Tag Archives: tofu

Vegan-ize It: Tofu Scallops

by

Before I went vegan, I used to go crazy for a perfectly pan-seared sea scallop.  Anytime I went out to a restaurant and scallops were on the menu, I need not look any further.  My parents always had scallops for me when I would go visit.  I was the scallop girl!  I “Excuse-itarian’ed” (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau coined this term and I love it!) my way around consuming scallops for quite a while — “They don’t have a face!” was my perfect reasoning.  When I connected the dots about the problems with industrial fishing and factory fish farms, I preferred that those little tender fleshy morsels stayed in their cute little shells in the sea and not in my belly.  If you haven’t learned about the downside to the seafood industry, you can get a little snapshot about it here, here, and here.

My ever-creative amateur chef (and partner of 6 years) Melissa came up with a brilliant solution to satisfy my scallop cravings — make them out of tofu!  After all, it is the seasonings, sauces and marinades that have us so attached to eating flesh anyway.  We aren’t like tigers and lions who eat flesh raw, no problemo.  Here is her brilliant recipe… my mouth waters just thinking about it!

Tofu Scallops

Ingredients

  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Tools

  • Small cookie cutter or juice glass with a small diameter

Directions

    1. Press the tofu.  See Tofu Isn’t Scary for more detailed instructions on pressing tofu.
    2. Cut thickness of tofu in half.  
    3. Use cookie cutter or juice glass to cut circles out of tofu.  Season tofu scallops with the Old Bay and salt and pepper.
    4. Heat pan with 1 tbsp (approx.) of olive oil on medium/high heat.
    5. Place tofu scallops in pan, allowing them to get golden brown on each side.  Remove from pan and set tofu scallops aside.
    6. Turn heat to low and melt 2-4 tbsp of vegan butter in the pan.  Use more butter if you are making more scallops.
    7. Squeeze half the lemon into the pan with the melted butter, stir to incorporate.  Add dill.  Stir and turn heat off.
    8. Plate tofu scallops and drizzle/spoon lemon dill sauce over scallops.  Serve with your favorite veggies and sides.  Pictured with a mix of quinoa and kale.

I hope you enjoy this recipe — its one of my favorites!  Do you have a favorite vegan-ized recipe?

Tofu isn’t scary.

by

dun…Dun… DUNNN!!!!! Tofu. So many folks get very nervous with the mere mention of it. Not to worry – I’m going to show you how AMAZING this protein is and how it is not scary at all!!!!

What is it? Simply, its soybean curd pressed into a block shape. It can often be fortified with calcium, making it a great source for the vital nutrient (as well as being a source of vitamin B and iron). It can come in different varieties – silken, soft, firm, extra firm – making it versatile to use in a wide array of recipes from smoothies to soups to stir-frys to bar-be-que’d on the grill.

Here’s my advice: extra-firm tofu and buy it in bulk. I’m lucky that my local bulk retailer offers a 2 pack of extra-firm tofu for four bucks. I pick up 2 packs of that per week. At least. You’re going to bake one for use in your salads, one will be your weekend tofu scramble, and two will be used as your protein for dinner a few nights.

Now, some commonly asked questions about tofu:

  • What do I do about all this water in the package?

Tofu is packed with water so it doesn’t dry out. This is remedied very simply. Got paper towels? Good. On a dinner plate, layer a few sheets of paper towel. Place your block of tofu on the plate. Layer a few more sheets of paper towel on top of the tofu. Now, put another dinner plate (or platter) on TOP of the tofu to create a make-shift press. Let it sit for about twenty minutes to drain. OR you can invest in a tofu press. They run about $40, but with the amount of tofu you’ll be eating, it will pay for itself within a month. Here’s the one I have and love it – Tofu Xpress.

  • Do I just cook it in this big block shape?

Sure! You can marinate the whole big block with some tamari or other favorite sauce and bake it in the oven. OR, you can cut it in half horizontally, so you have two rectangles, about a half inch high. Then, cut those rectangles in half diagonally, making two triangles. It should look something like this:

Something to look forward to: recipe for tofu parmesean! But also a great example of what tofu cutlets could look like.

Voila! Tofu Cutlets. OR, after cutting horizontally, cut them out into circles using a small juice glass upside-down…and Voila! Tofu Scallops. Your creativity is key. You can’t mess it up, so don’t be scared to experiment.

  • Tofu has no flavor! Why bother?

Wha-wha-wha-whaaaaaaa?! Stop the train. Tofu can be full of flavor — it all depends on what you to do it! You can marinate it, bread it, bake it, pan-sear it, bbq it. Seriously, whatever you did to your chicken, fish or steak, you can do to tofu. I’m not kidding! Tofu will take on any flavor you put on it. Sucks it right up like a sponge and is totally versatile.

  • Can you freeze tofu?

Yes! And please do. I’ll usually freeze a block every now and again. This will change the texture of it, making it a bit more chewy and a lot spongier (as in, will soak up even more of the flavors you use on it). Just freeze it directly in the container you purchase it in. When you’re ready to use it, set it out to defrost that morning, or run it under some water to soften it up. You can microwave it for three minutes on each side to assist if needed. And then drain it just like as described above. You’ll see that it drains a LOT more this way. So totally freeze some tofu every now and again and give yourself a texture shake-up.

So go forth to your organic grocer and pick up a nice extra-firm block of tofu for dinner tonight. Follow my tips, use your favorite marinade or sauce, and most of all, get creative and have fun. See?! Tofu TOTALLY isn’t scary.