Is tofu more healthy than fruits and vegetables?

Off course NO! Is it bad for your health? Like anything... YES if you eat too much of it.

But if you are considering the helathiest option for your protein then you have a better decision to make: use plenty of fruits and vegetables!!! :)

Do not worry... tofu is great option to use compared to meat ;)

 

BREAKFAST
The best way to break your fast (try to eat your dinner as early as possible to have a long fast every night) is with fruits. Lots of them. Fruits are not calorie dense and therefore you need to eat bigger portions of them.
There are few rules to follow when eating more fruits:
- always eat them on empty stomach since they diggest very fast and can make troubles if eat them after some heavier meal. The best is to eat them BEFORE meal or eat entire meal of raw fruits and veggies
- do not combine too much fatty foods with fruits since fats can mess up proper insulin function. This goes for all carbohydrate foods and fats... try to limit fats in your food
- eat fruits that are ripe and taste good. Bananas must have little brown spots.
- try to get as best quality as possible, preferable organic
- do not mix too much different fruits at same time.

There is more about tofu not being the healthiest alternative to meat

 

Peace.

Tips to Cook Tofu Properly - Does it have to be cooked?

Want to know some tips to cook tofu properly? Well, you are in luck as I am about to share with you some great tips. Always remember that tofu which is sold in uncooked blocks does not have to be thoroughly cooked before you consume it. Though it can be to prevent any sort of food poisoning. Which is not very common with tofu at all and tofu can normally be eaten raw. Without any problems.

Have yourself a nice tofu meal!

Delicious Tofu Raspberry Mousse

Another great tofu recipe. Tofu is known for its extraordinary nutritional benefits and its versatility.Also known as soybean curd, is a soft food like cheese made by curdling soy milkwith a coagulant. It is a soft-tasting product that easily absorbs flavoursof other components. Tofu is sold in containers filled with water or in aseptic cartons. Fresh tofu is usually packed in water and must be refrigerated and kept in water untilused. If the water is drained and changed daily, the tofu should last a week. Cooking tofu is easy and perfect for beginners.

So tofu is perfect for this recipe. Tofu is low in calories so this one is just perfect for everybody.

 

You will need:

• 1/2 pound extra-firm tofu
• 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
• 3 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot

Make a cut in the tofu container and carefully pour the water. 
Remove the block of tofu and place on a stack of plain paper towels - about 4 or 5 leaves. (You can also do this with a clean cloth or towel normal.) Gently press the tofu on paper towels to remove excess water. If desired, turn the block of tofu and the "taint" on paper towels to remove water. Do this until your stack of paper towels are completely wet. If desired, create a new stack of paper towels and repeat. Moisture rather than eliminate, the bulk of its froth. 
Place tofu in food processor and whip until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. 
Add the raspberries, juice concentrates and arrowroot. 
Blend until smooth. 
Pour into serving dishes, keep refrigerated until served.

For details refer to original article: Tofu raspberry mousse

 

Image is from http://www.thismamacooks.com/2011/03/no-dairy-no-eggs-and-no-sugar-raspberry-...

Even more tips for cooking delicious tofu

I just love tofu. And use it all the time. Well not really all the time but at least once a week. And I always learn something new. Cooking tofu is so easy but there are few tricks and tips. 

There was nice article about cooking tips for tofu.

http://panlasangpinoy.com/2011/03/06/11-ways-to-cook-tofu/

Tofu is made of soy. There are three main types of tofu: firm tofu, soft tofu, and silken tofu. 

Firm tofu includes firm, medium firm, and extra firm. These are uncooked tofus that are usually used in dishes that call for meat. This type of tofu is sold in blocks with water. It needs to be drained and pressed with a paper towel before cooking. Soft tofu has a softer and more jelly-like texture. It is a good substitute in dishes that use eggs. It can also be mixed with other ingredients such as sour cream and cream cheese when making dips and sauces.Silken tofu is very soft. It is already precooked. This type of tofu is the best choice in making soups; it is also a good substitute for milk and heavy whipping cream. 

What can you do with tofu?

 Sliced tofu is great for sautéing. You can either sauté it with vegetables or plainly sauté it in any oil that you want, without adding anything.

If you are trying to cut on eggs, try replacing half of the eggs that you should be using with soft tofu. For example: instead of using 4 pieces of egg for an omelet, use only 2 eggs and replace the others with tofu.

The most common method of cooking tofu in the Philippines is frying. Blocks of tofu are deep fried until the texture becomes crunchy. It is eaten as it is after dipping it in vinegar or Asian Dipping Sauce.

Being a good substitute for meat, tofu can be used for your soup dish. Add small cubes of medium firm tofu to your soup, and simmer it just the way you do with meat. You can also use soft tofu for your soup. By doing this, you’ll get the protein that you need less the cholesterol and fat.

If you are hosting game day in your place, you can save on ground meat by adding frozen extra firm tofu to your chili recipe. All you need to do is thaw the frozen tofu, crumble it, and add it to your chili.

Baked tofu is perfect if you want to cut on fat. You can easily do this by slicing the tofu and place it in a baking tray greased with olive oil. Try preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake it until the color turns golden brown.

Tofu can be used in making desserts. Take Leche Flan as an example. You can use soft silken tofu to replace the milk that the recipe requires. Substitute half of the required milk with soft silken tofu.

 

Steaming is a good way to produce soft and flavorful dishes. Similar to the way Siopao and Siomai are cooked, you should try steaming firm tofu. To add some flavor, try marinating it first in sesame oil and light soy sauce.

 

 

Stir-fried tofu can taste good depending on how you do it. If you want to stir-fry tofu without any other ingredients (such as vegetables and meat), try adding some stir-fry sauce to give the tofu some taste. You can also stir-fry tofu along with your favorite stir-fry vegetable and meat dishes.

Tofu makes a good finger food. One way of doing this is by rubbing your favorite spices around cubed extra firm tofu, and then broil. You can serve each piece with fancy toothpicks to make it more attractive.

Believe it or not, you can make milk shakes with tofu. You can replace 1/4 of your milk ingredient with soft silken tofu. You can also add tofu when making smoothies.

Check out some other cooking tips for tofu.

What is the secret of cooking tofu?

What is the secret of cooking tofu? If you need to use only part of a block of tofu, drain, rinse and soak in cool water in a clean container and sealed. Store in refrigerator for at most a few days. Tofu, a great source of soy protein, also has a high calcium and magnesium. There is no such thing as just "tofu. It comes in a variety of textures, hardness, and flavor. Tofu is increasingly popular among vegetarians and meat eaters at a time and with reason. Tofu is well suited to a wide range of tastes and cooking techniques. With all the health benefits of tofu have many to offer, you can try some of our delicious recipes tofu tonight!

Tofu is not something you want as you would cheese. When we look at the beige, gelatinous substance, you may wonder how it is made from soybeans, which many of us the image of their green, edamame were immature. Tofu is really a "curd" of a milky liquid extracted from soybeans mature you press cakes. Do not be worried about calories in tofu.

Firm tofu drained and pressed in before being cooked. You want to beat your tofu dry with paper towel, then cut the block into several pieces. Place the tofu pieces on top of several paper towels and place towels on top of several other tofu.

The important thing to realize is spongy tofu absorbs the flavor of the spices and cooking foods. This spongy texture can become stronger, if the water is drained and the water transfer tofu. To remove most of the excess fluid, which can wrap the tofu in paper towels (towel to prevent not deleted) and set a heavy book for about ten minutes.

The use of tofu in the kitchen is only limited by your imagination. You can do something for her, including mashed potatoes, mix, whip, grind, crumble, marinate, simmer, steam, bake, broil, jump, grilling, roasting and frying. Hot or cold, cooked or uncooked, your options for using tofu are unlimited.

Silken tofu has a high water content, are very fragile and are best used in soups and salads. He has a puree, creamy texture and consistency of a soft cream. It is totally inappropriate for stir-fries, and dissolves easily when you stir-fryAsk if your store has "firm tofu" or "pressed tofu".

Basically, you want to buy extra-firm or firm tofu if you want the tofu to hold its shape - if you plan to marinate and grill or bake your tofu into slices or cubes, and if you stir fry them. If you mix the tofu with other ingredients to make a smoothie, creamy filling, or spread or use as a substitute for fat in the dough or a dish of minced meat, the use of soft tofu or silky. Learn about other secrets of cooking tofu.

Marinating tofu is a great way to add flavor to it. Start with a solid or tofu even stronger because it is more porous and has more space to absorb the liquid. Cut the tofu into small pieces and soak in your favorite marinade. Marinated Tofu can be used in casseroles, or in cold dishes like salads.

Tofu With Lemon And Garlic

Today is the day for tofu. This is great recipe I found. And simple. And cheap. All you need is tofu, lemon, garlic and some spices. Sooo simple. I just love cooking with tofu since it is so easy. You can prepare it in so many ways.

So, how to prepare this delicious meal? Here is how:

1. Make the rice

2. Fry tofu in the pan on little oil (I prefer coconut oil). Coat both sides with garlic powder, soy sauce, lemon juice. When it is brown on both sides it is done. That is it.

For more details check out original recipe for Lemon Garlic Tofu.

Do you want to knof how much it all cost? Only $2.95, acording to original recipe.

Here is the image. Do not forget to check original article:

Fantastic Tofu Sour Cream

Sour cream tastes good and is a must in some meals. It can make all the difference. But vegans don't use it since it is made from cows milk. 

But wait. There is another way.... Tofu sour cream! Ouyeah, simple and delicious. Well it doesn't taste exactly the same as sour creme but it is tasty nevertheless.

Check out this recipe and go ahead and make it yourself. All you need is firm tofu and food processor, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and some salt.

Fantastic video. Check it out. Cooking with tofu can be so easy and so much fun.

http://delicioustv.com/

Untitled

There are so many ways of cooking tofu, I almost every day find new and great tofu recipe.

I have recently stopped eating bread. At least majority of it. Previously my every dinner was containing bred. With some sort of vegan pate or tofu or seitan. But I've coma across very interesting book where bread was not so good. So i decided to try it out, my new diet without bread and some other food.

(image is taken from http://www.comocomecami.com/comocomecami/2011/02/tofu-relleno-de-vegetales-con-jengibre.html )

Now I found this great recipe where you stuff tofu and it looks like a sandwich. Perfect idea, especially for those that don't use bread. This one is definitely on my to-cook list.

There are so many different options of preparing  this tofu. I can't wait to try this one. I only have to find a big tofu block :)

Cooking tofu like a pro

Tofu is not very popular food among meat eaters but is quite often on vegans menu. It is great food thanks to it's nutritional values but it has strange taste. But does it has to be that way? No. If tofu is prepared by a pro then it can taste fantastic.

What is the key? How to cook tofu? One of most important thing to do is to drain it well. Tofu acts like a sponge and absorbs other tastes. Is it that simple? Well... not really. You must remove existing water out of it. That is a crucial step. If you forget to remove water then existing water will prevent from absorbing new flavours.

Here are some other great tips for cooking tofu:

If you have a recipe that calls for blending tofu, purchase the silken or soft tofu varieties. Do not marinate or dry fry tofu for blending purposes. Tofu works well to add a creamy texture to blended recipes. You may choose to blend with a blender or a food processor.

To avoid frying, tofu may also be baked. To bake tofu, dry it out manually with a cloth and place the strips in a marinade for a few hours. After they have been marinated, spread the slices out on a lightly-oiled baking sheet and bake for an hour. Flip the tofu slices after thirty minutes. When you remove the tofu from the oven, it should appear golden brown.

 

When you taste some great tofu and realize how healthy it is and better then meat, then it is really simple to be vegan. Go for it. And stay there ;)

How to make vegan tofu barbecue

Barbecue is great, you can make so many different foods. Barbecued meat is delicious but there plenty ofspace for vegetarian and vegan barbecues. However when you prepare vegetarian barbecue for meat eaters it is not zhat simple. People have lots of prejudice to vegan food. And you usually have only one attempt for them to try it. Do not blow it or they might never try it again :)

There are lots of vegan meat substitutes like tofu, seitan, burgers that are very good for grilling.

Here are some tips:

The first thing for a successful veggie barbecue is plenty of meaty-looking traditional barbecue fare – sausages, burgers, and marinated fillets. If your meat-eating friends can wrap their burgers up in baps, and splice their hot-dogs into buns, then they won’t be stepping too far outside their comfort zone – and the battle is half won. There are plenty of excellent meat-substitute products, based on soya, tofu or mycoprotein, that look and taste like the real thing. If you’re feeling devious, you can even avoid mentioning the dreaded v-word at all! Just remember to stock up on the requisite meaty accompaniments; relishes, mustard, ketchup and onions.

There are more tips for preparing vegetarian barbecue your friends will love. Check it out.

My favourite is tofu becouse you can marinade to taste sooooo delicious. Cooking tofu is so simple.

What Is Tofu

If you are not vegan but prefer meat there is a chance you really don't know what tofu is. So, what is tofu? Well it is a great food that can substitute meat. It is completely plant based food and is made of soy. Why can tofu substitute meat you ask? Because it is filled with proteins. It contains all essential amino-acids similar to meat. It has many other benefits and is really quite healthy food. 

So there is no need to be afraid of trying tofu. Well the taste itself is not similar to meat but tofu can also taste great. Key to taste good is to drain it well before marinating. Then it can absorb any taste from marinade and make delicious food. How to cook tofu? Very easy.

Tofu can be used in almost every meal, including desserts. It makes great chocolate tofu pudding or smoothie. 

 

Tofu Recipe - Chocolate Pudding

Tofu is very often on my menu. I've tried many tofu recipes, but most of the time I cook it as main food, for lunch. In various forms. Very seldom as a dessert. Actually I think I have never tried tofu as dessert. This is going to change because I found delicious looking tofu recipe: Chocolate tofu pudding. 

 

This is little modified recipe. I always replace sugar with agave nectar. Recipe is lactose free and vegan friendly.

3 tbspn. agave nectar
1/2 c water
2 lbs silken tofu
10 oz dark vegan chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. chili powder or cayenne pepper
1 banana, ripe

Put all ingredients in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Divide among 4 to 6 cups and chill for at least 30 minutes. If you like, garnish with chocolate or coconut shavings before serving.

 

It all looks so simple. Preparation takes you less than 10 minutes. Go for it!

 

 

 

Recipe for vegan pizza with tofu

Who does not like pizza? I think there is one pizza for everybodys taste. Hot, cheesy, with mushrooms, veggies or seafod. The options are limitless.

Since I am vegan I prefer vegan versions. That usually implies tofu instead of cheese and different veggies all over the place. I put it all on top and then bake it.

Well here is another pizza tofu recipe, but this one is little more complicated. 

This is briefly how it goes:

1. Preheat the oven, put the garlic and rosemary in a small ovenproof dish and olive oil to completely immerse the cloves. Bake for 45 minutes

2. While your garlic is cooking, slice the onions and begin to saute them with a little olive oil. Caramelizing onions can take up to 45 minutes on medium heat. 

3. Prepare the tofu by cutting it into 6 slices. Drain the tofu.

4. Crumble the drained tofu into a large bowl. Add 1/3 cup of the garlic oil, plus about 6-8 cloves. Stir together, add the vinegar, salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

5. Turn the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the pizza with  pizza sauce first, then the onions and lastly the tofu.

6. Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is risen and golden and the tofu has begun to brown.

Image is taken from original recipe: http://aviedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/tofu-pizza-with-caramelized-onions.html

For more detailed instructions check out original recipe here: Tofu pizza recipe

 

What do you think about pizza with tofu? How do you prepare your version?

 

 

Cooking tofu and boozy broccoli

Since I have learnt how too cook tofu I am trying various recipes. Always with vegetables of some sort, but most of the time I use sober ones. You don't want to mess with drunken vegetables :). 

And then I saw this interesting recipe for tofu:

Tofu is very cooking friendly food so probably it doesn't mind if broccoli is little boozy.

This is how it looks in original tofu recipe:

...image is from original recipe (http://www.glueandglitter.com/main/2011/02/02/baked-tofu-chops-with-boozy-broccoli/).

So what is it all about? Broccoli is sauted and combined with red wine. Very interesting. I don't know why I didn't try this before.

For more deatils refer to original recipe.

 

What do you think about boozy broccoly? I think I will give it a shot. Or two...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to cook tofu: sweet and sour

I am sure you knof how to cook tofu. I love cooking with it becouse it is so easy and tofu is also very healthy food.

Most of the time I prepare stir fry with veggies. I have never tried making sweet and sour recipe with tofu. I don't know why because I love it eating in a restaurant. Maybe now it is the right time to make it myself.

Here I found a simple and great looking recipe for sweet and sour tofu.

 

Things you will nedd: tofu, scallions, garlic, ginger, carrots, sauce ingredients, shiitake mushrooms.

 

How to do it? Follow original recipe for details.

 

 

 

 

What is Tofu Made Of? Soy, off course

No, it does not grow on tofu tree.  I am sure you probably knew what is tofu made of.

The process of making tofu is similar to cheese making. Off course, there are no dairy ingredients. It is 100% vegan, animal friendly and healthy product.

 

Tofu offers many valuable nutritional benefits including high concentrations of B-vitamins, easily digestible proteins, isoflavones, and unlike most soymilk products, calcium.

Soybeans are one of rare plants that contain all 8 essential amino acids in sufficient amount. That means they are complete proteins like meat or eggs.

There are many ways you can cook tofu. With some great tips you can lear how to prepare the best tofu in the town. 

Tofu recipe: spicy taco salad

Are you wondering how to cook tofu for todays lunch? Let me give you idea. 

This one I have never tried but when I look at ingredients It must be great. I will give it on my menu soon.

The things you need:

1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 cup guacamole
Salsa (optional)

Short directions:

Slice tofu and brown it on both sides. Sprinkle cayenne, chipotle, cumin. Saute onion and bell pepper and add cayenne and chipot.

This is very shortened version. Read full recipe for Spicy Tofu Taco Salad

 

Tofu recipe with tamari

I recently bought new tamary sauce and it is time to make use of it :) 

This is nice recipe to try how it combines with tofu.

 

Tamari-Miso Tofu and Veggies

1. Press the tofu about 15 minutes, draining occasionally, then cut into cubes. Spray a skillet with nonstick and then cook over medium-high until golden brown (I just went with about 5 minutes here. I didn't mind my tofu on the softer side). Set tofu cubes aside. Wipe out skillet, then spray with nonstick for the stirfry.

2. Meanwhile, prep veggies and mix together the tamari-miso sauce. When skillet is ready to go, add all the veggies at once (no broccoli to slow down cooking time) and the tofu. Let cook over high for about three minutes. Then add the sauce. Stirfry for about another minute or two, or until the veggies and tofu have some time to absorb the sauce.

3. Serve with rice noodles, a slice of lime, and some additional siracha and maybe some additional Bragg's (if you made the sauce with it).

For detailed instructions refer to original article for tofu recipe

I love tofu for its simplicity and diversity. It can taste just whatever you desire. And is healthy as well!

What do you think?

Another vegan recipe - tofu with noodles

There are limitless possibilities to cooking tofu. It is great if fried, baked, cooked, mixed in smoothie or almost ansy other way.

If you are hungry for some tofu with noodles click on this recipe.

 

What you wil need:

1 package skinny gf spaghetti
1/2 c peanut sauce
1 c edamame
1 small head broccoli
1 block tofu
1 T sesame oil
1/2 t chili oil
1 T gf soy sauce
black pepper
1/2 t ginger and garlic powders
1 t Chinese cooking wine

 

The images look very tasty and I am sure it tastes great.

 

Bon apettit!

Tofu Recipe: Shrimp and Tofu Soup

Do you fancy tofu in soup? Read this nice tofu recipe

What you will need:

Ingredients:

2 liters of water

2 cubes shrimp or chicken bouillon

6-8 leaves of Napa,washed and cut

15 head attached shrimp,trim and washed

1 box soft silkily tofu,cut 6-8 pieces

salt and ground white pepper powder to taste

handful cut scallion

Detailed recipe with instructions is found here: Shrimp and Tofu Soup

What do you think about his one? Unfortunately it is not vegan but looks nice nevertheless :)