Tackling Tofu

Okay, I'm getting it out of the way now: the misunderstood tofu. Scared? Just hear me out.

I have come to learn that tofu is a lot like wine; you won't truly enjoy and appreciate it until you know a little bit about it, how to work with it and how to combine it with other foods so it tastes its best. Let me show you...


Straight from Wikipedia (hey, don't judge, its as accurate as an encyclopedia!), tofu is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and it is also a part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. Tofu has very little flavor or smell on its own, so it can be used either in savory or sweet dishes, and it is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish. 


There are three main reasons I love tofu: 
1. It is a really good source of lean protein for omnivores, not just vegetarians! One 4oz serving has a skinny 80 calories, 4g of fat, and 8g of protein. 
2. Its cheap! A 16oz package of extra firm organic tofu will sell for just under 2 bucks at any good grocery store. That is about 50 cents per serving and a measly 6 pennies per gram of protein. 
3. Okay, cheap and healthy, I'm already sold! But, I also love tofu because you can toss it into virtually everything and it tastes yummy.


Ready to give tofu a try? Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for and preparing tofu. 


Regardless of how much (if any) organic food you buy, I would always encourage you to purchase organic tofu. Soybeans, from which tofu is made, are one of the major food crops that have been genetically modified (aka scientist with a petri dish messes with nature). In 1997, about 8% of all soybeans grown for consumption in the United States were genetically modified. In 2010, the figure was 93%. I don't know about you, but I prefer to eat real food, not frankenfood, thank you very much.

As with anything, eat tofu and all soy products in moderation. Even though I'm a vegetarian, I don't cook with soy more than once or so per week. I have read some interesting articles about how our bodies metabolize soy based products. Some researchers say that there may be a link between soy consumption and hormone irregularities in women due to the naturally occurring phytoestrogens. 

Last, know how to prepare it! I recommend buying extra firm tofu to achieve a texture closer to meat. The night before you are going to make a recipe with tofu, take it out of its packaging, drain off all the water and place it on a plate in the refrigerator between folded paper towels. 

Overnight, much of the excess moisture will drain off and you'll be left with a firmer texture that will be easier to work with.

Here's what's cooking...

CURRIED COCONUT AND SQUASH STEW

This is one of my favorite curry recipes. It is very satisfying and is delicious all week. I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks The Gluten Free Vegan by Susan O'Brien. We serve ours over wild rice, but it is just as good alone.

Ingredients:

1 generous tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 med. red onion, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 med. red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeno, minced (and seeded if you prefer mild heat)

1 med. butternut squash, peeled and chopped

4 tsp. curry powder

1 c. light coconut milk

1 c. unsweetened organic soy milk

16 oz. extra firm organic tofu, drained and chopped

juice from 1 lime

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

kosher salt to taste

freshly cracked black pepper to taste

A great ginger tip - to always have fresh ginger on hand, buy it from the store, peel it and store the unused portion in an airtight freezer container. When you need to use the ginger, simply pull it out from the freezer and grate it on a microplane. It never goes to waste and always tastes fresh! 

Also, here is a video showing an easy way to chop butternut squash.

How to prepare:

In your favorite stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium and saute the onion until softened.

Add the ginger, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes. Add in the butternut squash and cook another 5 minutes. Add the curry powder.

Add in the coconut and soy milk, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the squash is just tender. Add in the tofu and stir gently. 

Squeeze in the lime juice and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Serve over rice or as is, but be sure to top it with some fresh cilantro. Yum!

Maybe now I've converted you? If not, try tempeh or baked tofu. Other soy proteins, both have a much firmer texture than your basic block of tofu. Post a comment and tell me what you think.