Meatless "Meat"
Bite This: (I should change this heading to "In my opinion...") Tofu is one of the most widely consumed soy foods in the world. I am not going to elaborate.
Tofu is made from soy bean juice by pressing the curds into soft blocks. You can buy soft tofu, firm or extra firm tofu. Sounds tasty doesn't it? Soft/Silken tofu is undrained and unpressed and retains the highest amount of moisture than the other forms. Firm tofu is drained and pressed and has a more "meaty" texture - basically, it's firmer, but still contains moisture. Extra firm tofu has an even larger amount of the liquid pressed out. Because of it's mild flavor, tofu is very versatile, however, you can also buy flavored tofu.
Tofu is more often than not used to replace meat in many dishes, including the ones I make at home. I may have mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of meat. Poultry is okay, but I feel like pork and beef are just blah-it's mostly a texture thing with me. When I think about chewing pork and beef, I think about throwing up in my mouth a little. For this reason, I like to eat tofu. Even though tofu is said to have a "meaty" texture, it does not even compare, in my opinion. Which is a good thing for me. Bad thing if you like meat.
Let's compare the nutritional value of tofu vs meat, shall we? (If I could figure out how to insert a chart here, I would, but I am not that blogger-savvy.)
A half cup of tofu is approximately 4 ounces in weight.
Calories: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 94 calories
4 ounces of ground beef - 330 calories
Protein: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 10 grams (tofu contains 11 grams of protein per 100 calorie serving)
4 ounces of ground beef - 26 grams (ground beef contains only 8.9 grams of protein per 100 calorie serving)
Fat: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 5 grams
4 ounces of ground beef (depending on the leanness of the kind you buy) - 15 grams
Calcium: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 227 mg (depending on the brand)
4 ounces of ground hamburger? about 12.5 mg
Increased consumption of red meat has been associated with many health risks including heart disease and colon cancer. By replacing some of those red meat meals with tofu, you can decrease your health risks considerably.
Have you tried tofu? What is your favorite kind? (By the way, these questions that I ask are not rhetorical. John, I know you eat tofu! :))
Cheesy Tofu and Greens Party: (My own recipe, so no measurements)
1/2 package of extra firm tofu cut into cubes
Soy sauce
Garlic salt
sesame seeds
handful or two of raw baby spinach leaves
a head of broccoli, steamed in microwave
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pam Cooking Spray
Directions:
There are not really any directions to this recipe, but before you begin, it's good to get the extra moisture out of the tofu so the new flavors get in. You can do this by draining the water out of the tofu package and cutting the tofu in slices. Then put paper towels on a baking sheet and spread sliced tofu on top. Put more paper towels on top of that. Then put another baking sheet or tray on top of that and add some heavy stuff on top like cookbooks. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes.
1. When it is ready, cut tofu into cubes and spray a skillet with Pam cooking spray.
2. Set on medium heat and add tofu. Cook until brown and flip tofu cubes to other side.
4. Add soy sauce and garlic salt. And continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add baby spinach leaves, more soy sauce and more garlic salt and cook until leaves wilt.
6. Remove from heat and add to steamed broccoli.
7. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. (Add more soy sauce and garlic salt if needed.)
(Apparently the sesame seeds are just for show because I forgot to include them - I actually have only used them once when I made this and it did not really add anything to the dish. That's just my opinion though.)
Maybe I am weird, but I think this tastes good. Some nights I'll make this for myself while making my husband a gross meatball sandwich or something.
Sound bite: If you eat tofu and like it, leave a comment with your favorite tofu recipe. Otherwise, watch Food Inc. or another documentary on how meat is made and maybe you'll change your mind about eating tofu.
Tofu is made from soy bean juice by pressing the curds into soft blocks. You can buy soft tofu, firm or extra firm tofu. Sounds tasty doesn't it? Soft/Silken tofu is undrained and unpressed and retains the highest amount of moisture than the other forms. Firm tofu is drained and pressed and has a more "meaty" texture - basically, it's firmer, but still contains moisture. Extra firm tofu has an even larger amount of the liquid pressed out. Because of it's mild flavor, tofu is very versatile, however, you can also buy flavored tofu.
Tofu is more often than not used to replace meat in many dishes, including the ones I make at home. I may have mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of meat. Poultry is okay, but I feel like pork and beef are just blah-it's mostly a texture thing with me. When I think about chewing pork and beef, I think about throwing up in my mouth a little. For this reason, I like to eat tofu. Even though tofu is said to have a "meaty" texture, it does not even compare, in my opinion. Which is a good thing for me. Bad thing if you like meat.
Let's compare the nutritional value of tofu vs meat, shall we? (If I could figure out how to insert a chart here, I would, but I am not that blogger-savvy.)
A half cup of tofu is approximately 4 ounces in weight.
Calories: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 94 calories
4 ounces of ground beef - 330 calories
Protein: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 10 grams (tofu contains 11 grams of protein per 100 calorie serving)
4 ounces of ground beef - 26 grams (ground beef contains only 8.9 grams of protein per 100 calorie serving)
Fat: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 5 grams
4 ounces of ground beef (depending on the leanness of the kind you buy) - 15 grams
Calcium: 4 ounces of firm tofu - 227 mg (depending on the brand)
4 ounces of ground hamburger? about 12.5 mg
Increased consumption of red meat has been associated with many health risks including heart disease and colon cancer. By replacing some of those red meat meals with tofu, you can decrease your health risks considerably.
Have you tried tofu? What is your favorite kind? (By the way, these questions that I ask are not rhetorical. John, I know you eat tofu! :))
Cheesy Tofu and Greens Party: (My own recipe, so no measurements)
1/2 package of extra firm tofu cut into cubes
Soy sauce
Garlic salt
sesame seeds
handful or two of raw baby spinach leaves
a head of broccoli, steamed in microwave
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pam Cooking Spray
Directions:
There are not really any directions to this recipe, but before you begin, it's good to get the extra moisture out of the tofu so the new flavors get in. You can do this by draining the water out of the tofu package and cutting the tofu in slices. Then put paper towels on a baking sheet and spread sliced tofu on top. Put more paper towels on top of that. Then put another baking sheet or tray on top of that and add some heavy stuff on top like cookbooks. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes.
1. When it is ready, cut tofu into cubes and spray a skillet with Pam cooking spray.
2. Set on medium heat and add tofu. Cook until brown and flip tofu cubes to other side.
4. Add soy sauce and garlic salt. And continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add baby spinach leaves, more soy sauce and more garlic salt and cook until leaves wilt.
6. Remove from heat and add to steamed broccoli.
7. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. (Add more soy sauce and garlic salt if needed.)
(Apparently the sesame seeds are just for show because I forgot to include them - I actually have only used them once when I made this and it did not really add anything to the dish. That's just my opinion though.)
Maybe I am weird, but I think this tastes good. Some nights I'll make this for myself while making my husband a gross meatball sandwich or something.
Sound bite: If you eat tofu and like it, leave a comment with your favorite tofu recipe. Otherwise, watch Food Inc. or another documentary on how meat is made and maybe you'll change your mind about eating tofu.
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