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Sunday, April 10, 2011

TofuXpress and a Tofu Recipe!

Look at all that water draining just after a moment of being pressed!

I came across this nifty kitchen gadget called a TofuXpress and I must say I am smitten. The TofuXpress is designed to press the water out of tofu to create different textures depending on how long you leave it pressing for (or even using different attachments that you can purchase from their website). Did you ever wonder how Indian, Asian, or Thai restaurants get the perfect tofu consistency? Did you ever wonder how restaurants and grocery stores sell fried tofu, tofu salads, or tofu steaks that have a "meaty" or thick texture, but you try to work with tofu at home and it breaks apart sometimes? I always wondered, but then I came across this tofu pressing gadget, started playing around with it, and have so many recipe ideas to make with pressed tofu, it is quite exciting!

Upon receiving my TofuXpress in the mail, I was like, "okay, how do I use this contraption?", but then I read the manual which was brief and informative. It also had marinating tips and recipes with guidelines on how long to press for. It contains the press container, the spring, attached to the lid (which comes apart easily for cleaning), and a marinating tray/ lid, which can be attached to the bottom when not in use, and looks like a little base or stand. The spring that comes with it is the standard tension spring, but you can also purchase a Light Tension Spring for use with silken tofu, if you wanted to. This is easy to use, pretty much all you do is clean the gadget, place your tofu inside, press down with the springy lid, and twist until it locks into place. You will see water immediately being drained. What I did was pour that in the sink, so that it would not spill, then I placed the tofu-filled-gadget right into the refrigerator until ready to use. When I did, it had drained lots more water. And you just pour that out, take tofu out of the gadget, and its ready for use! My tofu was a great texture and I was surprised that it came out amazing the first try. I also wanted to share one of the recipes I created using the TofuXpress. I will be making more recipes with pressed tofu, including a veganized favorite that I know you will love, so stay tuned for that! 



Pan Seared Cajun Pressed Tofu and Cauliflower Saute 

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups frozen cauliflower
1/2 tsp Cajun spice seasoning
2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos/ Shoyu/ Tamari/ or Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 block tofu, drained and pressed for 1 hour - cubed

Press tofu in TofuXpress (or using a plate on top of tofu) for 1 hour. Heat olive oil in saute pan on medium-high heat. Cook cauliflower until it is thawed and getting warm. Add seasoning, aminos, onion, and garlic powder. Cook for 2 minutes. Add your cubed, pressed tofu and cook until everything is warm and your cauliflower and tofu is brown and seared. Serve over a bed of greens, if you like. Enjoy!

Me being silly with my TofuXpress...


2 comments:

  1. I ♥♥♥ my TofuXpress! I use it at least twice a week. I like that I can use if for marinating as well which eliminates extra dirty dishes. I usually leave it pressing overnight and it is amazing!
    The recipe looks very tempting. I love cauliflower so I will be making this soon!

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  2. Thanks Elisabeth! I love the TofuXpress so much too! Now that I've been using it, I can't imagine pressing tofu the old way (which for me was paper towels and plates) ;o)

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