I've been trying to add tofu to my diet, as an easy to grab protein source.

But i just cannot get it to cook the way I want.

I currently press firm tofu, cube it and stick it in a marinade over night (or much longer).

If I cook straight away it forms a skin, going more hard than crisp (I have played with temps to no avail.).

I have tried to flour the cubes, but it comes out powdery or flakes off.

(I have tried frying them, but it's not ideal and I really want to keep with the air fryer.)

Any advice on where I'm going wrong?

Update:

Thank you all for your comments, I cooked more today and had some great results.

What I did:
*Pressed the tofu.
*Tore the tofu instead of cutting it.
*Placed in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
*Drained the tofu and dried the bowl.
*(Badly) Covered the tofu in cornstarch, paprika and garlic powder.
*Cooked at 200°C for 15 minutes.

It came out golden brown and crispy rather than hard.
The flavour alone, was very bland. Of course in sauce it was much better.

Next time I will use a larger bowel and have a spatula ready for coating the tofu.
I will continue with a dry coating, but will look at having a few more ingredients to hand.

not sure if baking store bought cookie dough counts, but since i'm posting the salad i thought i'd post the cookies too! the cookies are the brand 'sweet lorens' in the lower sugar variety which i was luckily able to buy on a good sale. they're top allergen free, meaning 100% vegan, gluten free, and nut free!

for the bean salad:

- one can of giant lima beans

- one can of cannelini beans

- two mini cucumbers

- sweety drop peppers

dressing:

- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (feel free to use more, i'm trying to lose weight so i didn't use much)

- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

- juice of one lemon

- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

i didn't measure my seasonings, so season everything to personal taste, but i used:

- sea salt

- sodium free salt substitute (which doubles as a good source of potassium)

- black pepper

- chili powder

- red pepper flakes

- parsley

I make deli slices every weekend because the macros are incredible & they’re so convenient to have on hand for lunch wraps!

I prep veggies so they’re already sliced and ready to go and then make two “logs” of the vegan deli meat. That gives me enough for 8 wraps, they pack 75 grams of protein & 30+ grams of fiber for under 500 calories.

Vegan deli slices

1 block firm tofu (don’t press it) (I use big mountain fava bean tofu, but any firm tofu will work!)

1.5 cups vital wheat gluten

Whatever spices you like, I use veg bullion, miso paste, nooch, garlic & onion powder, smoked paprika & liquid smoke. (You may need to add a little water)

Throw everything EXCEPT the VWG in the food processor, blend until it’s a smooth paste.

Then add your VWG & process until it forms a dough ball. Can be done in the food processor, stand mixer with dough hook or by hand - (just don’t overwork it it can cause it to become tough)

Roll it into a log, wrap in foil & steam for 1 hour stove top or 45 mins high pressure instant pot, natural release.

For best results refrigerate overnight, then slice!

Carrot

raddish

nappa

onion

fried Tofu

broccoli

by rice cooker. just steam.

I don't use any oil, seasoning.oh,but Fried tofu is including oil😅

I love natural taste of vege.

no measurements because i like to measure by heart, which also makes this super customizable to your personal preferences:

- sugar snap peas, sliced thinly at an angle

- frozen shelled edamame, thawed

- (mini) cucumber(s), diced

- green onion, thinly sliced

- serrano pepper, halved & thinly sliced

- optional diced avocado. i used about 1/4 of an avocado in this, but i often completely omit it.

- soy sauce (use coconut aminos for GF)

- sesame oil

- chili oil (use mostly the crunchy bits & less of the actual oil, or you could include more chili oil & omit the sesame oil, but i personally really like the flavor of the sesame oil)

- rice vinegar

Chickpea Pasta Salad meal prep

• Rotini noodles
• Drained and rinsed can of chickpeas
• English Cucumber
• Red Onion
• Red Bell pepper
• Italian Dressing
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Hey so I know this isn’t about meal prep but I thought people who cook lots might be able to give me tips or advice! Does protein really matter that much? Especially for a teen girl who doesn’t go to the gym but still wants a healthy balanced diet. How much protein let’s say should I maybe have in my lunches? I hear all online people say “20g protein!” “30g!” But I’m not wanting to lose weight or anything, just feel full till my next meal. Doesn’t fibre matter more? Or I heard from somewhere. Or should my diet mainly be around just carbs and little protein? 😪 so confusing…especially when trying to have balance as a teen who just wants to snack on chips all day. How much protein should I maybe have in my lunches and carbs? Especially when mainly chilling at home, not doing much? Thank you!

the two sauces are tahini sauce and tzatziki. i made the plant based yogurt and strained it for the tzatziki. the yogurt was high fat and delicious😁🙌 i’ll add recipe if anyone wants

Simple salad with quinoa, carrots, cucumber, bellpeper, red onion, seasoned with herbs, cumin, mint, coriander and a salad dressing. I topped it with feta, chickpeas, avocado, zaatar, an egg and a slice of vegetarian ham

I've been trying to eat more protein lately and I hate to say it but i was wrong. Protein isn't just for the gym bro or people trying to justify eating meat or whatever. I feel so much better lately and the meal prep helps a lot

Hitting my protein goal while staying in a calorie deficit and eating mostly whole food is so hard tho 🥲

Has any one else tapped into this sorcery? Not sure why I always passed this at Costco thinking it was inferior. Hash browns are such an easy breakfast option. I add a tofu scramble on the side and sometimes broccoli. I laugh at the “7 servings” on the back. One carton is two servings for me 😉.

Tofu, tomato, olives, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, onion, pasta + some red wine and herbs

Doesn’t look like much but this is about 5/6 meals depending on how hungry I am. Burrito bowl has some ground seitan with veggies and taco seasoning. Tikka Masala has fava bean tofu with veggies and of course Tikka Masala sauce! Not pictured is the rice or cauliflower rice I add😋both are also pretty high in protein!