Level 1 Cooking: Tofu

Since becoming (mostly) vegetarian, a few of my friends have asked about my recent relationship with tofu. Funnily enough, they all asked the same two questions:

1. Is it good?
2. How do you cook it?

Well, I'm a big fan of tofu, and even managed to make Logan, a self-proclaimed carnivore, a fan. So, yes, it's good.

As for cooking it? That's a whole lot easier than a lot of people seem to think. I just fry mine, and I'm sure there are lots of other ways to go about cooking tofu, but so far Logan and I have been really satisfied with our simple fried version.

First of all, you need to buy some tofu. We get the Kroger kind in extra firm. You can find it in the organic/health food section, usually next to the produce section. There's a spot full of fake meat and vegan cheese. The package looks like this:

If you want a meat-like consistency, make sure you're getting extra firm. Tofu comes in all kinds of textures for all kinds of recipes.

Once you've gotten your tofu and you're ready to start cooking, you need to open your package carefully. Tofu is packed in water to keep it fresh, and that water can get everywhere if you aren't expecting it. Poke a hole in the film with a knife, and drain the water out. Then, you lift out the very unappetizing looking block.

I know. But I promise it's not as nasty as it looks. And feels. You're going to get well acquainted with that feeling as you press some of the water out of your wiggly-jiggly block. Just get a folded paper towel and gently press on the block to get some of the excess moisture out.

Heat up some oil in a pan -- we like olive oil -- and cut your block into chunks. It'll still look gross, but I promise it gets better.

Fry your tofu on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

And that's all you have to do! Tofu doesn't have much of a taste on its own though, so you'll probably want to season it or mix it in with something. Logan and I have fallen in love with this recipe for tofu lo mein. It's good just as the recipe says, but we prefer ours with added bean sprouts.

Enjoy!

Level 1 Cooking: Sautéed Spinach

I recently moved into my first apartment, and with that glorious independence comes cooking for myself. I've never really had to do this before, since my parents always cooked at the house, then I ate off a meal plan at the dorms, so I'm pretty much a novice at the whole thing.

A lot of you are probably in the same boat, so this Munchy Monday, I'd like to share my technique for sautéed spinach. You'll need a medium frying pan, some olive oil, onion, garlic, and fresh spinach.

The first time I saw "sautéed," I didn't know what it meant. Basically, it means "fry this quickly in some oil, butter, or fat." It's not nearly as hard as it sounds.

Step 1: Heat some olive oil in a pan at medium heat. You just need enough to coat the bottom.

Step 2: Once the oil is hot, toss in some chopped onion and minced garlic. I like to use frozen, pre-chopped onions so I don't cry, and minced garlic from the jar because it's easier. Fry those for just a few minutes, until they start to smell pretty good. This blends the flavors.

Step 3: Toss in your spinach one handful at a time. If the leaves are pretty big, I like to rip them in half so they aren't so difficult to eat. Stir each handful up so it gets coated in some of the oil/garlic/onion mixture.

Step 4: Continue throwing spinach in until you have as much as you want. It shrinks a lot as it cooks, so don't be surprised if you feel like you've discovered a black hole in your kitchen.

Step 5: Continue stirring  until the spinach is hot and tender, but not mushy. It'll look small and kind of shriveled.

Step 6: Eat!

Logan and I have found, in true college kid fashion, that this spinach goes particularly well with fish sticks and mac 'n' cheese.

Enjoy!