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Category Archives: Tofu


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Yummy and Healthy!! “Sweet Tofu Salad” (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free)

This traditional Japanese side dish comes from Buddhist cuisine. The ingredients are tofu and some simmered tender vegetables, and the dish is seasoned with sugar and soy sauce. I have loved it since I was a child because the taste is good and sweet, and the texture is amazingly smooth.

My book Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches is now available!!

Tofu is always great protein for us, has no strong taste or flavor, and has a soft texture so it doesn’t interfere with any dish’s flavors or textures. Therefore, in regard to nutrition and digestion it is good for people who don’t have an appetite or who are really picky eaters. You can cook any kind of dish with tofu.

Enjoy your new taste and texture side salad!!

The recipe is easy.

Drain tofu.
Prepare vegetables.
Combine the tofu and vegetables and season.

{Ingredients (servings 3)}

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A pack (14 oz.) Firm Tofu

Half bunch Fresh Spinach

1 Carrot

3 pieces Shirakiku Shiitake Dried Mushrooms

1 Tbsp. Roasted White Sesame Seeds (Iri Goma)

2 Tbsp. Sugar

2 Tbsp. plus 2 separate tsp. Kikkoman Gluten Free Soy Sauce

½ tsp. Salt (total)

1 tsp. Cooking Sake

2 cups Water (including leftover from soaking shiitake mushrooms)

Here is my recipe in PDF (7 MB): Sweet Tofu Salad


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Easy healthy savory snack! Tuna and Tofu Nuggets (pescatarian/ gluten-free/ egg-free)

This is a very easy and quick savory snack recipe; Tuna and Tofu Nuggets.

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The ingredients are only tuna, tofu, cornstarch and seasonings. You can mix all ingredients in your food processor and cook with one pan without using large quantities of hot oil. No, muss, no fuss.

I use salt and pepper as seasonings. You can add some onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili pepper…depending on your taste.

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Ingredients (10 to 12 nuggets)

  • 1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in water, drained
  • 1/4 (14-ounce) package firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Here is a tip how to store tofu after opening. Place tofu in a clean container and pour in just enough water to cover. Cover and keep it in the refrigerator. Change water everyday and use within 3 days.

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  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix well.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan until it shimmers.
  3. Spoon the mixture in the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!


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Easy Japanese Tofu MOCHI Dessert (vegan/gluten-free)

Have you ever eaten Japanese traditional dessert dishes, which is called Wagashi in Japanese? There are so many recipes, such as mochi, dango, and sweet beans paste. Today I will introduce you to “Easy mochi dessert” using tofu.

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In my recipe, you don’t need special ingredients; you need only tofu, corn starch and sugar. You can enjoy this dish on its own, and also it is great when you eat it with a bit of sugar, chocolate spread, or caramel. Here I sprinkle the mochi with the mixture of ground sesame seeds and sugar. This makes the dish more traditional taste.

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Ingredients (20 -24 pieces small mochi)

1/2 (14-ounce) package of firm tofu

4 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

[for dusting] to taste

1 tablespoon ground roasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

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  1. Process the tofu in food processor until it gets smooth.
  2. In a pan, mix the tofu, sugar and corn starch. Stir for 3 minutes over medium heat, until you see some lumps. Turn the heat to low, stir for 8 to 10 minutes,  until it becomes sticky dough. (This is a bit tough but it is worth it.)
  3. Once the dough is cool enough to handle (Do not cool it completely. It is going to be hard to make a ball shape.), roll into small ball shapes by hand. Dust with the mixture of the sesame seeds and the sugar to taste.

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Teriyaki Tofu (Gluten-free/Vegan)

Here is a quick video how to cook Teriyaki Tofu.

It is very easy, takes only 25 minutes total, and amazingly delicious!!

Enjoy the authentic teriyaki taste!!

My book Bento for Beginners: 60 Recipes for Easy Bento Box Lunches is now available!!

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{Teriyaki Tofu Ingredients (servings 2)}

7-ounce extra firm tofu

1/2 cup corn starch

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon cooking sake

1/2 tablespoon sugar


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Freeze-dried Tofu (Vegetarian, Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Simmered freeze-dried tofu with egg”. The dish has delicious dashi flavor and is very healthy.

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Freeze-dried tofu is very common preserved food in Japan. It is rich in nutrients and delicious. The tofu has been often used as an ingredient in Buddhist cuisine since 1600s. 

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The taste is very light and doesn’t have tofu aroma which is good for people who don’t like tofu very much. The texture is totally different from regular tofu. We can grill, simmer, bake and pan-fry them. Moreover, this is a great substitute for meat lately in Japan. 

The recipe is very easy.

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Bring the sauce to a boil and add the tofu. Simmer 15 minutes and drizzle with beaten egg.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Freeze Dried Tofu

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{Ingredients (serving 2)}
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1.2-ounce Freeze-dried Tofu

2 cups water

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

½ Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine)

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 tsp. Kombu Dashi Powder with No MSG (Vegetarian Soup Stock) any kind you choosing

2 eggs

 

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Freeze Dried Tofu


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Pan-Fried Tofu with Delicious Sweet-Savory Dashi Sauce (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Pan-Fried Tofu with Delicious Sweet Savory Dashi Sauce”. This dish is typical Japanese homemade dish which is called “Agedashi Tofu” in Japanese.
*When you use my homemade kelp dashi stock, this dish is going to be vegan dish. And if you want it to be gluten free, please use gluten free soy sauce.

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*My Kelp Dashi recipe is here: Kelp Dashi stock

*You can buy vegetarian kelp dashi powder on Amazon:  Kombu Dashi Powder with No MSG (Vegetarian Soup Stock) 

In regular recipe for this dish, tofu is deep-fried but sometimes I feel deep-frying is a little bit too much work so in my recipe I cook tofu in a pan using only 2 Tbsp. of oil. It is easy, healthy and delicious, and also it still has great crunchy texture!

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The recipe outline:

  • Drain tofu in the microwave.
  • Coat the tofu with corn starch and cook in the pan.
  • Cook the sauce and drizzle the tofu with it.

 

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Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Pan-Fried Tofu with Dashi Sauce

Ingredients (Servings 2)
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½ pack (7 oz.) Firm Tofu

1 cups Dashi Stock (any kind)

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Mirin (Sweet Cooking Rice Wine)

3 Tbsp. Corn Starch

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

Some chopped Green Onion to taste

Graded Ginger to taste

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Pan-Fried Tofu with Dashi Sauce


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Tofu and Edamame with Flavorful Thick Sauce (Vegan/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to a great high protein dish  “Tofu and Edamame with Flavorful Thick Sauce”. This is an incredibly easy, healthy and delicious dish so it is great for weeknight dinners. 

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The seasonings are soy sauce and cooking sake. Also I use corn starch slurry to make the sauce thicker. The thick sauce coats tofu and edamame and you can enjoy all the flavors together. 

I used frozen edamame in the recipe but you can use fresh too. Edamame is a very useful, versatile and nutritious ingredient. You can add it to many dishes, like omelet, soup, salad, rice, pasta and so on. Or you can just snack on boiled edamame! In Japan we traditionally eat edamame as an appetizer when we drink beer at dinner. The reason being that edamame may help the function of the liver which helps breakdown alcohol. At some common Japanese restaurants, Izakaya, they serve edamame right after we are seated before we  order, like bread sticks in an Italian restaurant (mostly the cost is included in the price as a service fee).

The recipe is very easy and quick.

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Place tofu, edamame and seasonings into a pan and cook. Add slurry and serve!

It is a vegan and gluten free dish when you use kelp dashi stock or your favorite vegetable broth, and gluten free soy sauce.

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Ingredients (servings 2)
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½ pack Firm Tofu

½ cup Frozen Edamame

1 cup Dashi stock (any kind)

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake 

1 Tbsp. Corn Starch (for slurry)

2 Tbsp. Water (for slurry)

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Tofu and Edamame Dish


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Simple Tofu and Tomato Salad (Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Tofu and Tomato Salad”. This dish is super easy but so delicious and a very nutritious salad!!

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In this recipe I roasted sliced tomato and tofu in the oven, but roasting is totally optional. You can make this salad without roasting! You might want to drain the tofu with paper towels and weights. See how to drain tofu here.   Sesame Tofu Recipe

The reason I cook the tomato is because the nutrition from the tomato increases when it is cooked, and more importantly I like soft and sweet tomato! If you don’t like tofu aroma very much, I highly recommend cooking the tofu and eating with lemon juice, which I use for the dressing in this recipe. 

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Here is a little tip to store tomatoes. For good keeping, wrap a tomato individually with plastic wrap and store in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. It will  keep longer then when it is stored in the refrigerator on its own.

The recipe is

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Slice a tomato and tofu. Roast 10 minutes 400 °F. Drizzle with dressing which is a mixture of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Tofu and Tomato Salad

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Ingredients (1 serving)

¼ pack Firm Tofu

1 Medium Tomato

½ Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemon Juice from ½ Small Lemon

Salt and Pepper

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Tofu and Tomato Salad

Here is the recipe video:


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Very Flavorful and Yummy! Herb Tofu (Vegan/Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Herb Tofu”. This is a very flavorful, delicious and healthy protein ingredient for your salad!!

The recipe is very easy and the taste is so perfect! No more tasteless tofu!! This is because I season the diced tofu before draining. This means the tofu sponges up all the seasonings while it drains. I tried and tried to cook herb tofu many times to make the taste right. This recipe finally achieves the result I wanted! I used 1 tsp. each of 7 kinds of seasonings: salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika powder, dried oregano, dried dill, dried basil. You can use any kind of herbs you want but you shouldn’t change the percentage of salt. When the salt rate is higher or lower than this, it makes the tofu very salty or tasteless. I hope this makes your salad tastier and healthier!!

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Mix seasonings and sprinkle the mixed seasonings on diced tofu. Drain for 15-20 minutes with paper towels. Cook for 8-10 minutes.

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Herb Tofu

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Ingredients (servings 2)

1 pack (14 oz.) Extra Firm Tofu

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Paprika Powder

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

1 tsp. Dried Dill

1 tsp. Dried Basil Leaves

Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Herb Tofu


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Yummy & Fluffy Fried Tofu (Vegetarian / Gluten-free)

Today I introduce you to “Fried Tofu” which is called “Gan-Modoki” in Japanese.

I am sure this is going to be your new healthy delicious tofu dish!! During the cooking preparation I process the tofu, so it has a very soft and silken texture. The seasonings are soy sauce, ginger and salt so it is incredibly flavorful. Therefore, this tofu dish even makes people who don’t like tofu very much enjoy it because they don’t think it is made from tofu!

The recipe is:

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Drain tofu, smooth the tofu with a food processor, mix with vegetables and seasonings, and fry.

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Yummy & Fluffy Fried Tofu

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You can enjoy the fresh and hot fried tofu itself. Also it is great to simmer it in chicken soup with some vegetables!

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To store, place the fried tofu in a plastic bag and keep in the freezer.

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Please do not drain the used oil in the sink. Put some kitchen papers in a can or a jar which you don’t need and pour the cooled used oil in. Throw it out as regular garbage.

Ingredients (12 balls)
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1 pack (14 oz.) Extra Firm Tofu

1 small Carrot

4 Mushrooms (any kind)

1 tsp. Grated Ginger

1 tsp. Soy Sauce REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic)

1 tsp. Salt

1 Egg

1 Tbsp. Cooking Sake

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Vegetable Oil for frying

*Detailed and visual instructions can be found in the recipe PDF: Yummy & Fluffy Fried Tofu