MasterChef Junior winner Alexander Weiss isone of the top chefs on the planet. Not only did he win MasterChef Junior, but according to Broadway World, he also “beat out all of the adult contestants on the first-ever MasterChef Cruise to walk away as the MasterChef Cruise Champion” in November.
Alexander was kind enough to join me for an interview yesterday to talk about tofu and why it’s such a healthy alternative! He also shared some of his favorite recipes including tofu French macarons, a spicy grilled tofu salad, andtofu croutons.
MasterChef Junior Winner Alexander Weiss Talks Soybean Tofu
Candace Rose Anderson:Can you tell us about tofu? What is it exactly?
Alexander Weiss: “Tofu is a soybean based protein that’s great in savory dishes and desserts. It’s a great meat replacer and you’ll still get the same amount of protein as you would meat, and it’s also easier to cook. You don’t have to worry about doneness as you would in chicken for example or a steak. House Foods Tofu is also packed with eight to 10 grams of protein per package, so you get a lot of protein in each serving. You can put it in almost any dish that you want.”
Why It’s So Healthy For You
Candace Rose Anderson: Why is it such a healthy alternative and so good for you?
Alexander Weiss: “Well, it’s very low in sugar, carbohydrates, and like I said, very high in protein. You can consider it more like a flavor sponge. Tofu doesn’t really have a flavor, which is why it’s so great! You can add spices or herbs that you want to and flavor it to your preference and you’ll have that flavor in the tofu. Tofu also comes in different firmnesses and textures – from soft which is good for desserts – to firm which is great for grilling or extra firm which is also great for grilling and searing tofu.
One of my favorite things to make is actually French macarons, it was actually one of my first dishes on “MasterChef Junior” when I was on the show. Today I’ve prepared them here, and the filling is actually soft tofu because I wanted to incorporate a healthy aspect in my dessert. I’ve also been working on some new recipes such as my spicy grilled tofu over a salad which is really great. It’s really easy for an entree that you need to have quick, and it’s really inexpensive too, ingredient wise. Tofu itself is relatively cheap and relatively easy to find.
This is one of my latest recipes that I’ve been working on with the House Foods Tofu, it’s actually a tofu crouton and I’ll actually show you how to make them (please see video above for details). I just had the idea of making something healthier rather than the starchy crouton that you would normally have in a salad or a soup and just replace it with a tofu to have that same texture and crunchiness, but without all the carbs. I’m adding a little bit of curry powder, olive oil, some smoked paprika, a little bit of cayenne powder, and I’m also going to season it with a little bit of salt and pepper. Since tofu is a very versatile ingredient, you can add pretty much any spice or herb to something like this or when you’re marinating tofu and grilling it. It’s really fun to do at home with your kids or just as a simple meal that you have to have after work at home. These will go on a sheet tray and I would bake them for 20 to 25 minutes in an oven or until they’re really crispy and they kind of look like a crouton. You can use that inside of a soup. One of my favorite soups is a butternut squash soup, so I’ve prepared that today with the tofu crouton and like I said, it can also go in a salad or any dish that you would normally put a crouton in.”
Alexander Weiss Shares Delicious Recipes
Candace Rose Anderson: Everything sounds delicious, Alexander.Do you have any additional tips or information you’d like to share with us?
Alexander Weiss: “If you want to find out more about tofu and what it is and more recipes (including some of my recipes) you can go to House-Foods.com and it’ll tell you all about what tofu really is.”
MasterChef Junior Winner Alexander Weiss Tofu French Macaron Recipe
Tofu Macaron
For Cookie:
¼ cup sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
1 cup confectioners sugar
pinch salt
2 egg whites
¾ cup almond flour
For filling:
Mascarpone Honey Cream:
½ pkg House Foods Premium or Organic Tofu Soft, blended in a food processor until smooth
¼ cup good quality honey
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
7 oz. room temperature mascarpone cheese
Directions: Beat the tofu, mascarpone, honey, and sugar together until smooth, then incorporate the vanilla until smooth.Refrigerateuntil needed.
Carmel:
½ pkg House Foods Premium or Organic Tofu Soft, blended in a food processor until smooth
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp flaked sea salt
Directions: In a medium, heavy bottom pot, add in your sugar. Cook until the sugar over medium heat, until the sugar has melted and turned to an amber color, about 10 minutes. It is ok if there are still a few lumps.Immediatelyat this stage, add in the butter and whiskvigorously- this mixture will bubble violently. Once the butter is incorporated, add in the blended tofu, and whiskvigorously again until it is combined, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and transfer to heatproof bowl to cool, then add in the flaked sea salt.Refrigerateuntil needed.
Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche:
½ pkg House Foods Premium or Organic Tofu Soft, blended in a food processor until smooth
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, scraped, pod reserved
1 ½ Tbsp heavy cream
pinch of kosher salt
Directions:
In a medium, heavy bottom skillet over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk with the bitter and vanilla bean and its pod. Bring to a bubble and cook for about three minutes, or until this mixture starts to blister on the bottom of the pan, then add in the cream, tofu, and salt and whisk vigorously until combined well. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened again. Reserve in a bowl to cool, then refrigerate overnight in an airtight container until needed.
Directions:
Sift powdered sugar and almond flour and set aside.
Beat egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in half of the flour and sugar mixture until nearly all combined, then add the remaining powdered sugar mixture.
*You can test by taking batter and dropping it into the bowl with the rest of the batter- it should form ribbons and disappear in 10 seconds.
Spoon batter into a pastry bag with fitted tip. Pipe 1” rounds about 1 in. apart on baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let rest at room temp for 25-30 min. or until the tops are dry to the touch before baking.
Place baking trays one at a time on the middle rack and bake for 15 min at 325. Cool macaroons and transfer to wire rack. Sandwich macaroons with 1 tsp of filling.
Spicy Grilled Tofu Salad
Created by Alexander Weiss, Season One winner of “MasterChef Junior” on Fox
INGREDIENTS:
1 block House Foods Firm Tofu, sliced about 1 ½ inches thick
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp paprika
Pinch of chili flakes
2 tsp Sriracha
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
Salt to taste
1 large bunch of your favorite salad mix (arugula, mesclun, romaine lettuce, etc)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
⅔ cup olive oil, plus extra for the grill
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup raisins or cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
In a small pan, toast the cayenne, garlic powder, cinnamon, and paprika until fragrant (about a minute).
While the spices are toasting, mix the sriracha, soy sauce, and canola oil, then add in the toasted spices.
Season with salt and pour over the tofu in a large zip lock bag.
Marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.
For the vinaigrette:
In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly.
Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat and oil it well to prevent the tofu from sticking.
Once hot, place the tofu on and grill until thoroughly colored, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Remove from the heat.
Mix the salad mix with the walnuts, raisins, and vinaigrette.
Toss well and serve on plates (or arrange in a serving bowl).
Fan out the tofu on top and serve.
Makes 4 servings
Tofu Crouton
Created by Alexander Weiss, Season One winner of “MasterChef Junior” on Fox
INGREDIENTS:
1 block Extra Firm House Foods Tofu, patted dry & cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Preference of:
Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, etc) 2 tbsp
Spices (curry powder, cumin, cayenne, chili flakes, etc)
Fresh minced garlic -4-5 cloves
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, gently mix the tofu cubes, olive, salt and pepper, and your choice of herbs or spices.
Place onto a non stick sheet tray and bake for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until golden brown all around.
Note- you may need to flip the cubes of tofu every once in a while to evenly brown. Serve over your favorite salads, soups, or appetizers.
