I've always been lazy when it comes to pressing tofu. I usually try squeezing it like a sponge over the sink, only it ends up crumbling and I inevitably lose a chunk or two and eventually blot the whole mess with paper towels and call it "tofu scramble."
Now, thanks to the generosity of Jenn from Vegan Dance if You Want to Blog, I can press tofu like a pro with my new Tofu Xpress. She sent it all the way from NY... thanks for the hella cool gift, Jenn!
This is a simple gadget that really does the trick, making a block of tofu into a perfectly squished, water-free wonder! It allows for better marinating, better frying, and a meatier texture. Since I was curious as to what it could really do, I pressed the first block of tofu for about 3 hours, and the next block overnight.
The first block flattened to about half it's size, and was perfect for making the stuffed tofu. I cut it into thirds, then cut each rectangle into triangles. Then, I carefully carved out a hole for stuffing (as shown above).
The second block flattened even more and was too thin to make into stuffed tofu, so I cut it into cubes. Both were sprinkled with salt and dredged in a mixture of 1-part cornstarch and 1-part nutritional yeast. Then they were fried in a skillet with a little vegetable oil until just golden (too long and it gets more chewy than crispy). You'll also have to flip to get all sides golden.Filling:
Minced carrots, green onion, garlic, cilantro, and crumbled tofu (excavated from the triangles). Salt to taste.
Spicy Orange Sauce:
Juice of 2 large oranges
1 T. orange zest
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
2 T. vegetarian oyster sauce
3 T. sweet pepper & garlic sauce
1 T. arrowroot powder
Spinz:
Mix all ingredients except ginger and olive oil. Cook ginger in heated olive oil for a minute or so. Add the remaining mixture and whisk and simmer until thickened.
Set sauce aside, covering to keep warm. Heat filling ingredients quickly in a skillet with a little extra virgin olive oil until veggies are slightly wilted. Fry tofu wedges, then spoon in the filling. Drizzle the orange sauce on top.
This looks great. I've been seeing more of those tofu presses, I guess I need to get one.
ReplyDeleteYou always come up with the most delicious looking meals. I am also in love with my tofu express, and I never though to triangle out my tofu like that! Awesome1
ReplyDeleteGotta get myself a tofu press. It's a genious invention.
ReplyDeleteIt's really amazing what this little gadget can do, huh? Now I've definitely gotta try something like this, those pockets look delicious!
ReplyDeleteA tofu press? Where the hell have I been? Sounds intriguing and so does the recipe
ReplyDeletethat device is pretty cool. i usually do it by hand, or sometimes between two plates weighted down with some cans... it works, but not all that well.
ReplyDelete