Any tofu eaters?

Since it's way cheaper than meat I'd like to give tofu the good 'ol college try.

I've had gooood tofu (tried at a restaurant) and baaaaad tofu (attempt to make it myself...this was in middle school).

Any tips on how to season it and cook it correctly so that it doesn't taste like...well, tofu?

TIA

Tofu doesn't have a taste, it pulls a taste from whatever it is cooked with/seasoned in. I like just frying it with soy sauce and green onions, but there are tons of ways of making it . I suggest a medium or firm, not much of a fan of softer tofu.

Make sure you get the right kind of tofu. Silken tofu has a custard-ish texture and is often used to make sauces or smoothies creamy without adding dairy. Regular tofu (usually firm or extra firm) is the kind you typically think of in stir fry or similar dishes.

There are some different ways you can change the texture. One way is pressing it. Put a small towel on a plate, put your tofu on top of that, put another towel on top of the tofu, and then put another plate (optionally with something kind of heavy on it) on top of the whole thing. This will squeeze out moisture and make it firmer. You can also freeze it and thaw it before cooking. I think these methods are supposed to also make it easier to soak up the flavor of whatever sauces and spices you're cooking in.

I usually toss it in a frying pan with vegetables, sauce, spices, etc. You can grill it, although I've never tried that before. I'm also a fan of baking it...I press the tofu, cut it up into small cubes, and then cover the cubes with shake n bake. When they're done baking, I eat them with unsweetened applesauce.

I find that I prefer my tofu firm - not artificially flavored- and in dishes with other meats like eggs, sausage, and by itself in something strong tasting like curry. I also like tofu on salad sliced much in the same way that you would eggs for a salad.

Also one of my favorite dishes is tofu with bacon. Yeah, I know it's not vegan/vegetarian but bacon and tofu is just awesome.

I like cutting it into small cubes and cooking in a pan with some sesame oil and seeds until the outsides are brown/crunchy.

I tried some when I thought I might have been allergic to chicken and that's what was making me sick all the time. I did the freeze-then-thaw method, it's supposed to give it a texture sorta like meat. It was okay, nothing special, but I still got sick after eating it... so I never bought more and tried it again.

I love PF Changs tofu lettuce wraps. I have been planning to try this recipe at home: http://hungryhungryveganos.wordpress.com/2009/03/30/tasty-tofu-lettuce-wraps-or-move-over-pf-changs/ but haven't gotten around to it so I can't vouch for it just yet but I am pretty good at picking recipes. Never made one I didn't like! lol

I love tofu. LOVE it. To me, it does have a definite taste. Very light and creamy. I agree with everyone else as to cooking methods. Stir-fried, pressed, it's all good. It's also great when diced into small pieces and served in a soup.

Soup, stir fry veggies, pan fried on the side.

I actually think that tofu has a very "tofu" taste. I've not had a single tofu dish where the tofu tasted like that of which it was cooked with.

I'm glad y'all like tofu because that means I don't have to eat it. I'd be an anorexic again before eating that jiggly weird-textured lump.

This is by far my favorite tofu recipe: General Tso's Tofu

I just have to LOL @ tofu & bacon. I have no idea why, but it cracks me up.

I eat a lot of tofu, but in the same recipes over and over, haha.

You can always get the extra firm, squeeze as much water as possible out of it (towel and plate idea), crumble it in a bowl, and mix it with some mayonnaise (I use a vegan version called Veganaise), some mustard, some pickle relish, and voila! you have something to put on sandwiches!

I have a TON of tempeh recipes because I love tempeh (made from soy, like tofu, but very different) but it is not as cheap. Still, you can make vegan sloppy joes with it. YUM!

Thanks for the responses guys!!

I'm kinda getting excited to try these out!