How to Make Tofu Taste Good

Chilli Marinated Tofu with Salad

Fast day today. The two most things for me to achieve on fast day are:-

1. To feel full and satisfied after a meal – I can't bear eating and then I'm still hungry at the end of it, and
2. To maintain that feeling of having my appetite satisfied for as long as possible.

The first goal can be achieved through eating a large quantity of food, and I normally manage this by making a large salad with a couple of raw carrots, some celery and other veg to provide lots of slowly digested plant fibre. The second goal requires a good dollop of protein, which is harder when you're not eating animal protein.

I've tried tofu several times, but usually hate it because it is so bland and boring. The best recipes I've tried call for it to be marinated and then fried – which is a problem on fast days because if I use enough oil to fry then I won't have left in my calorie allowance for enough protein to keep my appetite satisfied for very long. So the challenge is, how to make tofu tasty without piling on the calories?

Well, I've found the answer, and it's dead easy. Slice a block of tofu into 2 thick slices – like a sandwich. Marinate the slices in a polythene bag with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 de-seeded red chilli, and a couple of centimetres of grated ginger. Leave for at least 4 hours. Fry on a dry non-stick (really hot) griddle pan for 2-3 mins each side. Eat with salad. It works out at about 98 calories per slice and it actually tastes good.