Tofu Xpress Product Review and Fried Tofu With Rice & Veggies

I've made a recipe with tofu exactly three times in my life. Each time, it was marinaded, crumbled and disguised in a slew of other ingredients. What wasn't to like, right?

It was time. Time to take the plunge and figure out if I was in or out. Did I like tofu or did I like hiding it? The key to tofu is how it's drained. I only have so many paper towels and cans of vegetables to facilitate this feat. Hence the crumbling and hiding.

When I was given the opportunity to review a Tofu Xpress I squealed like a 12 year old girl! Finally! I was going to figure this out!

When it arrived I was pretty surprised because the package was so small. I'm not sure why I expected anything different, tofu is only so big. Anyway, off to the races!

This baby is seriously easy to use! Plop the tofu into the container, twist the spring/press mechanism into place and, well...wait. The instructions say to press for anywhere from 1 hour to overnight depending on the result you're looking for.

Since I wasn't sure what result I was looking for, I checked it every hour for about 4 hours. It didn't seem to press much more water out after the first couple of hours, so I went ahead and used it.

Here's where I stared.

Here's where I ended up.

Super easy to get there!

I could not have been happier with the results! The tofu was compressed into a little brick that was easy to slice up.

Isn't it crazy that the water presses up instead of down? I thought it would keep everything a little wet but it didn't. I'm already dreaming up all kinds of new ways to use tofu.

This press is also recommended for draining spinach, eggplant and cabbage. And, it has an optional spring attachment for making your own yogurt and cheese! Check it out at TofuXpress.com where you can check out the attachments and see some awesome recipe recommendations. Also, if you cash in your Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards you can purchase it there and possibly get it for free!

This product does exactly what it says it will do. It's easy to use, easy to clean and stores in a small space with all the parts connected to each other. On my scale of 1 to 5, I give this product a 5!

Oh yeah....I'm in! I do have to admit though, I'd rather eat my tofu as an ingredient that has been spiced up with other flavors rather than the main nibble. Also, if I am using it diced and fried, I like it diced up a little smaller than normal.



On to the recipe:

Fried Tofu With Rice & Veggies

Since I had never fried tofu before I turned to Girlichef, she's a pro! Here's her fried tofu recipe which has bigger chunks than mine and looks a whole lot better. Oh well, practice makes perfect and mine was tasty. LOL


1 package of extra firm tofu – drained REALLY well, preferably with a Tofu Xpress
flour
salt & pepper to taste

1 cup long grain white rice
1 14 oz can vegetable broth
¼ cup white wine (or water)

3 carrots
1 potato
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup peas
1 cup broccoli
soy sauce to taste, I used about ½ cup
worcestershire sauce to taste
1/2 cup white wine or veggie broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste


Cook rice per package directions using the veggie broth & wine as the liquid.

While the rice is cooking, begin preparing the pre-drained tofu. Mix the flour, salt & pepper. Dice the tofu and coat well in the flour mixture.

Fry in about 1” of hot oil (I used canola) until golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel.

Dice the carrots, potato, onion and garlic.

Saute in olive oil until they begin to get tender. Add about 2 Tbsp of soy sauce, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire and half of the wine. I used frozen peas and broccoli so I cooked them about half way in the microwave before adding to the pan once the first veggies were semi-tender. Continue cooking until everything is tender. Add the cooked rice, the other half of the wine and more soy sauce and Worcestershire. Heat through. Add the fried tofu and mix together. Add the final dashes of soy sauce and Worcestershire plus salt & pepper to taste.

Disclaimer: I received my TofuXpress for free for the purpose of product review. All opinions stated above are 100% my own and were not swayed in any way.

This recipe is linked up at:
My Meatless Mondays, Just Another Meatless Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Two For Tuesdays, WanderFood Wednesday, What's On Your Plate?!