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This chameleon product easily absorbs the whole gamut of accompanying aromas, enriching their bouquet, and slightly thickens the texture of light, gourmet dishes, helping us to prolong the enjoyment of their taste.
“Is it possible to consider tofu insipid!” – exclaims Alain Passard, who has been conjuring in his kitchen for several days, coming up with new unexpected recipes based on this product, similar to soft porous cheese. “I realized that there are not one, but two completely different approaches to cooking tofu – as a cold or hot dish.” A pleasant discovery: tofu tastes much better when served hot! It can be browned on the grill or in a pan, caramelized, baked and fried in oil … This soy paste needs a fire – only then does it reveal its wonderful properties and fully absorb the flavors of other ingredients in the dish.
Tofu owes its culinary and nutritional properties to soybeans: they are soaked in water, then ground into a puree, boiled and passed through a sieve. In ancient China, these beans were revered along with the four sacred grains – rice, wheat, barley and millet. Mongolian “doufu” was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks, and by the XNUMXth century, tofu had become one of the key products of the daily diet of the Japanese. In Western countries, tofu gained popularity after they became interested in the basic nutrition of the Land of the Rising Sun and their beneficial effects on health. Studies show that Japanese women suffer less from osteoporosis, breast cancer, and menopausal ailments than women from other parts of the world. In addition, the beneficial effect of tofu in the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system has been confirmed. Of tofu lovers, first of all, it is worth mentioning vegetarians, for whom this soy cheese is the most important source of vegetable protein. Rich in iron, magnesium and plant fibers, it is incredibly beneficial for health.
Fried tofu with champignons in white wine
For 4 persons
Prepare: 15 minutes
Preparation: 7-8 minutes
- 24 large cubes of firm tofu
- 4 large champignons
- 2 tbsp. dry white wine (muscat)
- salted butter slice
- 1 st. l. nut butter
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- 1 small Chinese cabbage or chicory salad
Preparation
Put the wine on a low heat for 7-8 minutes, adding the miso paste, butter and nut butter. During this time, fry the tofu cubes until golden brown and arrange in heated bowls. Lightly beat the wine “broth” with a mixer and also pour into bowls. Cut mushrooms and cabbage into very thin slices and sprinkle on top. Serve warm.
Grilled tofu with stuffed dates and carrot tagliatelle
For 4 persons
Prepare: 15 minutes
Preparation: 15 minutes
- 4 slices (about 1cm thick) firm tofu
- 4 large dates
- 4 carrots
- 1 jar of lemon jam
- salted butter slice
- Fleur de sel salt
- thyme
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- ground hot red pepper
Preparation
Remove the seeds from the dates, put inside a spoonful of lemon jam. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and simmer the dates covered over very low heat for 10 minutes. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrots into thin ribbons to make a tagliatelle. Season with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt. Cut the tofu diagonally to make triangles. Put them on the preheated grill and fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes on each side). Season the tofu with ground pepper, thyme and salt. Divide the tofu, dates, and carrots onto plates and serve.