Being a curious person, I always love asking questions. Since becoming a mom, a home chef and a food blogger, I have even more questions to ask – more than ever before! Unfortunately, most are still unanswered.   But I believe if I keep asking questions, it will surely lead me to some pleasant discoveries.

“FROZEN TOFU” – I found this “mysterious” ingredient in Wendy’s post when browsing her great blog. True enough, the very next moment, my mind is overloaded with question marks.

“What is it?  How does it taste?  Why do I need to freeze it?  How do I freeze it?  How can I cook it?”

Driven by curiosity and without giving much thought, I immediately went ahead to freeze a block of tofu. I felt so amused with this impulsive act. Anyway, I spent some time to explore further. After cooking this frozen tofu, I find myself prefer the texture of frozen tofu over that of the fresh ones. Why? Just read on.

Frozen tofu, also known as “Thousand Layer Tofu” (千葉豆腐), is nothing new if you go to dig more from Wikipedia (Yes, I know. I’m so slow to learn this.). Freezing tofu will not affect its nutritional value but would trigger a change in its texture from smooth and creamy to spongy and porous. Large ice crystals developed within the tofu during the freezing process cause the formation of large cavities which appear to be layered. Frozen tofu will take on a yellowish hue. When thawed, the tofu loses a fair amount of water. At this point, you can easily squeeze out any excess water from the tofu. This will give the tofu a greater capacity to absorb whatever flavour you’re cooking or marinating with.

Though you can freeze any types of tofu, the firm or extra firm ones (for silken tofu) are much easier to handle and work best. It’s also important to drain the tofu before freezing. This will ensure little moisture is retained in the tofu, which will make it structurally more stable and firm after being thawed.

Learning how to freeze tofu is as simple as it sounds. Simply follow the step-by-step tutorial in PAGE 3. Tofu can be frozen as a whole in its original container, or drained and wrapped in plastic wrap until it’s needed. The former produces a softer consistency texture than the latter. Or, you can also choose to cut it into slabs or cubes prior to freezing, separating them with greaseproof or plastic paper. The method chosen will depend on how you plan to use it.

Due to its “leathery” texture, frozen tofu is not suitable to use for creamy dishes such as smoothie, spread or dips. However, it’s perfect for stir-frying, grilling, addition to soup, stews or salad, and sandwich filling. It can also be sliced, breaded and pan-fried like cutlets. If you are looking for a vegetarian substitute that produces a chewy, meat-like texture, then frozen tofu is a good option.

I make frozen tofu salad for my family recently. It’s such a refreshing meal to enjoy during this superhot weather. After the tofu is thawed, I cut the tofu into cubes and pan-fry them till nicely brown. To give this salad a colourful touch and crunchy bite, I add cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers and sweet corns. A sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds over the salad will add some wonderful aroma and crunch too. Feel free to try out other ingredients of your choice. You can eat this salad either at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. You can also include some cooked pasta and turn this salad into a wholesome one dish meatless meal.

I concocted a Japanese creamy sesame dressing to compliment this salad. The dressing is burst with fragrant sesame flavour. For a creative twist, you can prepare this sauce as a delicious dip and serve it with mini vegetable skewers or colourful vegetable sticks. It’s another effective way to encourage your little ones to eat more vegetables. This simple salad is so good – healthy, easy to assemble and flavourful. I told myself that I could eat it everyday.

A happy ending to my new discovery!

Other recommended reading references:
- 100 things to do with tofu
- Frequentlt asked questions about tofu
- How to freeze tofu wit tips and its benefits
- How to freeze tofu (cooking information and techniques)
- Can you freeze tofu?

Get the recipe for FROZEN TOFU SALAD WITH CREAMY SESAME DRESSING at PAGE 2 BELOW

Learn HOW TO FREEZE TOFU with step by step tutorial and tips at PAGE 3 BELOW

Tofu or bean curd, sometimes called the “The Cheese of Asia”, is a highly nutritious, protein-rich and delicious food. Its high quality protein content makes a good substitute for meat in many vegetarian recipes. Tofu may also be high in calcium and/or magnesium, depending on the coagulant used in manufacturing. If it is made with calcium, the end product will be a valuable source of calcium for those who are lactose-intolerant. Tofu is also low on calories and saturated fat. In view of all these nutritional values and health benefits, it is a good choice to include tofu in the diet of our growing kids.

Besides its nutritious qualities, I adore tofu for its versatility, texture, flavor, inexpensive, wide range of variety etc etc….the list can go on and on. It’s really an amazing food! It gives me plenty of cooking ideas too. Just like this simple home-cooked dish based on my personal concoction with pressed tofu as the star ingredient.

Pressed tofu (or dried tofu) is an extra firm variety of tofu whereby a large amount of water content being pressed out of it. So, I sliced the pressed tofu in rectangular shapes and then pan-fried them to create some chewy bites. Combining with a little minced meat and sweetcorns, and flavoured with sweet and sour sauce, makes this tofu dish more appealing to young children’s tastebuds. It may be welcomed by kids who reject soft tofu. Serve with warm rice* and handful of green peas, this dish will be a wholesome and healthy meal that your family can enjoy too.

* Note: Do you notice that the rice in my photo is a bit yellowish? They are millets, another highly nutritious grain. You can go to this post (millet porridge) to read more about it.

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Sweet and Sour Tofu Recipe………..

Fish and tofu (beancurd) are great source of protein. What will you do if you have both in your fridge? I would have recommended steaming them as it is the easiest and healthiest way of cooking. But what if you or your family members are bored with the usual steamed food? The recipe I am sharing today may just be the alternative solution for you. It gives an interesting twist in the cooking method compared to the common steaming method.

This recipe only requires some very basic seasonings and ingredients which you can easily find in your kitchen. Besides being easy-to-make, it can be done super fast. From preparation to cooking, you can come out with a delicious yet nutritious dish for the entire family in less than half an hour. It can also be turned into a one-dish meal by adding some green peas to it. It goes well with rice. Doesn’t that sound great on days when you don’t feel like spending too much time in cooking?

If you are looking for a kid-friendly dish, this is definitely a good one to try it out!

>> Click on page 2 below for Minced Fish with Tofu recipe ………..

From the day I got “promoted” to be the family’s “chief chef” (as mother-in-law was no longer staying with us), I have been calling my mother more often than before to consult her on cooking-related matters. I felt so fortunte that she provided me with a 24/7 phone support service. Thanks a lot, mom!

Nowadays, we love to exchange ideas and tips on how to improve our cooking skills. On one occasion, she asked me what is the best way to remove tofu from the box. And, I happily shared with her a technique which I came to regard as the perfect technique. Subsequently, I was surprised to find out that my technique didn’t actually work for her.

When I was back in Penang for holiday last December, she told me that she had found an even better technique. At first, I was quite skeptical about it. But, after watching her demo and trying it out on my own, I was totally convinced that her method is indeed simple and 100% fail proof. Even my hubby scored 100 marks on his first attempt!
Now, let me share with you my mother’s “5 simple steps to remove the whole tofu perfectly from the box”. Below is the demo done by my hubby. Try it out to see whether it works on you. If you have better tricks, do share with me!

Step 1: Trim off the edges of the box with a pair of scissors. Peel away the plastic paper.

Step 2: Make a small incision at the side between the tofu and the wall of the box. Let slow running water sip into the incision. Repeat this step for each side. With sufficient water, the tofu will float up by itself.

Step 3: Cover the box with a plate, tray or anything with a flat surface.

Step 4: Flip it over.

Step 5: Now you can remove the box easily and get the “perfect-looking” tofu for your cooking!

This recipe is adapted and modified based on Stuffed Glutten Balls from Quick & Easy Hawkers’ Fair. Instead of using gluten balls, I use tofu poks. I had just bought 10 tofu poks and eventually only utilised 50% of the ingredients. Guess what did I do with the rest of the ingredients? The answer is here.

Ingredients:
25 tofu poks
100g minced meat
100g minced prawn paste
100g fish paste
2 water chessnut (chopped finely)
4 medium size fresh/ dried shitake mushrooms (chopped finely)
30g carrot (chopped finely)
2 tbsp spring onions (chopped)

Seasonings:
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cornflour
Dash of pepper and sesame oil

Gravy:
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp spring onion
Dash of sugar, sesame oil and pepper
300 ml water

Methods:
1) Put all the filling ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir in one direction until very stick.
2) Stuff the prepared filling into the tau poks. Put the stuffed tau poks on a plate and cover with cling wrap. Keep in the fridge for ½ hour.
3) Heat up 1 tbsp oil and sauté chopped garlic until fragrant. Add in stuffed tau poks and gravy seasonings.
4) Bring to boil. Lower the heat and cook until the gravy has thicken. Dish up stuffed tau poks and serve.

Note:
1) For fresh mushrooms, blanch over boiling water.
2) For tofu poks, wash and blanch over hot water. Squeeze away excess water.
3) For ready-made fish paste, do not add too much salt. I use more salt for my homemade fish paste.
4) For prawns, wash, devein and pat dry. Using a chopping knife to pat the prawns flat, then use the back of the knife to chop the prawns until it turns into paste form.
5) For minced meat, prawn and fish paste, can use different combinations.
Eg 200g minced meat + 100g minced prawn paste;
200g minced meat + 100g fish paste
6) Instead of using 25 tofu poks, it can be substituted with 12 gluten balls (生根/面筋卜)

My hubby loved this soup so much that after drinking the soup, he also took an extra portion to mix with his rice so as to give him a “braised rice” flavour.

This recipe is adapted from Hawker’s Fair Simplified cookbook.

Ingredients:
1 piece soft beancurd – mashed into puree (it can be substituted with egg bean curb or homemade beancurd)
1 fresh squid (about 200g) – shredded
6 crab sticks – shredded
2 pieces ham – shredded
3 black mushrooms – soaked and shredded
6 water chestnuts – peeled and shredded
2 egg whites
1500ml stock (上汤）

Seasonings:
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper and chicken stock granules
3 tbsp corn flour (mixed with 5 tbsp water for thickening)
1 tbsp chopped spring onion

Methods:
1. Bring stock to boil. Put in all ingredients, seasonings and bring to boil.
2. Add in corn flour water and mix well. Then add in egg whites, mix well and remove from heat.
3. Dish soup into individual serving bowl, sprinkle chopped spring onion on top and serve with black vinegar if desired.

Note:
I had made some slight modifications to the ingredients used because I need to clear some of my stocks in the fridge.

Ingredients (my version):
1 tube Japanese egg beancurd ( 150g) – mashed into puree
5 water chestnuts – peeled and shredded
5 fresh shiitake mushrooms – blanched over boiling water, shredded
2 slices bacon flavour vegetarian ham – shredded
120g surimi crab legs (imitation of crab legs) – shredded (I think it will taste even better if use original crab meat because of its textures and taste)
3 egg whites
1100 ml stocks (I use chicken bones to boil the soup first)

I had replaced chicken stock granules with some concentrated chicken stocks. Before adding egg whites, you may also need to adjust the seasonings according to your own preference if neccessary.

Ingredients:
135g long beans (small cubes)
50g red capsicum (small cubes) (it can be substituted with 1 red chilly)
½ red onion (approx 30g)
150g tau gua/ dried beancurd (cut into small cubes and pat dry)
70g minced meat (marinated with light soya sauce, sugar and cornflour)
38g pickled lettuce (chopped)

Seasonings:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
Pinch of sugar
Dash of pepper and sesame oil
Half rice bowl of water
1 tsp cornflour (mixed with 1 tbsp water) for thickening

Methods:
1) Blanch long beans over boiling water with some oil. Drain and set aside.
2) Pan-fry tau gua under medium heat.
3) Sautee onion, stir-fry minced meat, then followed by pickled lettuce.
4) Add in red capsicum, long beans, tau gua, seasonings and water. Stir-fry under high heat.
5) Add in cornflour solution. Dish up and serve.

This recipe is adapted from Women’s Weekly Foodbook magazine (tofu and crabmeat patties) with some slight modification.

Ingredients:
240g crabstick filament (chopped finely)
150g tofu (½ block) 板豆腐
1 stalk spring onions (chopped finely)- use green part only
30g breadcrumb (You can substitute with crushed plain crackers)
2pcs waterchestnuts (chopped)

Seasonings:
4 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
½ tsp sugar
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 tbsp oil

Dipping sauce:
4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp sugar

Methods:
1. Mash tofu and add in all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in seasonings and then add in beaten egg. Stir until mixture is well blended. Shape in 4-5cm diameter patties.
2. Put on a plate and cover with clip wrap. Refrigerate for about 30mins.
3. Heat up 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium fire. When hot, add patties in batches. Cook for 3 mins on one side. Turn patties over and cook for another 2 mins or until brown.
4. Dish up and drain on kitchen towel.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.

Tips: Drain tofu and waterchestnus on kitchen towel so that the patties will be firmer.

This is another version for 老少平安.

Ingredients:
1 tube of beancurd (for steaming) – 200g
200g fish paste
1 egg (lightly beaten)

Seasonings:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp light soya sauce
½ tsp chicken stock granules
½ tbsp sesame oil
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
Bits of fried onion/ garlic oil
Spring onions and coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Methods:
1. Use fingers to combine all ingredients & seasonings in a mixing bowl (make sure your hands are washed thoroughly for hygiene purposes) so that the mixture will not be too smooth. Stir in 1 direction. **I was told that this is how this dish was prepared in the olden days.
2. Put on a steaming tray and level the surface with a spoon.
3. Steam the mixture for 10 mins or until cooked.
4. Remove from the steamer, put some fried onion oil on top and garnish with some spring onions and coriander leaves

Ingredients:
½ block beancurd (for steaming) – 150g
200g fish paste
1 egg (lightly beaten)
Small handful of frozen mixed vegetables (corns, carrots & green peas)

Seasonings:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp light soya sauce
½ tsp chicken stock granules
1 tbsp cornflour
Dash of sesame oil and pepper
Fried onion/ garlic oil

Methods:
1. Combine all ingredients & seasonings in a mixing bowl. Stir in 1 direction.
2. Put on a steaming tray and level the surface with a spoon.
3. Steam the mixture for 10 mins or until cooked.
4. Remove from the steamer, put some fried onion oil and garnish with some spring onions.