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Post by graavvee on Apr 22, 2016 12:25:26 GMT -6
I'll be doing some more tofu steaks this weekend and if I can think of it I'll take some photos and post the recipe here. Perfect I shall try your recipe. I've only had tofu prepared oriental style. I have a huge package from family oversees on its way by the weekend I should be loaded enough, chocolate covered almonds and fresh fudge by the pound, alongside some macarons which haven't tried yet so I am anticipating. Coffee flavored stout is Delightful. This will last me a long while.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Apr 25, 2016 13:42:56 GMT -6
AWESOME!
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Post by Deepfriar on Apr 30, 2016 0:19:55 GMT -6
Okay, so here's the tofu steak recipe/resuls. Are you ready for cooking action and suspense? Let's get started. What you will need: 2 12oz blocks of organic extra firm tofu* liquid smoke extra virgin olive oil balsamic vinegar soy sauce dijon mustard garlic powder black pepper onion powder BBQ sauce of choice *the photo below shows firm, I used extra firm second trial and it was closer to steak texture...the regular firm had a texture closer to chicken, so I prefer extra firm for making tofu steaks (the potatoes in the photo are for the baked potatoes that I made on the side) The first rule of cooking is, you wash your hands. The second rule of cooking is, YOU WASH YOUR HANDS. Now, open the tofu packs (or trays) and drain all water. Since your hands are washed, you can hold the tofu block in your hands (feels kind of like a sponge) and squeeze a little bit more of the moisture out. Don't squeeze too hard or you will tear/crumble the tofu, but don't be afraid of gently squeezing the tofu. Get a plate ready with either a towel or a thick layer of papertowels (I use papertowels to ensure it is clean). Place the tofu on top of the paper towels (or wrap it in the towel). If you are using papertowels, prepare another thick layer and place it on top of the tofu block. Now you can place an object of choice on top of the tofu and papertowels. You want an object that will have enough weight to press down evenly on the tofu. What was suggested in the YouTube video from which I ripped off this recipe recommended using a stack of plates. I found that it worked quite well. Here is a photo from the first time I made tofu steaks. There is only one tofu block being drained because the first time I cooked it I didn't realize that I needed two blocks. After letting it drain/dry for at least an hour (the video recommended two), remove the paper towels and cut it lengthwise in half. Then take each half, and cut them in half again. You will have four pieces of each tofu block (8 total pieces if you use two tofu blocks, picture only shows four): Now the fun part. Using a medium mixing bowl and whisk, mix all of the marinade ingredients together: 1 tsp liquid smoke 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp dijon mustard garlic powder to taste (or homemade roasted garlic if you want to be fancy) black pepper to taste onion powder to taste Place the tofu strips in a special container (to be revealed in the next step) and pour the marinade all over them. That's right, slather them up with that stuff! The steaks will fill out the container much better when you use 2 tofu blocks (four strips). They will be slightly squeezed together. This batch did not absorb the marinade as well as it could have because there was less tofu and so the surface level of the marinade was too low to sufficiently cover the blocks. The second batch was better, but you get the idea. Now to reveal the 'special' container: FoodSaver handheld vacuum sealing system. The compact vacuum seal unit will set you back about $17.99 at a discount retailer, and the pack of 2 tupperware vacuum seal containers about $7.99 give or take. This step is not necessary but I wanted to be fancy on this part (since I was too lazy to make homemade roasted garlic). Pack in the tofu steaks and vacuum seal that baby until you see the little "dimple of freshness" (that's directly from the manual) on the rubber valve tab indicating that you have achieved a seal (6 seconds? 8? more? the seal/valve system can be a little tricky and I'm still getting used to it). You will need to turn the steaks half way through the marinading process. I wouldn't recommend marinading less than 4 hours (turning them at 2 hours) but I really feel like you get the benefit of the vacuum sealing especially when you marinade them overnight. Put them in the fridge overnight and then flip them the next morning to cook that evening. That would be ideal. The baked potatoes I like to wash, cut holes, butter, salt, wrap with foil, and bake on 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 Celsius) for 1 hour. If you bake the steaks after, you can just put them back in the oven on the other rack to heat them back up the last 10-15 minutes of the steaks baking. (not a word about my oven needing cleaned) So anyway, I don't have a photo for this step but when you are ready to prepare the meal, preheat the oven to 375-400 degrees (I prefer 400). Next, get a baking pan ready and line with foil to prevent mess. Pull the valve release tab on top of the container to release the air, then remove the lid and use a fork or small spatula to transfer the steak strips to the baking pan. You should not need to grease the pan because the marinade is oil based and it will seep out of the steaks a bit during the baking process. Anyway, line them up on the pan and coat the top and sides with your barbecue sauce and place in the oven. Bake on your preferred temperature *cough*400 is better*cough* for 45 minutes, turning halfway. When you are turning them, coat the bottom side with barbecue sauce as well since it is now exposed. After it is done baking, transfer to plate and top baked potatoes with butter and cheese (and sour cream if you desire). A family secret is Lawry's seasoning salt goes good on baked potatoes. I try to use healthy ingredients so I usually skip some of the added things like the seasoning salt. Garlic & herb Mrs. Dash seasoning is a great healthy substitute, or even nutritional yeast flakes for vitamin B12 (I don't eat meat so I must be conscious of my B12). You may want one more side item if you love to eat like my wife and I do. I chose this: If you have read this far, I congratulate you. I am sure you are eager to see the finished product. Here it is: (picture is of tofu steaks cut into halves instead of fourths - I prefer fourths because it means more surface area is coated with barbecue sauce which increases flavor) Hope you enjoyed taking this journey with me into my kitchen. "Jesus replied: 'A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests'." (Luke 14:16 NIV) P.S. I suppose I should give credit to the source of this recipe, even though I'd rather you guys go by my story and photos LOL:
P.S.S.Here is some great music to listen to while having your tofu steak dinner:
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Post by graavvee on May 5, 2016 11:56:41 GMT -6
This looks fantastic.
When I prepare it I'm following exact instructions so thanks for that detail!
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Post by Deepfriar on May 5, 2016 16:48:39 GMT -6
This looks fantastic. When I prepare it I'm following exact instructions so thanks for that detail! No problem! I figure if you're going to give instructions, might as well do it right.
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Post by Deepfriar on May 5, 2016 16:52:39 GMT -6
ILLUMINATI!!! (just kidding, that's a pepper shaker LOL)
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Post by Kerrick on May 6, 2016 5:10:51 GMT -6
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Post by Thomas Eversole on May 6, 2016 9:11:04 GMT -6
Illuminati is everywhere because Spoderman says it is.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Sept 22, 2016 19:35:31 GMT -6
Pepper Palace Blackened Seasoning. This stuff is the best dry rub I've ever used! Grilled a whole packet of pork steaks today. It's expensive, but man does it taste absolutely fantastic!!!!
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Nov 25, 2016 16:47:07 GMT -6
Made some Mac Wraps today for my wife and I. Same ingredients as the McDonalds ones. - Ground beef / venison - grilled diced onions - lettuce - Thousand Island dressing - shredded mozzarella - wrapped tightly in a soft shell - serve and enjoy!
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Dec 8, 2016 12:11:02 GMT -6
I love making my own egg nog.
- I take 1 gallon of milk that's 3/4ths full. - Squeeze a hearty amount of vanilla in the jug. - Dump in some nutmeg - Good amount of sugar - Fill up the rest of the jug with pasturized liquid egg whites. (EggBeaters is the main brand, but a carton of the generic works just fine) - SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE
Voila! Freakin' awesome egg nog. This is a good snack for me. Lots of protein (from the milk and eggs) and easy on the gut!
Also grilled some shrimp for lunch today. Got a really simple and quick way of doing it.
- bag of pre-cooked medium sized shrimp - thaw in a bowl of hot water - dump the hot water out, throw the wet shrimp on the hot grill - light dusting of season salt - after a couple minutes, I turn the shrimp over, they should be a light brown - another light dusting of season salt
DONE! Its even better on a "dirty" grill, when the little crispies of what was grilled before stick to the shrimp... gives an awesome flavor!
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Post by _ on Jan 2, 2017 13:40:40 GMT -6
And speaking of smoke, I am drinking some smoked tea today. Bought a box of this "Lapsang Souchong" on amazon. This is my favorite kind of tea. Th first place I saw and ordered it described the taste as "scorched earth" and "ashes." It was too metal to not try.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Jan 2, 2017 14:17:53 GMT -6
Haha! Nice!
This isn't just a cooking thread. I've been eating a lot of meat lately... protein helps build muscle and that's what I'm trying to do!
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Post by _ on Feb 27, 2017 22:45:49 GMT -6
tl;dw: i don't like cooking but i want to like cooking; also I don't currently have any cooking skills.
Any suggestions on something I can try to make this coming weekend? A favorite, easy dish? I have basic kitchen stuff, as well as a crockpot.
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Post by Kerrick on Feb 28, 2017 11:16:58 GMT -6
Oh man, crockpots are where it's at! I've made curry chicken a few times in the crockpot and it's always turned out really good. It's pretty simple; just throw these all into a crockpot and cook all day on low: -a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts -one onion, sliced or diced -two or three potatoes, cut up in medium-sized chunks (sweet potatoes also go great though I usually use regular russet or whatever) -curry powder (I'm usually pretty generous with this stuff) -any other veggies, sometimes I'll put in those canned bamboo shoots or something -I like to dice up very finely a serano or habanero pepper for added heat -a carton of coconut milk (put in after everything else and fill within the cracks until it's about level with the rest of the food) -add a little starch maybe 30-45 minutes before serving to thicken it up if you want (do this by dissolving it in a little water first, then mixing it in to the crockpot) Because the crockpot sorta disintegrates the chicken, it's more of a chunky sauce than anything else. I like to serve it over rice and just mix it all in.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Feb 28, 2017 11:57:16 GMT -6
Minus the hot stuff (my wife can't handle it) that sounds great!
I love doing crockpot throw togethers. They're so good. Something that cooks on low and we can eat on it all day.... oh man, now I'm getting hungry!!!
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Post by Kerrick on Feb 28, 2017 18:09:54 GMT -6
Thanks! For our wedding, one of my Sri Lankan friends from college gave us some authentic curry powders from India and such and they are SO GOOD. Making curry chicken with that stuff really takes it to another level. Chili is also SUPER easy to make in the crockpot. -brown ~1lb of ground beef on a pan -a can of kidney beans -a can of black beans -a can of chili beans -a can of tomato sauce -slice up some fresh tomatoes -dice up an onion -[again, I like to add a finely diced hot pepper] -finely chopped or pressed garlic cloves -one bell pepper, chopped -sometimes one of those mini-cans of corn -chili powder (as with the curry powder, I'm somewhat generous with this stuff) -if you want to get fancy, a splash of red wine is really great in chili Since I really like spicy food... I often find myself drooling over all the spicy stuff in the Mexican section of Safeway or wherever. They got these little cans of chipotle peppers in sauce which are surprisingly very very spicy. Half of a can is plenty heat in chili but adds good flavor. (I just realized I think I probably already posted a recipe for chili but oh well haha, I'm too lazy to look!) EDIT: yup, but this one's a little more detailed so whatever.
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Post by barabbas on Mar 1, 2017 0:12:10 GMT -6
tl;dw: i don't like cooking but i want to like cooking; also I don't currently have any cooking skills. Any suggestions on something I can try to make this coming weekend? A favorite, easy dish? I have basic kitchen stuff, as well as a crockpot. Lately, we have been enjoying this recipe. It's worth a shot if you like Mexican food. It's quite mild as given; if you want it spicy, you'll have to make some changes. We make the following changes: We make the sauce and then throw it into the crock pot with the chicken. When the chicken is cooked, we shred it and then assemble the enchiladas to bake them. We often double the sauce to have extra. We skip frying the tortillas. The purpose for that is to keep them from getting soggy, but I don't think that's a big problem for enchiladas. We use half and half instead of cream. We skip the green olives and cherry tomatoes. We sometimes use black olives and sour cream as garnish instead. It does require some prep, but it's all fairly easy.
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Post by _ on Apr 17, 2017 19:59:40 GMT -6
Thanks for the posts, all!
I've made some dishes within the past month. Most tasted pretty good, about which I was pleasantly surprised. I made Gulab jamun, a South Asian dessert hummus Turkish crepes Imam Bayildi, a Turkish stuffed eggplant dish stir fry with udon noodles strawberry spinach salad with feta, walnuts, and a dressing
And I am trying to bake tres leche cake right now.
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Apr 18, 2017 14:05:48 GMT -6
Holy moly!!! ↑ Recipes please!!!
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Post by exo on Apr 18, 2017 19:08:45 GMT -6
Wanted to do something nice for my wife. Decided to grill since the weather was so nice and I don't have to work this evening. Since I'm not averse to letting someone else do the messy end of the work, the chicken is something I picked up from the service counter at work on my way out the door this morning, they're calling it "California Orange marinade". Served on rice with a side of Green Giant microwave steamable green beans and almonds that were on sale for 88 cents a box this week. I've got about $4 a plate into the meal, not counting the cost of the charcoal for the grill. Eating "healthy" isn't THAT expensive, I guess.....
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Apr 19, 2017 11:05:46 GMT -6
Oh that looks so good. My kind of meal!
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Post by exo on Apr 23, 2017 16:39:16 GMT -6
This is what it looks like when you grill for a family of 10. I expect less than half to be left for "ready to use" quick meal tomorrow or Tuesday.....
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Post by _ on Aug 27, 2017 17:35:22 GMT -6
I'm trying to cook once a week to bless my parents. Today was Cantonese tomato beef with egg (first time for me).
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Post by Thomas Eversole on Oct 29, 2018 8:16:23 GMT -6
So anyway, eating often sucks being a colon cancer survivor. My wife came home from the store with something that has got me to eat breakfast again. A little cup with "Just Crack an Egg" written on it. It has some kind of meat, cheese, potatoes, peppers, onions, etc. in sealed packets. Add 2 eggs + the stuff in packets + stirring and microwave shenanigans = pretty nice little "skillet in a cup" type breakfast. I like it!
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Post by anfauglith on Nov 16, 2018 10:03:36 GMT -6
Went to the local health-food shop today to get me some organic strong ale to have tonight. And being there I just could not walk past the shelf with vegan frying sausages in it... so I got them, too. Just needed them. A couple of days ago we had a celebration from work in a tradition franconian (franconia: the strange part of Germany I happen to live) restaurant. That certain smell got me. So I think that was when my mind made the decision to get those sausages. (I didn't buy regular ones because I'm now 12 or 13 years a vegetarian and my wife's vegan. ...okay, some time ago I decided that it's good for me to eat fish now and then. So I am most likely no real vegetarian any more. But I don't care since I am sick of this whole "food scene" anyway, because it makes a religion out of one's personal choice of food)
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Post by avjr on Nov 16, 2018 17:42:53 GMT -6
My parents, my brother, and my little sister are going to Las Vegas this weekend. So, I am going to look food in the refrigerator, and be filled with goodness. Hehe.
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Post by jazzhead on Nov 16, 2018 21:54:26 GMT -6
Went to the local health-food shop today to get me some organic strong ale to have tonight. And being there I just could not walk past the shelf with vegan frying sausages in it... so I got them, too. Just needed them. A couple of days ago we had a celebration from work in a tradition franconian (franconia: the strange part of Germany I happen to live) restaurant. That certain smell got me. So I think that was when my mind made the decision to get those sausages. (I didn't buy regular ones because I'm now 12 or 13 years a vegetarian and my wife's vegan. ...okay, some time ago I decided that it's good for me to eat fish now and then. So I am most likely no real vegetarian any more. But I don't care since I am sick of this whole "food scene" anyway, because it makes a religion out of one's personal choice of food) happy to see another black metal-loving vegetarian! Also, one of my favorite places in the state where I live is called Franconia Notch.
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Post by anfauglith on Nov 17, 2018 5:45:23 GMT -6
Also, one of my favorite places in the state where I live is called Franconia Notch Wikipedia says that the name comes from the areas resemblance of "franconian switzerland" (which is a beautiful and very enjoyable place around here)... looked up some pictures and find that's quite true!
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Post by anfauglith on Jan 20, 2019 11:08:02 GMT -6
Being a great fan of potatoes, I recently discovered the Laura potato. Maybe it is just imagination, but I find them even tastier than normal potatoes. And the red color makes them special anyway... Any more potato friends here on the board?
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