Tofu: Compromise, Culinary Experimentation, and Nutrition

Today I feel the need to talk a little about compromise, a little about culinary experimentation, and lot about nutrition.


The big issue is TOFU...I used to hate tofu, but in all fairness I never really gave it an honest try. Then I was pressured into eating it and actually enjoyed it. So, every time after we would cook it the same way we first tried it (p.s. the recipe is on my blog about quinoa)-it was delicious so why change a good thing, right? No, because I dont know about you but when I find a food I like, I eat it to death until I am sick of it and no longer enjoy that once delicious eat. Inevitably, the tofu stir-fry got old too. My solution-stop eating it for a while. Well, apparently Nick (the person I eat dinner with most often) felt differently and was still digging and craving tofu. This is where the compromise comes in: finding a way to cook tofu so I can enjoy it and he can get his fix. Thus, the research begins...

Through my research I found some very interesting recipes. The one that struck a cord was tofu burgers. All the ingredients were pretty healthy ingredients and they are on a very opposite side of the spectrum from a stir-fry. I hadn't ever tried them before so I was pretty excited, Nick on the other hand was a little nervous. But, I threw a little of my own flair in there and performed some "culinary experimentation," and not to toot my own horn but they were the BOMB! The recipe is at the bottom of this blog. I recommend culinary experimentation to all of you as well. Look up recipes for your favorite foods that you are bored with (or not bored with) and have some fun! Try adding things that fit your taste and maybe even mixing some recipes together. The best way to enjoy food is to have fun with it, cooking is one of my therapies, along with a LOT of yoga!

Well, for me and as Im sure for most of you, researching only leads to more curiosity and questions. This now brings us to the nutrition part of this blog. I've always heard that soy is good for you but that its bad if you eat too much at a time. So through my exploring I decided to search the nutritional breakdown of tofu and actually try to get some of my questions answered and then share it with all of you.

Good News...Tofu is extremely good for you. But first a little history, I found interesting: Tofu is created by soaking soybeans in water and creating soy milk. The milk is curdled using lemon juice or calcium sulfate and those curdles are separated from the whey and most often put into block form, thus, creating tofu.

Tofu is most commonly known for its high protein content. But what most don't know is that this stud of a plant is different from its fellow plant-based food neighbors, soy (which is what tofu is made of-see history above) is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids. A 3oz. piece of firm-tofu contains about 13g of protein.

But wait, there is so much more to this mighty food than just protein. Tofu contains no cholesterol and is very low in saturated fat. Even better, tofu can help reduce the risk of heart disease (just like my favorite purple beverage does), osteoporosis, and some types of cancer through the phytoestrogens it contains. Let me map it out for you: tofu contains about 25-30mg isoflavones in every 3oz. serving, isoflavones are phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens can reduce your risk of all the bad things mentioned above.

Short on calcium in your diet? Eat Tofu! Tofu made with calcium sulfate as the curdling agent is listed as a good source of calcium for vegetarians and vegans (or those of us who just hate milk). A few ounces of tofu contains more calcium than a cup of regular milk. So, you see why even if you are scared of tofu, it is worth a try.

Tofu Burgers

1 14 oz. package firm tofu
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2/3 c. cooked quinoa
1 tsp. each: dried basil, dried parsley, dried thyme
a dash of seasoning salt and a dash of garlic salt (my fav is Johnnys Garlic Seasoning)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 c. lowfat cottage cheese
Whatever fix-ins you dig with your burgers. We used whole wheat buns, mustard, tomato, and avocado.

Cut drained tofu into cubes and mash with potato ricer. If you have a food processor that works as well. Add in all other ingredients except cottage cheese and quinoa. Mix with hands until well blended. At this point I like to test the mixture and make sure the flavor is good and add any other herbs, seasonings, etc. that are needed. Then add in cottage cheese and quinoa and mix with hands until well blended. Heat 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil in a pan. Pack tofu mix into patties about 4 in. wide and 1 in. thick. Cook for about 6 min. on each side until brown and crispy on outside. Construct your healthy burger.
*Be careful when handling patties, they are a bit fragile. I found the thicker in height, smaller in diameter, and browner you make them the better they stick together and hold shape.

*Some of the nutrition info was found on LiveStrong.com. Awesome website I recommend checking out.
*The original recipe was obtained from SavvyVegetarian.com

Enjoy,
LJ