Crispy Maple Syrup Tofu

“Daddy, I want tofu.”
You don’t hear that everyday. At least I don’t.
5 year old Vi had seen the tofu in the fridge. It was morning. They’d eaten cereal, a waffle, a smoothie. Why not tofu. I just had to make it breakast-ish. Here’s what I came up with, and it was crispy, homey, buttery. A bizarrely satisfying twist on the usual.

several slices firm tofu, patted dry with a paper towel
2 tablespoons butter
a bit of flour for dusting
maple syrup

I sliced the tofu, then dredged in flour. I heated the butter in a nonstick skillet. I browned the tofu in the pan until crisp, about 8 minutes a side. I served it with maple syrup.
And that’s that. I honestly didn’t expect it to be good, but the buttery crispy outside, the tender interior, the maple syrup. Good stuff. Does anyone out there have any un-bland, kid-friendly uses of tofu in your household you care to share?
—Hugh

Comments

[stef]

How creative! This is something my kids would probably like, given their love for tofu AND maple syrup.

I do have some tofu recipes here, most of which are kid-friendly (at least in this household) --

http://www.noodlesandrice.com/category/tofu/

My kids' favorite is "Two Sides Yellow" followed by the Vietnamese one, then the "4-ingredient lunch #2".

[Molly]

This sounds like it would be great stuffed with berries (like stuffed french toast). It would add an extra kick of healthy flavour.

[mary]

We may give that a go. My girls love tofu, usually just plain, diced up for lunch. Martha stewart has a recipe for tofu french fries. Here is a link to an adapted recipe.

http://kitchenspace.blogspot.com/2006/07/two-baked-recipes-it-is-summer-here.html

[Sharon]

My daughter likes her tofu straight up: cold, cut into shapes, sprinkled with a bit of salt. My son prefers it pretty minimal but warm: dust with Wondra flour, into oil for a bit of crisping up, a quick sprinkle with salt and then (I'm very, very sorry about this) ketchup. My husband and I part company with the little guy prior to the ketchup step. Yuzu juice and soy sauce, sometimes mixed with scallions or a bit of chili oil make the dipping sauce for us.

[Heather]

Tofu is my daughters' favorite food, but she calls this dish "Fluho."
Cube firm, fresh tofu and pan fry in sesame oil. Toss with garlic/black bean sauce (purchased in a jar from the regular market), veggies (frozen green beans are a hit) and cooked ramen noodles. The girls love this dish.

[Jodie]

I also eat silk light tofu raw with maple syrup. Because of the very light texture of the silk light tofu, it's like a creme caramel.