Tofu

[The Storyteller]

I'm slowly working my way toward a vegetarian lifestyle and want to begin including tofu in my meals. For those of you who do this already, how do you personally use tofu? What is your routine, how is it prepared, and what are your favorite recipes?

I know I can google this, but I want to hear from people who are actually using it in their diet.

Thanks!

[Zoe Girl]

I have had tofu for something like 30 years? here are some tips

* give it flavor, it can soak up most any flavor, soaking in soy or teriyaki sauce is good
* squeeze it out well, the cut it into the shape you want and squeeze out some more
* frying until crispy is a really good way to eat it
* I like making saag paneer and instead of paneer using fried cubes of tofu ( all my attempts at paneer have turned out horrible)
* in a stir fry cook separately from the veggies.

Let m know how you like it

[kally]

go to a super website Engine 2 (read the story if you like) and find the recipe for Lynn's loaf. I make this at least once a month with a vegan gravy and cranberries. May I ask, if it is not to personal, what is sending you towards more vegetarian foods?

[The Storyteller]

go to a super website Engine 2 (read the story if you like) and find the recipe for Lynn's loaf. I make this at least once a month with a vegan gravy and cranberries. May I ask, if it is not to personal, what is sending you towards more vegetarian foods?

Sure. Ethics, the environment, and health.

I'll explain each of those later.

[pony mom]

For the short time I was a vegetarian and ate tofu, I made a simple lunch snack with it. Not sure of exact details, but I'd cut it and fry in a pan a bit, then add some broccoli heads. Put in a bowl, mix with Thousand island dressing, then stuff in a pita pocket. It was really good.

The tofu was usually wrapped in a paper towel to soak up any moisture before cooking.

[kally]

I get ya. I am vegan so I know these points well. I had some lovely tofu tonight. It was fresh and soft, so I dipped cubes in corn starch and lightly sauteed. Then I served it with brocolli and rice with a homemade peanut sauce. So good.

[lessisbest]

I think you can do MUCH better than to choose soy products of ANY kind as food. Soy is one of the great Franken-foods - cheap to make, one of the most highly-processed foods in the world using lots of harmful chemicals in the processing, soybeans are all genetically modified, top of the allergen chart, and all around BAD CHOICE. Do read "The Whole Soy Story" by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN before making soy a large part of any diet; or at least some articles on the subject at her web site: http://drkaayladaniel.com/?s=soy

Just one soy story to help make my point: My friend switched to soy milk and other soy products for her "health", thinking they were "healthier" choices. Another friend and I warned her about this and shared our own bad soy experiences. She quickly developed what can be best described as gut issues that were similar to gallbladder disease. This friend was the epitome of health and fitness prior to "soy". She quickly became sick more often. Went from doctor to doctor trying to get them to remove her gallbladder, which they all said was not the issue. FINALLY, she went to a real "quack" who agreed to remove the gallbladder - which was, by-the-way, a HEALTHY gallbladder.

With the gallbladder gone, the problems remained and if anything, got worse. Finally, my friend and I talked her into going soy-free for 2 weeks - out of grave concern for her health and wellbeing. Within a few days she was free from her soy-related problems. So buyer beware.....

[cdttmm]

Although 93% of the soybeans grown in the U.S. is genetically modified, it is quite easy to buy non-GMO tofu. Most GM soybeans are being added to processed foods, but the non-GM soybeans are what people eat as edamame or tofu or drink as soy milk. Just look for the non-GMO labels on food. I buy Nasoya brand tofu, which is made using non-GMO soybeans. Soybeans themselves aren't a Franken-food, but the processed food that soybeans are often used in are often Franken-foods. But we could say the same about corn, canola, sugar beets, and the other crops that are largely GM foods at this point.

If you're at all concerned about the processing involved in making tofu, don't be. Tofu is just soybeans, nigari (aka magnesium chloride -- a coagulating agent), and water. You can make it at home and it's as easy as making yogurt or cheese.

As for whether eating tofu is good for you, I'll just suggest reading the Okinawa Centenarian Study found here: http://www.okicent.org/study.html. If you've ever read Dan Beuttner's The Blue Zones, you'll be familiar with Okinawa and the other 4 locations that he researches as part of a broader project to try to understand why some places in the world have a well-above-average number of centenarians (people over the age of 100). If eating some tofu is part of the magic formula that will help me live to be 100+ then sign me up!

[The Storyteller]

Well, I will expand further in another thread (I'd rather not hijack this one from it's stated purpose) but I don't buy at all the anti-soy arguments, and have come full circle on the GMO debate. I equate the former with wheat-belly pseudoscience and the latter with climate change denial. The science just isn't there, in either case.

But, YMMV, as they say. Believe what you wish.

[The Storyteller]

I recently finished both The Blue Zones and The Blue Zone Solution, both excellent books. It's what got me thinking about tofu. And I'm now an absolute freak for sweet potatoes and eat them pretty much daily.