Camping with tofu
I'm about to take an extended camping trip, and I'd love to be able to make some decent tofu. (I'm mostly vegetarian, and I'm definitely going to be craving protein.) My usual methods at home are baking and pan-frying in cast iron; I like the browned outside and tougher texture. I'm going to be cooking on a propane stove, so baking is obviously out, and heating cast iron would run through the propane pretty fast. My best thought is to go all out pressing the tofu, using something absorbent at the end to make sure the outside is as dry as I can get it. Is there anything else I could do to get nice, browned tofu using a minimum of fuel?
Edit: I'm asking about doing it without campfires. I may have one now and then, but it's a solo trip (not as much bang for your buck with the wood) and there won't be fire pits everywhere.
Best Answer
Cooked tofu will keep almost as well as raw tofu, and it will be lighter, as the water will be gone. Depending on how long you're planning to camp, you can just fry it all at home, then reheat small amounts of it for dinner.
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Quick Answer about "Camping with tofu"
You can save time in camp by cooking raw tofu at home before your trip. It lasts a day or two unrefrigerated and is good hot or cold. Use the water-packed tofu found in the refrigerated section of supermarkets and natural foods stores because it's firmer and retains its shape better than the kind packaged in cardboard.How do you prepare tofu for camping?
Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over high heat. Add the pepper and onion, toss and move to one side. Add the tofu to the other side. Cook until the peppers and onions are soft and begin to brown and the tofu is brown on all sides (you'll need to turn them every 30 seconds or so).How do you cook tofu over a fire?
Start a campfire. Cut block of tofu up into one inch cubes and sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt mixture. Make 2 foil packets and fill with tofu, peppers and onions. Fold foil packets closed and cook on indirect campfire heat for about 5 minutes.Can you dehydrate tofu scramble?
Dehydrate Tofu @ 135\xb0 F (57\xb0 C) for 4 to 8 hours. Place seasoned tofu in a single layer on dehydrator trays. One Excalibur tray will hold one cooked batch. The smaller the pieces, the faster they dry.More answers regarding camping with tofu
Answer 2
Do you have one of those wire racks that hold food in tight but give access to both sides through a grid? I think folks use them for fish sometimes. Anyhow, brush your tofu with oil, put it in one of those racks, and then give it direct heat over the stove or campfire.
Same idea, but just use tongs and do one slab at a time. It will brown and heat through quite quickly.
Actually, you can do the same thing you do at home in cast iron in an aluminum camping skillet. Just get it real hot, add oil, make sure the tofu is dry, and don't crowd the pan and you'll still be able to get that crust that you love. (As do I).
Answer 3
What about making it at home, and just reheating it while you're camping? in addition to tofu, there's tempeh -- and i just read this recipe before checking in here, so this seems timely: http://tinyurl.com/295apgb (leave out the green beans, of course)
Answer 4
I recommend to use tempeh on the trips rather than tofu. Tempeh is capable of being still good even after like 3 weeks in really hot weather (Philippines), while tofu will go bad after few days.
Answer 5
Not sure why, but adding a dash of Tamari while the tofu is being cooked can help with that outside crusty texture.
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