Soy gets a frustratingly bad rep. Yes, (as with the growing if any modern mono crop) there are environmental impacts of its growth, yes, GMOs are bad, yes, it is in lots of stuff so overdoing it is totally possible. But! In moderation, organic soy is awesome, protein packed, and when properly prepared super delicious and satisfying!
Best choice. Tofu is my favorite soy option because it is so versatile. I go for the organic sprouted extra firm tofu. Safeway has a great one, so does Wildwood. They are the type packed in water. This is great for scrambles or slabs.
Freeze. One of my favorite tricks for tofu is to freeze it first. Freezing it changes the structure/texture once it thaws, leaving it chewier and more fibrous. When I buy tofu I just throw the entire packs directly in the freezer then take one out when I need it in the AM and it is ready to go by evening.
Drain. Squeeze the water out of your tofu (some people suggest pressing but I am too impatient). Hold the thawed tofu over the sink and gently squeeze the liquid out. The spongier texture from freezing lends itself well to this. Then it is ready to go. You can marinade it or go straight to cookin'.
Sear, my dear. I love when the outside of my tofu gets a little seared. This is accomplished by using a bit of olive oil and spices and a medium to high temp pan or grill. For this super easy one I just used lemon pepper, Mrs Dash, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime for flavor and cooked it for about five minutes per side in a hot frying pan with olive oil.
Sauce is boss. Tofu really takes on any flavor you like so when I keep the tofu basic like the above suggestion I like to flavor it up with some sauce. In a baggy I smooshed (technical term) 2Tbsp Just Mayo with a squeeze of lime and 2tsp Siracha, cut the corner off and piped it over my seared tofu. So good!
