recipes. Easy back, 35 years ago, I just tried tofu, not much since then at all(I like spice, but didn't know what to do regarding that tofu. There were barely any recipes then. We ate it, but weren't big fans of it. Just started watching videos like yours. Will definitely give it another try. Love the presentation of how to get the recipe. Maybe more creators should use that.
Thank you for the Tofu info. I will definitely be trying these recipes. I need more ways to make my tofu taste great. ❤❤❤I’m eating tofu while watching you cook tofu 😍
Soft also for sweets Extra hard if u wanna make like a meat texture and also can handle coating and frying Freezing Tofu then thaw it squeeze it then frees it again and thaw it and squeeze the water U will get crispness perfection texture
So fun! Loved the maple syrup bottle handle comment 😹 I choose almond milk because it’s lower in cals, but I always want to buy the soy milk… 😂 Maybe every few cartons I’ll change it up 👍 All of these looked like 5/5 to me - tofu is the BEST! Now I want to eat tofu…and peanut butter 😋
I’ve noticed the super firm tofu from sprouts is way more firm than any other brand. Ive tried so many from different brands and different stores but sprouts is definitely my favorite. I’m gonna try these recipes because I rarely try any other firmness for tofu!
Great vid and very helpful. I cooked earlier and the tofu stuck to the pan 🤦♀️ I love how you weren’t using oil and your description about firm vs extra firm vs super firm. I used firm and prob should have used extra or super bc the moisture in the tofu and the pan seemed to be the reason it stuck.
Awesome!! Refreshing to see someone that loves Tofu,lotsa garlic and soy milk like I do. Yayyyy!! Been lookin for bar b que tofu recipes! Definitely gonna try 🙋♀️😇👍💕⚘
Very good, and nice t-shirt. Thanks for the variety. People who call tofu "bland" just haven't learned that tofu is like pasta: It's meant to take on other flavors, so of course it's bland. It has seemingly endless uses. Life would be a lot less without it.
Your recipes look so good. I’ve only eaten tofu in a tofu scramble, so tofu streak and tofu bites instead of chicken wings look great. I wasn’t always vegan, so watching you not know how to eat the celery with the spicy bites was funny. But I admire you so much for not eating animals and not knowing how it was done and what it would taste like. Also, I suggest you watch a football game. 😅
I have a hard time with Tofu. I like it so much as it is, that anytime I cook it things go wrong as I have been snacking on the stuff while I'm cooking and don't have enough left for the final dish :D still like these recipes...I will try my best to keep my hands off the tofu until I am ready to cook it
I also love using puffed tofu sometimes! I tend to cut them into strips, pan fry them with mushroom, onion, spices and some Mr Noodles (after I finish boiling them in water) then I add the Mr noodles spice pack into the frying pan with all of the stuff :)
I love that you don't give every recipe a 5 and you are extremely entertaining to watch. Thank you for the oil free recipes. Have you tried Yacon syrup instead of maple? It was a low glycemic choice listed in "How Not to Diet". It's pretty good.
I’m on a Burmese tofu kick - apparently everyone was making it in 2023 so I’m late to the party- I tried making it using chickpeas, split peas, red lentils and navy beans so far So I’m keen to try these recipes with Bernese tofu
#2 the peanut butter recipe... I made it with fresh garlic and fresh ginger. I used a little bit less peanut butter and a bit more sesame oil. It's great.
I like to shred my super firm tofu, I sauté some garlic and onion in some avocado oil. add soy sauce, ketchup, maple syrup and ginger powder and vegetable stock. add the tofu and frozen green peas and/or other veggie you like.
I love doing this too, I use soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, then add in garlic powder and cucumbers. 🥒😋 it’s super good by itself or on rice. 😅
Those tiny handles on maple syrup bottles are a nod to history 😅 They mimic the old design of large jugs used for storing and transporting maple syrup, which had a functional handle. When maple syrup started being sold in smaller, more consumer-friendly quantities, the glass bottles retained this design feature. The small handle remains as a decorative homage.
Tofu crumbles were my favorite! BUT I minced up 3 cloves of garlic and a quarter of an onion and sautéed that with the tofu crumbles in a smidge of avocado oil. When that all started showing golden brown color bits then I added the tamari sauce - which I also used smoked paprika, coriander and touch of cumin and cayenne so that I could use it as a substitute for taco meat in my wraps. I also cooked that a bit longer so that it took on some crispy bits and dried out even more. I use the thawed frozen block of extra firm and when you compress it all sides to squeeze out the juice it really takes on that crumbly texture and you can just crumble it into the pan after squeezing if you don’t want to do the hand extrude method 😂
So I made a really tasty sauce/marinade yesterday, just winged it on the measurements. But spooned in some better than bouillon (no chicken base flavor), garlic paste, oil, splash of water just to dissolve the bouillon, paprika, onion powder, white pepper. It made for some yummy tofu
For the PB recipe here, you can also use some tahini for the sesame flavor...it's not the same as toasted sesame oil flavor, if you were using that, but still good and close. Also, you may not want to cook nuts/peanuts at 400, like you did here, bc of the high heat making the peanuts have an unhealthy effect (says Dr. Greger)...based on my research, peanut butter is all made from peanuts heated to 350, so I don't cook them higher than that. Also, freezing tofu and then thawing it gives it a totally different texture and it seems (somehow?!) flavor...I'd highly recommend that! :)
Regarding tofu presses - I didn't have one so used two small bamboo chopping boards. That worked so well that I have never felt the need to get anything else.
Try out Bachman original Japanese bbq sauce it’s so amazing on tofu. I sautéed up veggies while I cook cubed tofu in the air fryer then toss all in the sauce and serve with noodles or rice. It’s so yummy 18:19 and fairly low calorie.
I’ll have to try some of these and see if they work for me. The texture of tofu always gets me no matter how it’s prepared, it’s like three bites in and my mind just says “lol no”.
I like to marinade my tofu slices in a sauce for a few hours. I put the covered bowl in the fridge. Later, I fry the drained tofu in sesame oil or peanut oil. When the tofu is nice and crispy, take it out of the wok and stir-fry the veggies, adding my marinade to the veggies at the end. Add the tofu again and serve immediately. Sauce: 3 tablespoons of Shoyu Soy sauce, 1 spoon of vinegar or wine, 1 spoon of oil, (optional: spices according to your veggies) Fried celery improves the taste.🍜
An oven will definitely work but I would put it in for longer than the air fryer directions. I would try what you wrote there and see if it needs adjusting!
This was excellent! Except for the one with hot sauce (I have baby mouth), I’m definitely going to make these. For the paprika, does it matter if it’s regular or smoked? Or is it just a preference?
Hey vegan friends! Thanks for watching! 😊 You can get all of these delicious tofu recipes here: thevegangym.com/how-to-make-tofu-10x-better 💪🌱
Here's how you make Tofu better! Don't eat it. Chuck it in the Bin. It has Estrogenic properties that mimic Birth Control Pills. Ever see a Chinese Porn Star?
J Kenji Lopez Alt (Food Labs) says that silken tofu is a different style of tofu. You use Mori-Nu as your silken tofu. However, silken tofu can have different degrees of firmness. To be fair, the firm silken tofu is still fairly soft. Almost every other silken tofu that is commonly found is soft silken tofu, but it can be made firm and extra firm (just not to the same degree was regular tofu).
I make tofu souvlaki, delicious.. why no olive oil, it is incredibly healthy the news about bad oils vs good oils has changed.
Its omega 3s that we need for cellular health not omega 9 nor omega 6 @@LithaMoonSong
Ever since I became a vegetarian, tofu has become my favorite food. It's so good, but I'm always looking for ways to make it better! This was great inspiration, thanks for sharing!
So glad this has inspired you!! I totally agree about tofu because of all the different ways you can make it! 😄
The tiny handles on maple syrup jars are throwbacks from bottles that weighed 4-5 pounds and handles were necessary. We are fortunate that a little history is forwarded for fun and conversation.
Good to know!! Thank you for the information!
I have an issue with the little handle too!!!! Plus the pour spout on the last few I bought are slightly off to the side so pouring is extra difficult.
@@TheVeganGym - man, there are a way to much cuts in your video. Cutting right in the middle of sentences just for the sake of showing yourself at a different angle is at least meh, and has no purpose at all. I had to "watch" that video in podcast mode, only to realize that you use a background music that had the vibe of an ADHS toddler on steroids… Conclusion, your video editing sucks. Sorry, not sorry.
I always struggled with tofu, until I found tofu crumbles.
The flavouring can be as simple as soy sauce & nutritional yeast for a snack or to add to stir-fries, but our favourite way is:
Crumble tofu in a bowl, add
2-3T soy sauce
2T tomato paste
1t onion powder
1t garlic powder
1t smoked paprika
Add flavourings dependent on what you are using it for, e.g. Italian herbs for a bolognese or cumin, oregano & paprika for tacos.
Place on baking sheet & bake in preheated oven @ 200°C for 20 or so minutes, mixing a little after half way through.
When they are done, use them as you would use mince.
My whole family loves this & we eat it at least twice a week.
Now I have to stop myself from snacking on them while I prepare the rest of the meal, lol.
Thanks! I'm the same when I make diced tofu, so hard not to eat it while I'm finishing dinner.
Thank you for the tips!!
How are they if you add them to a sauce, like a marinara?
I tried really hard to get crispy flavorful tofu but I was never happy until just started to use sauces instead. If you have wet saucy tofu in your mouth the flavors will always mix. If you have dry tofu that isn't crumbled it will always taste flavorful on the outside and bland on the inside unless you have really high quality tofu that you can eat without seasoning. Wet ingredients can spread flavor better than dry ingredients and when it comes to salt I don't want to use too much. 2Tb of soy sauce is enough sodium for the whole day. So I am happy that when I make saucy tofu and I add the soy sauce at the very end 1Tb is enough for me. Adding the soy sauce at the end makes it stick out more in the dish. And I am a lazy guy that doesn't want to wash marinating dishes or plan too much, so I only use a plate and a pan and it takes like 20 minutes from couch to fork.
@@thealiceftw Try it. Tofu tastes kind of "sweet" or "egg-like" and that doesn't work well with many sauces. It's not a good meat replacement because it tastes very different as an ingredient. If you eat tofu with a sauce you want a sauce that is made for tofu and then it can be great. If tofu doesn't work in your sauce I would recommned using lentils instead.
Your videos have helped me drastically cut down my meat consumption! Not knowing what high protein meal preps were available was a super big hurdle for me. Thank you for your high quality and informative content!
That's amazing to hear!! So glad your meat consumption is dropping!
The reason there is a handle on the maple syrup bottle isn't to be practical, but to "look authentic" by reminding you of the old-timey days when stuff, be it syrup or moonshine, came in big ol' jugs with practical handles. The practice is called 'skeuomorphism' and used in a lot of things.
Good to know! Thanks for the info!
“The More You Know!” 🌈💫
Tofu-ck yeah! These are awesome, thank you for sharing these! I need to get into silken tofu more to replace cashew-based sauces from time to time.
Haha I haven't heard that first bit before. Silken tofu is a game changer for for sauces!
Google "cashew harvesting hands"
@@LWilkes I had no idea about this. Reminds me that despite being vegan I still need to try and keep myself informed on the production and supply chain processes involved in the vegan foods that have remained in my diet - a product being "vegan" isn't a guarantee of ethicality. So thanks for sharing this.
Love me some tofu. Silken tofu is also great for desserts. I used to make Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Cream Pie from silken tofu at my restaurant 😋
Wow those sound amazing! Thanks for the suggestions!
@@TheVeganGym Sure thing :-) I also enjoy a flour-less black bean brownie for that sweet fudgy craving but still high protein 🙂
@@artbygilikWhere can I find that black bean brownie recipe?
I recently made peanut butter tofu pudding with PB2 powder. It's great!
Or tiramisu!
You can also take regular tofu and make a mayonnaise out of it. That has no oil no egg but lots of protein and lots of taste. Go to high carb Hannah and look for her recipe for mayonnaise. It’s really good. Keeps a week to two weeks if you keep it in the back of the refrigerator.💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
Thank you for the tip! Love this idea.
Brilliant! Thank you!
Hey where to find the recipe
@@jenniferparsons3152 i used the cooking water (not soaking water) from cooking chick peas. reduce the water a bit more - it will get a bit 'slimy' when cooling down. you can freeze this water in ice cubes for later. reduced chick pea water+spice + a hand blender, while mixing add oil of your choice, step by step until it has a texture you like.
Went to her website and tried searching UA-cam with no joy. Maybe she has removed whatever recipe you are referencing.
As an Asian that doesn’t know how to handle tofu (my ancestors look upon me with shame) this video really helped, thanks 👍🏻
Glad you found it helpful! Which recipe are you most excited to try? 😄
No shame, especially if you were not born in Asia
I subscribed to you when you had like, maybe 10k subscribers or less. Now you have 80k. That success is well-deserved, your production values have always been so high and it likely takes a lot of effort to plan and execute each upload.
I recently made buffalo tofu strips with breading on them, and while they turned out decent, I wanted to see some other savory ways to use tofu.
This video was great. I also really admire your transparency in judging your own food, since you could have just as easily lied to us and feigned a highly-enthusiastic reaction after tasting each dish, but you chose to be honest and admit how you actually felt about each outcome. Also I'd never seen the "butterfly cut" before, a cut which seems to be both practical and aesthetic visually.
You are an awesome content creator, thanks for helping us vegans (and non-vegans) with making tastier vegan dishes.
This comment made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! 🙏 I'm so glad you've found value in my videos and I really appreciate you leaving a comment. Thank you!! 😊
Back when I was a youth in late 1970s early 1980s we used to have an insult we would say 'You been eaten soya-bean burgers'. Well, tofu is a really healthy food and I have been eating it on and off over the years but need some original and ingenious recipes so thanks for the pointers.
Haha I see the times haven't changed too too much when it comes to insults. I still hear similar things! Good news is that the insult doesn't make any sense because tofu is a super food! 🌱😃
YES on the freezer hack. It has changed my tofu game
Freezing tofu is a game changer for sure!
Ever since I have done that it is a whole new ball game! Then I marinate it overnight or at least 30-45 minutes.
Get a TofuBud. I stumbled on this method.
1. Press on setting 1 for at least 60 minutes. Drain the water.
2. Press on setting 2 for at least 30 minutes. Drain the water.
3. Put it in a container with a paper towel and let it sit for at least 24 hours. The longer the better.
I’ll let it dry out a bit on purpose. So maybe even up to 48 hours in the fridge. I found with firm or extra firm it gets a wonderful flaky and more textured feel and it really soaks up flavors well for stir fry.
This is some next-level tofu pressing! Thank you for the tips!
A few weeks ago I posted how hard it is to eat tofu every day. Ok, ;) you gave me some great ideas to try. Having the crunchy edges might win me over. I'm with you on the soymilk. If has a much better nutrition profile. I switched to it exclusively months ago. Thanks for the great ideas! Love the shirt and the tofu icon.
Love to hear it! Soy milk rocks!
I love your videos. The recipes look great, not crazy complicated which I appreciate. Love the humor, I get the impression that you and your team have a blast making these videos. I look forward to new ones, keep them coming.
This is so great to hear!! Yes, it's true we have a ton of fun making them and our world-class editors take the final product to the next level!
Thank you so much for filming this video❤
My 13 year old sister just went vegetarian and doesn’t like when tofu is chewy/soft.
I’ll see which of of the recipes she likes, but to me they all look amazing🌱✨
That's awesome!! You and your sister can definitely use our channel as a resource!
I'm not even a vegetariian, let alone a vegan, nor do I intend to become one, but I LOVE tofu an, especially with the prices of meat skyrocketing, it's m go-to protein, especially when I want something quick, and finding new recipes is always exciting. I can't wait to try these! (I actually have a block of tofu in my fridge...so I may now have a dinner plan...or even a breakfast plan for tomorrow).
Especially the spicy bites, I really want to try that one.
@The Vegan Gym nice video. I actually love tofu, so I’m always looking for new recipes. I didn’t like it until I learned how to prepare it and leaned how versatile it is and how to make good use of its versatility. You had a couple of recipes I haven’t tried yet. Recently I took medium firm tofu, avocado and spices and made a really good vegan mayo.😊
We have many tofu recipes on our channel! Check out our meal prep videos!
I'm the only vegan in my family and they all LOVED the tofu BBQ bites.... Yum thanks so much!!! ❤
That is truly amazing to hear. So glad your family loved them!!
Great video! 👏🏻 I love grating tofu and then cooking in the oven (no air fryer here) with whatever seasoning, great in burritos, wraps, and tacos. Also, grating it for an eggless salad is amazing! You can leave some tofu in tiny cubes so you have two textures of tofu in the salad…OMG, I may have to go make some now! 😎🫶🏻
I definitely need to try grating tofu! Whenever I see someone grate tofu, they turn it into something amazing! 😊💚
Thank you for the measurements in grams!!!!!! Such an easier\more accurate calculation ❤
No problem! Glad you found the video helpful!!
Great recipes!
Yours is the first channel I've seen that uses Benson's Table Tasty!! I love that stuff. I usually make my tofu ''ranch'' dressing with it, and I even use it alone on my cucumbers, onions, raw zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes (the ''wet'' veggies), then add my greens. It's all I need as a salad dressing.
Love sharing your journey. There’s always a learning curve
Thank you for the kind words! Totally agree about the learning curve. 😁🌼💚
I thought it was cute how you rated the food you made! The last one could have been a 4.0 cuz of how easy it was to make, which definitely should score another point. Thanks for sharing ☺
True! I should have taken ease into consideration!!
I made Sam Turnbull’s brown sugar-mustard glazed tofu for my Easter dinner. It was delicious. I need to make that peanut butter tofu now.
The PB tofu is AMAZING!
first time viewer. I like the fairly simple ingredient list. I will be going tofu shopping today. I tend to not like the texture but will try again. I have even frozen it in my tofu press. I hope increasing cook times will help.
I tried out the second recipe and oooh my gosh it’s sooo yummy!! It’s the first time that I really really enjoyed tofu 🙈 couldn’t stop snacking on it haha! Can’t wait to try out the other ones! 🤩
Greetings from Germany ✨
Haha definitely dangerous to snack on!! So glad you loved the video and the recipe so much! Thank you for the German greetings! 😃💚
Great video! I can really see how much you have grown and improved from earlier videos. ❤
Thank you! We're on a mission to always get better here!! 🙂 🌱
Had to look up the last recipe on your site to figure out what you meant by *415 minutes* in the oven..... 400 degrees for 15 minutes. That makes more sense :-)
Haha sorry for the miscommunication! Glad you figured it out!
Press your tofu, and marinate your tofu in stock with soy sauce and add some 'Chinese Five Spice,' it is dynamite power, dip in batter and deep fry it golden brown, and WOW!...I love peanut sauce and you showed something, I always use peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and honey, just 4 equal parts works pretty good, adjust ingredient ratio to taste, but I never used maple syrup, I will try that, a drop of sesame seed oil would be good, as well as the seeds, Another thing I like in a tofu marinade is celery seed....Extra firm tofu is much harder to marinate, so don't shy away from an all night marinate..
Good point about firmer tofu being harder to marinate! And thank you for the recommendation!! I'll be replacing the honey with something like agave syrup but I'd like to try it. 😄🌿💚
Yeah, I did not see any tofu marinade in the grocery stores, which I was unhappy about, some are sold now marinated, but I was not impressed, you need a thin liquid like soy sauce and stock, but boy, a little of that Chinese Five Spice goes a long way. That maple syrup in a peanut sauce, may be fantastic...I will try that....
Man your music, graphics, and production quality are top notch.
Thank you for the kind words!! Glad you love the video. 😆🍀💚
Trying to increase my protein intake and reduce fat, so will be using silken tofu as a base. Thanks for the info. The t-shirt is so cute!
Love to hear it! And thank you!!
Freezing then thawing your tofu is an absolute game changer for a more meaty texture. Also, don't use pickled garlic if you can't use fresh then use dehydrated granulated.
Yes, I love freezing tofu!! And thank you for the garlic tip 😊💚
@@lisetteem588 Personally, I find pickled garlic to change the flavour drastically, the added moisture changes the texture, and also the way it cooks... perhaps its a personal thing, but in my tests at home dried garlic is far better tasting than pickled
@@lisetteem588 I think that's probably fine to put your diced garlic in oil yourself, however it will only last 7 days or so. Longer than that you risk botulism. If you want REALLY AMAZING garlic you can look up a recipie for black garlic, which takes a while to make, but it will last 6 months in the fridge, and it's flavour is FAR superior to other forms of garlic. I do a batch or so once a year... so so delicious
@@lisetteem588 I re-read your comment - a few weeks is too long for unprocessed garlic in oil, you could get botulism from this (without heating/canning)
Yayyy
Love tofu faux cheese cake. I hv to make the small spring form pan .no full size servings only 2 serving cause nothing ever make it to frig or freezer.i like my plant base meals alot. And now i make vital gluten flour and rice and every kind .its like plant base meal will put an incredible smile plus get you excited to cook from garden to table meals.oh and making plant base milks and chesses. Now dehydrator processors. Mixers of all types & inta pots will become your sue chiefs.so much fun going plant base cooking and a plesure to eat.
I made my first tofu recipe about 30 years when I went veg and have been a fan ever since. I eat it about weekly or twice a week to this day. Great recipes and video!
Awesome!! Glad we got your stamp of approval! Which recipe looks best to you? 😃💚
I normally don't cook with oil either, but I agree that 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil gives that leveled-up flavor! Great vid!
Glad you enjoyed the video!! Thank you for the kind words. 💚
I am so glad I stumbled onto this video! We eat tofu almost everyday! For quick meals I buy frozen tofu crumbles (Gardein or Boca) but I’m going to make your crumble recipe. We don’t eat too many processed foods but cutting these out would be good. And the music on your video is just fine IMO. I didn’t even notice it until a comment was made. Even then it’s I didn’t have any difficulty hearing you.
I love your energy you bring to your channel! You make tofu fun! Haha I just subscribed and I’m looking forward to seeing more meal ideas!
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing how you consume your tofu! Nice to hear that the music isn't negatively affecting everyone. Check out the video we uploaded this past weekend! New meal prep video! 😄🌱
Thanks for this! I love tofu! I would really like to see what you do to make tempeh taste better. I am not a fan but I know it’s really good for you.
Definitely like this idea!! Thank you!
The old cookbook called New Farm Vegetarian has some good tempeh recipes. The cookbook is entirely vegan except they mention honey a couple of times.
@@jessicaveganjessica2208 Thank you!
@@kristinachojnowski8712 You're welcome, it was one of my first vegan cookbooks and I still love it! I've had it for over 25 years, it's one of the best, imho. :)
6:05 "we're gonna use oil with lots of peanut debris in it to avoid using oil" 😂
Still great looking recipes. As an omnivore who isn't afraid of vegan options I'm gonna give them a try soon.
Awesome video! Great to get new ideas to make tofu.
How I love to make my tofu:
Cut the block in 3 pieces with the sides pointin upwards
press them thoroughly to get all the water out
cut them into strips
cover them in soy sauce and them in some flour
and then just fry those strips
It is AMAZING
Where I live we don't really have different firmnesses of tofu but i guess it would be extra firm.
1st time watching. Very interesting recipes. Easy back, 35 years ago, I just tried tofu, not much since then at all(I like spice, but didn't know what to do regarding that tofu. There were barely any recipes then. We ate it, but weren't big fans of it. Just started watching videos like yours. Will definitely give it another try. Love the presentation of how to get the recipe. Maybe more creators should use that.
Thank you for sharing this!! I love hearing that you may be trying tofu again. Please let me know what you think!! 😄🌱
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing video ❤❤❤
Thank you for the Tofu info. I will definitely be trying these recipes. I need more ways to make my tofu taste great. ❤❤❤I’m eating tofu while watching you cook tofu 😍
Love to hear that!! What tofu recipe are you most excited to try? 😄
You don't need the underlying music. It's actually distracting.
I wish we could go back to the days when vids weren’t 85% hyper-editing + memes
That’s good to know, thank you for the feedback! 🙏
@@TheVeganGym I think it’s pretty cool, just a little loud
I personally think the music is a nice touch!
@jarrelljenkins-chapple7959 yeah just needs to be more subtle. Like something that undercuts the silence and also is barely noticeable when talking
Soft also for sweets
Extra hard if u wanna make like a meat texture and also can handle coating and frying
Freezing Tofu then thaw it squeeze it then frees it again and thaw it and squeeze the water
U will get crispness perfection texture
I'm only vegan like half of the year, so I never really figured out how to use tofu. Thank you for this!
So fun! Loved the maple syrup bottle handle comment 😹
I choose almond milk because it’s lower in cals, but I always want to buy the soy milk… 😂 Maybe every few cartons I’ll change it up 👍
All of these looked like 5/5 to me - tofu is the BEST! Now I want to eat tofu…and peanut butter 😋
Tofu tofu tofu!! 🙂 🌱
@@TheVeganGym 😂
I’ve noticed the super firm tofu from sprouts is way more firm than any other brand. Ive tried so many from different brands and different stores but sprouts is definitely my favorite. I’m gonna try these recipes because I rarely try any other firmness for tofu!
I really like sprouts tofu as well! I also really like some of the tofu at Trader Joe's. 🌱😊
Thanks for the video. Loved that you made me laugh! Appreciate the humour. Cheers!
Love these videos.
Thank you!! What recipe of ours are you most excited to try? 😃🌻💚
Hey! Can't be starting the timer after draining the tofu!!!!! Lol. Really like this video :)
I know, I know... I should have started the timer earlier! 😂
awesome breakdown, thanks!
Glad you found it helpful!!
Great vid and very helpful. I cooked earlier and the tofu stuck to the pan 🤦♀️ I love how you weren’t using oil and your description about firm vs extra firm vs super firm. I used firm and prob should have used extra or super bc the moisture in the tofu and the pan seemed to be the reason it stuck.
Nice observation! Yes the extra moisture could cause that. I also like extra/super firm because of the boosted protein! 😄🌱
New subscriber here! I'm definitely not a vegan but I absolutely love to learn new recipes! Great show! I'll recommend it to my friend!
Welcome to the channel! We have loads of great recipes here for you to check out! 🌱
Thank you, newbie here, helps to see what and how to eat to make it taste good, much appreciated 🤞
Awesome!! Please continue to use our channel as a resource for meal inspirations!! 😄🌱
I can’t wait to try these :) Thanks! 😊
Yes!! I love to hear that. Which one are you most excited for? 😁🌼💚
@ the peanut butter “chicken” for sure :)
Awesome!!
Refreshing to see someone that loves Tofu,lotsa garlic and soy milk like I do.
Yayyyy!!
Been lookin for bar b que tofu recipes!
Definitely gonna try
🙋♀️😇👍💕⚘
Please let me know which of these recipes you like best!! 💚
Very good, and nice t-shirt. Thanks for the variety. People who call tofu "bland" just haven't learned that tofu is like pasta: It's meant to take on other flavors, so of course it's bland. It has seemingly endless uses. Life would be a lot less without it.
Yes, exactly! If people don't like tofu it's probably because they haven't had good tofu before. 😊💚
Awesome recipes mate thank you so much! 😊❤ I just got an air fryer and excited to try all your tofu recipes! 🎉
Awesome!! The air fryer is a total game changer. Please let me know which recipe you like best!! 😃💚
Your recipes look so good. I’ve only eaten tofu in a tofu scramble, so tofu streak and tofu bites instead of chicken wings look great. I wasn’t always vegan, so watching you not know how to eat the celery with the spicy bites was funny. But I admire you so much for not eating animals and not knowing how it was done and what it would taste like. Also, I suggest you watch a football game. 😅
I have a hard time with Tofu. I like it so much as it is, that anytime I cook it things go wrong as I have been snacking on the stuff while I'm cooking and don't have enough left for the final dish :D
still like these recipes...I will try my best to keep my hands off the tofu until I am ready to cook it
I just found you and I love this video. Thanks! ❤
Awesome!! Got a favorite recipe from this video? 😄🌿💚
@TheVeganGym I can't say yet, I haven't tried them. But, it won't be the buffalo one, I can't take spicy food. 🤣
I love the idea of using to soft tofu for sauces and smoothies.
Yes that is an excellent way of getting more protein out of your sauces! 😃🌻💚
Excellent video. One thing that I think would take future videos to the next level would be to have one or two other taste testers.
I like this idea!! Thank you for the suggestion and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. 😄
Great video ... complete, excellent instruction, gives us a lot to try.
Thank you so much!! So glad you found it helpful. What recipe are you most excited to try? 😃
Great video! Tofu is my go to; so versatile, healthy, and inexpensive ❤
Totally agree! Love the versatility of tofu!
Silken Tofu in a smoothie.. That's a great idea. Worth the watch already,
Thank you so much!! What's your favorite recipe in the video? 😀🌺💚
@TheVeganGym I like the crosshatching and marinading the tofu recipe
That’s a very nice video. Thank you ❤
I also love using puffed tofu sometimes! I tend to cut them into strips, pan fry them with mushroom, onion, spices and some Mr Noodles (after I finish boiling them in water) then I add the Mr noodles spice pack into the frying pan with all of the stuff :)
Oooh that puffed tofu sounds awesome!! Thanks for the recommendation! 😃💚
When store bought i totally agree on the soymilk being the VERY best, but homemade almondmilk is gold❤️
What an awesome video !!!!!
Loved this video! Extremely informative and hysterical! (“I feel like watching football”!)
Haha glad you loved the video!!
I love that you don't give every recipe a 5 and you are extremely entertaining to watch. Thank you for the oil free recipes. Have you tried Yacon syrup instead of maple? It was a low glycemic choice listed in "How Not to Diet". It's pretty good.
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed the video. I haven't tried Yacon syrup yet but I want to! Thank you for the recommendation! 😆🍀💚
All 4 of my kids love tofu as much as I do. I gotta try that dressing!
The dressing is amazing!! Please let us know what you think. 💚
I’m on a Burmese tofu kick - apparently everyone was making it in 2023 so I’m late to the party- I tried making it using chickpeas, split peas, red lentils and navy beans so far
So I’m keen to try these recipes with Bernese tofu
Unfortunately i dont have a good airfreyer. Can i make it in the oven instead?
#2 the peanut butter recipe... I made it with fresh garlic and fresh ginger. I used a little bit less peanut butter and a bit more sesame oil. It's great.
It's so great to hear that you loved the recipe!! Did you try either of the others? 😄
I like to shred my super firm tofu, I sauté some garlic and onion in some avocado oil. add soy sauce, ketchup, maple syrup and ginger powder and vegetable stock. add the tofu and frozen green peas and/or other veggie you like.
I really want to get into shredded tofu!! So great to hear that you enjoy it. Thanks for the recommendation! 😃🌻💚
The tofu steaks look amazing ... all recipes look amazing ... will definitely try them
How did it take so long to discover this channel ... this is my new favourite channel 😊😊😊
So glad you found us!! I would consider checking out our meal prep videos!
@@TheVeganGym sure have, thank you :)
You can also eat it raw and marinated! Cut into cubes and marinate and eat it raw in salads or rice bowls. So good!
I love doing this too, I use soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil, then add in garlic powder and cucumbers. 🥒😋 it’s super good by itself or on rice. 😅
Thanks for the suggestion! There are definitely some raw tofu eaters here.
@@TheVeganGym I went to a vegan restaurant and was blown away by their tofu, only to realize it was raw and marinated!
😱 really?! Interesting!
Those tiny handles on maple syrup bottles are a nod to history 😅 They mimic the old design of large jugs used for storing and transporting maple syrup, which had a functional handle. When maple syrup started being sold in smaller, more consumer-friendly quantities, the glass bottles retained this design feature. The small handle remains as a decorative homage.
Haha thank you for sharing that!! That's what we figured after we stopped filming 😄
🌱🕊💚👏👏👏Valuable video for us tofu lovers! Your prep techniques are awesome!!
Glad you found the video helpful!! Thanks for the kind words!
Tofu crumbles were my favorite! BUT I minced up 3 cloves of garlic and a quarter of an onion and sautéed that with the tofu crumbles in a smidge of avocado oil. When that all started showing golden brown color bits then I added the tamari sauce - which I also used smoked paprika, coriander and touch of cumin and cayenne so that I could use it as a substitute for taco meat in my wraps. I also cooked that a bit longer so that it took on some crispy bits and dried out even more. I use the thawed frozen block of extra firm and when you compress it all sides to squeeze out the juice it really takes on that crumbly texture and you can just crumble it into the pan after squeezing if you don’t want to do the hand extrude method 😂
Thanks for sharing all of that! So glad you made a tasty tofu dish for yourself! Let me know if you try any of the other tofu meals! 😄🌱
Perfect for when I'm stumped on how to prep my tofu for dinner. Thanks!
Yes exactly!! Please let me know what you think of the tofu recipes!! 😃💚
Excited to try your peanut butter recipie!! Thanks for sharing ❤
Yes!! Please let me know what you think!! 😄🌱
So I made a really tasty sauce/marinade yesterday, just winged it on the measurements. But spooned in some better than bouillon (no chicken base flavor), garlic paste, oil, splash of water just to dissolve the bouillon, paprika, onion powder, white pepper. It made for some yummy tofu
That sounds delicious!!
Is it possible to make these recipes in an oven instead of an air fryer?
Yes, absolutely!! You'll probably need to keep them in the oven longer than the airfryer though. 😀🌺💚
For the PB recipe here, you can also use some tahini for the sesame flavor...it's not the same as toasted sesame oil flavor, if you were using that, but still good and close. Also, you may not want to cook nuts/peanuts at 400, like you did here, bc of the high heat making the peanuts have an unhealthy effect (says Dr. Greger)...based on my research, peanut butter is all made from peanuts heated to 350, so I don't cook them higher than that. Also, freezing tofu and then thawing it gives it a totally different texture and it seems (somehow?!) flavor...I'd highly recommend that! :)
Thank you for the recommendation!!
Regarding tofu presses - I didn't have one so used two small bamboo chopping boards. That worked so well that I have never felt the need to get anything else.
That definitely works! I never used a tofu press until this video so I'm pretty much in the same boat! 💚
Try out Bachman original Japanese bbq sauce it’s so amazing on tofu. I sautéed up veggies while I cook cubed tofu in the air fryer then toss all in the sauce and serve with noodles or rice. It’s so yummy 18:19 and fairly low calorie.
I bet that tastes great! Thank you for the suggestion!
I’ll have to try some of these and see if they work for me. The texture of tofu always gets me no matter how it’s prepared, it’s like three bites in and my mind just says “lol no”.
These might sway you! You never know!
I’ve never been fond of tofu - prefer tempeh. However, these recipes sound delicious. Thanks!
Tempeh is great too!!
When you said that soy milk is the best milk, I had to follow 👏💯👍
Also, for the nice sound effect 😂
Haha we are soy supporters here!
Great video!!! Tofu is the best.
I agree!! 💚
I like to marinade my tofu slices in a sauce for a few hours. I put the covered bowl in the fridge. Later, I fry the drained tofu in sesame oil or peanut oil. When the tofu is nice and crispy, take it out of the wok and stir-fry the veggies, adding my marinade to the veggies at the end. Add the tofu again and serve immediately. Sauce: 3 tablespoons of Shoyu Soy sauce, 1 spoon of vinegar or wine, 1 spoon of oil, (optional: spices according to your veggies) Fried celery improves the taste.🍜
Thank you for the great recipe!!
I actually completely love Tofu straight out of the packet
I'm glad that that works for some people! 😃🌻💚
HI I don't have an air fryer, but a gas oven. I would think 350 degrees for 20 minutes? I don't know, do you?
An oven will definitely work but I would put it in for longer than the air fryer directions. I would try what you wrote there and see if it needs adjusting!
This was excellent! Except for the one with hot sauce (I have baby mouth), I’m definitely going to make these.
For the paprika, does it matter if it’s regular or smoked? Or is it just a preference?
Haha! Either paprika is fine!