Full disclosure, I used to live in East Asia, which is where I properly fell in love with tofu. And I should say, I’m not vegetarian or vegan, I just genuinely really like it.

My go to is Asda’s own firm tofu, mainly because it’s my nearest shop and it’s about £1.10 per pack, but Lidl also does a really good one during their XXL weeks.

The main way I cook it is pretty simple, I pat it dry, cut it into cubes, toss it in a bit of cornflour, then air fry it for about 10 minutes (you can pan fry it too). That gives you these crispy little pieces you can use like meat, so I’ll throw it into stir fries, ramen, Thai curries etc

I also love coating it in sauces, BBC Good Food has this teriyaki salmon recipe, and basically depending on how Im feeling i will either do the small bits as said above then throw it in the sauce and into the oven, or, i will simply cut it uncooked down the middle width ways if that makes sense, making it split like reading a book? Then pop those pieces in the sauce and into the oven. This has a more soft texture which i do like.

Also i cut it that same way, into 2 thinner rectangles and then marinade it in whatever and grill it on the BBQ. Can take whatever marinade you would do for meat - i have done jerk, teriyaki, just like garlic and random herbs and spices, Korean style etc.

Or honestly, I’ll just air fry pieces as above and dip it in sweet chilli or sriracha and have it as a quick lunch snack.

I’m also a big fan of proper tofu dishes like mapo tofu, if you like East Asian food then you can really go to town. My absolute fave recipe source for Chinese food is China Sichuan Food Blog, these are proper homestyle Chinese dishes that I spent years eating.

Another thing I do is crumble it up raw, mix it with a bit of soy sauce, then bake it for about 20 minutes. That gives you something similar to mince, and I use it in chilli or spag bol, sometimes fully tofu but often just to bulk out meat. It’s cheaper, adds extra protein, and makes meals go further.

I’ll also cut it into strips, air fry it, and use it in Vietnamese summer rolls.

Im not a big fan of silken tofu, there are a few Chinese steamed dishes with it but actually I do it with the firm stuff cos Im not mad about the silken texture.

I also love the tofu skin and tofu sticks, again can use in stir fries but i love them blanched then cooled in salads. There is loads out there with shredded cucumber, garlic, coriander, bit of sugar and vingear... so refreshing and tasty!