Tofu Cheese Recipes

Tofu is a fairly popular vegetarian product that can replace not only ordinary cheese, but also meat.The product is rich in various trace elements, which explains its beneficial properties. Tofu can be consumed in its natural form and used to prepare a variety of dishes. Recipes with soy cheese consider in more detail in this article.

Tofu is a cheese that is made from soybeans. Often, this product is called soybean curd. China is considered the birthplace of such cheese.

The product has a mild flavor that allows you to use it for cooking various dishes. It can be desserts, appetizers, first and second courses. Due to the dense texture of Tofu can be subjected to heat treatment: fry in a pan and grill, bake and boil.

The technological process of production of tofu resembles the method of making ordinary cheese. In this case, the main difference lies in the ingredients used. For the preparation of tofu milk is used not of animal origin, but soy. In the process of coagulation of milk, cottage cheese is first produced, after which it is pressed, as a result of which cheese is obtained.

There are two main varieties of Tofu: soft and hard. The soft cheese mass is similar in texture to pudding. The composition of this product is quite a large amount of liquid. Soft cheese is mainly used for making desserts and soups, and also acts as a sauce base.

Hard cheese Tofu has a more dense structure. Its consistency can be compared with Mozzarella cheese. In such a product, various spices or nuts are often added during production to improve the taste. Also hard cheese is ideal for smoking.

Tofu contains a fairly large amount of protein, so this product can serve as a substitute for meat. Cheese is also rich in iron and calcium and does not contain cholesterol at all. As for vitamins, Tofu has a high content of cobalamin and tocopherol.

As for calories, there are very few of them in Tofu - 73 kcal per 100 grams, so this cheese belongs to dietary products.

Tofu cheese is most common in China and Japan. In Russia, such cheese can be found only on the shelves of large retail chains or in specialized departments with products for healthy nutrition. When buying, you should pay attention to the expiration date, as well as the type of packaging. In this case, it is better to give preference to vacuum packaging, since cheese is best stored in it.

Attention should be paid to the composition of the product, since various additives may be contained in the cheese, and it can also be sold in smoked form. The quality and freshness of Tofu can be determined by smell and appearance, but it will be possible to carry out such a check at home after purchase. A fresh product that has been properly stored will have a sweet smell in it.

If the cheese has a sour flavor, then it can also be eaten, but it is recommended to boil it beforehand, which will affect its consistency. The structure of the product will change and it will become more porous. As for appearance, the surface of natural Tofu without additives should be uniform and white. If the cheese has yellow patches or spots, then, most likely, it was subjected to freezing and thawing, and therefore does not have all the useful qualities.

Tofu is widely used in cooking. At home, you can cook a large number of a variety of dishes with this product.

One method of cooking Tofu is to grill it. Previously, it must be kept in marinade, and only then proceed to roasting. To make the marinade, you need to take components such as:

• a quarter cup of soy sauce;
• a tablespoon of sesame seed oil;
• three small crushed garlic cloves.

To prepare the marinade, you need to combine all the ingredients and mix well. If you need to add citrus notes, then in the marinade you need to pour the juice of lemon or lime. For greater sharpness, you can add chopped red hot peppers. Before pouring Tofu marinade, it must be wrung out of excess liquid and cut into portions.

Squeezing cheese is needed in order to better absorb the flavors during pickling and roasting. To squeeze the product, you will need paper towels and deep packaging. At the bottom of the dishes laid out a layer of towels, on which is placed Tofu. Napkins are also laid out on top of the cheese, after which you need to gently press the Tofu.

Moisture will be released and absorbed in paper towels. Wet wipes should be replaced with new ones, but a second time a small load should be put on the product: it can be a flat plate and a cup half full of water. After a quarter of an hour, you can get the cheese, cut it into portions and pour marinade.

Tofu marinated for at least an hour in a sealed container in the fridge. The specified amount of marinade is enough for half a kilogram of cheese. The product is roasted on a grill for five minutes on each side. Pre-lattice must be lubricated with any vegetable oil and slightly warmed.

Due to the fact that natural Tofu without additives has neutral taste characteristics, it can be used to prepare sweet dishes. Such desserts are not only tasty, but also useful due to the low-calorie base of cheese. To make a chocolate treat, you will need the following products:

• four hundred grams of soy cheese;
• a quarter cup of vegetable milk (coconut or soy is best used);
• a quarter cup of cocoa powder;
• natural vanilla pods;
• ground cinnamon;
• badyan;
• any fruit or berry syrup.

To make a dessert, it is necessary to combine Tofu with milk and mix well with a blender. Add cocoa, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and star anise to taste. The mixture is again well beaten with a blender to a uniform consistency.

Dessert for some time must be removed in the refrigerator. When serving, the dish is decorated with crushed nuts, as well as pieces of fruit and berries. You can also use coconut or grated chocolate as a supplement.

Tofu cheesecakes are an excellent alternative to the usual dessert. In this case, the cheese will serve as a substitute for cottage cheese. Also, unlike the classical method of cooking cheesecakes, there are no eggs in this recipe. To make tasty and healthy cheese curds, the following components are required:

• 200 grams of natural Tofu without additives;
• two small spoons of granulated sugar;
• four small spoons of coconut shavings;
• four tablespoons of milk;
• four large spoons of wheat flour.

Additionally, a pinch of vanillin can be added to the dough. It is also worth noting that the amount of flour can vary depending on the consistency and moisture of the cheese. Tofu cheesecakes can be prepared in two versions: sweet and savory. To make a savory dish from the recipe, you need to exclude sugar, vanilla and coconut chips.

The process of making cheesecakes is quite simple: first of all it is necessary to knead the soy cheese with the help of a fork. To the resulting mass, you must add milk, which can be both animal and vegetable origin. The mixture is thoroughly mixed, after which the flour and granulated sugar are poured into it.Vanillin and coconut chips are added as desired.

The mass is once again well stirred until homogeneous. From the mixture obtained will be about six cheesecakes with a thickness of one centimeter each. Formed "washers" need to lightly sprinkle with flour on both sides and fry in sunflower oil until golden brown.

There are many different cold and warm salads with tofu cheese. The easiest option is to mix the product with vegetables and fill all with olive oil. To make such a dish, you will need the following products:

• 350 grams of Tofu soy cheese;
• 200 grams of fresh tomatoes;
• 200 grams of fresh cucumbers;
• squeezed juice from one lemon;
• one big sweet red pepper;
• four crushed garlic cloves;
• a jar of olives or green olives;
• chopped cilantro, dill and parsley;
• big spoon of soy sauce;
• olive or any other vegetable oil;
• ground black pepper and salt to taste.

To make the salad more spicy, you can add one finely chopped chilli. The dressing for the dish is made from soy sauce, the juice of one small lemon, chopped or crushed through a press of garlic and olive or any other vegetable oil. Vegetables and Tofu are cut into medium cubes, mixed, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then watered with dressing. Ready salad should be sprinkled with fresh chopped greens.

The recipe for fried tofu cheese with vegetables is given in the video below.