Need help making tofu animals

[pat_00]

OK so it's a bit weird, but I need help making some fake animals out of tofu.

It's for a vegetarian party, the tricky thing is i need to make it look like the real thing.

I have a mold ready to use, but it's not really oven safe.

My idea is to use a basic tofu meatloaf recipe, put it in the mold and chill it until it sets, then transfer it to the oven.

Anyone have any helpful ideas, or comments?

[Domestic Goddess]

I suggest that you use firm tofu to replace the minced meat. Weigh the tofu down overnight (to get rid of excess moisture/water). Crumble it finely or if you have a food processor, mince it like ground meat. Add to your basic meatloaf recipe. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more than a regular meatloaf.

Hope that helps.

[MoGa]

Have you considered making something smaller (as well of or instead)?

I'd suggest adapting ganmodaki (which usually look like this http://allabout.co.jp/gourmet/washokukotu/...up/CU20050720C/ or this http://recipe.meinyu.jp/menu/recipe27.html )into tapered mouse shapes.

You could add carrot ears and eyes and noses made out of bits of nori seaweed and tails made of fried curled cooked spaghetti.

Ganmodoku can be made into simple tofu balls by omitting the usual carrots beans and kombu, this might make them look more 'realisitic'.

Wrap a piece of firm (cotton) tofu in a clean towel or kitchen paper and press with a weight on it for several hours to drain.

Either grind (pestle and mortar) or put the tofu in a food processor and add an egg, a dash of soy sauce, a dash of mirin (or teaspoon of sugar) and a pinch of salt. Grind or blend until very smooth.

(The first link I posted http://allabout.co.jp/gourmet/washokukotu/...up/CU20050720C/ suggests pushing the tofu through a wire mesh first - scroll down for photos of process I've described)

Then you shape the mixture into the form of a mouse (this sort of thing - http://www.chinawholesalegift.com/pic/Offi...17194725943.jpg but perhaps a little 'rounder/more bulbous' and drop them into a deep fat fryer until they become golden.

Add the deep fried pieces of spaghetti, ears, eyes and noses and you should end up with lots of cute little mice.

The more pieces of vegetable you can add to the tofu balls (soaked dried shitake, corn, red ginger etc...) the tastier they'll be

Or make them into dome shapes, cover them with a piece of cooked red pepper, trim and decorate with pieces of nori seaweed to make ladybird bugs. I'd use canned piquillo peppers but might roast a few yellow peppers to make some yellow bugs.

Edited April 22, 2008 by MoGa (log)