Firm Tofu....now what???

O****ep reading how good this stuff is for you, high protein, blah, blah. So now what do I do with it? Everyone says it will soak up whatever flavor I put it with. Ok, I get that but does that mean I just sprinkle it with a bit of garlic and onion powder and add it to a salad or does it have to be marinated?

I'm just not sure what to do with it! Are there recipes out there?

I just knew my expertise would be needed sometime.
I am a vegetarian and have been one for years...
Now, for tofu.
When we say it absorbs the flavor, we mean like in lasagna, for example. Use it instead of meat. You get the calcium, protein, etc.
It doesn't taste good by itself. Like cooked egg white.
If you love to stirfry, brown it first in the oil, then throw in your veggies.
You can grill it too.
Yes, you can marinate it. Be sure to squeeze the water out. I do that by weighting it down with cutting boards and a heavy book.
Also, if you're not going to use it all in one serving, keep it in a covered bowl and replace the water every day until you use it.
go to www.vegetariantimes.com and type in tofu.
www.cooking.com/vegan
google tofu recipes
allrecipes.com
just about any recipe site has vegetarian recipes. Do a search for vegetarian or vegan or tofu.
You can also use soft tofu for puddings, smoothies, etc.
Hope this helps. Let me know what you find and like.

Squeeze the water out? I haven't heard to do that! It's sort of a jiggly block. Do I just put it on a plate and weight it down? for how long? how much water should come out of it?

Whew...I've got a lot to learn! I know I'll never be a vegan but I do need to branch out and widen my cooking horizons!

Thanks!

yeah, you can use 2 plates and weigh them down. Put one on top so you don't get ickies on the tofu.
I usually let it drain for approx 1/2 hour. Some of the water will evaporate when you cook it.
As for the amt of water, maybe 1/4 cup.
Look up "how to use tofu"
vegetarian times should have a good article.
Meanwhile I will do research for you.

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Tofu.htm
this looks like a very imformative site. It even has a video on how to press tofu.

Thanks again! I'm looking up all these sites and bookmarking them for later tonight when I can really pay attention.

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-vegetarian&tid=1198
I forgot to tell you that you can also freeze it. Read about it in the forum above.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/tof1/p/tofu.htm

Do you only need to press/drain the firm version? I'm assuming yes since the other stuff wouldn't stand up to the weight?

yes, the h2o in the soft becomes part of the recipe.
BTW there are meat substitutes that are made of soy. I love them.
My favorite is the veggie burger made by MorningStar Farms. 
You use it like hamburger and you'll find it in the freezers by the waffles @ Walmart.
I like to let it cook a while in the food, once again it absorbs the flavors.
The "bacon" is fabulous too.