Toe-what?! I know, many of you may have never heard of tofu, thought it was a food that wasn’t eaten in Western Society or have tried it and not liked it. Don’t worry, I’m here to help change that … or maybe at least get you willing to give it another try! So let’s start off first by explaining what tofu actually is.
Tofu is just soybeans. The soybeans are soaked, blended, drained and pressed. That’s all! No weird ingredients, no hard-to-pronounce chemicals - just real food that’s been altered in appearance and texture! No different than peanuts to peanut butter, really.
Tofu is an excellent source of plant-based nutrition. This includes protein, iron, zinc and calcium. The iron is less-readily available than meat-based irons, but when you pair tofu with a source of vitamin C (such as a piece of fruit, tomatoes, potatoes, dark leafy greens) you increase the rate of absorption of the iron! How easy is that?! These nutrients are actually important to know if you’re eating a plant-based diet, as they can be difficult to overlook when not actively thought about or if your diet is not varied.
Let me guess, you’re thinking that tofu is only for Asian dishes? Well, see that’s where I beg to differ. While it’s true that you’ll find it in Miso Soup and Asian stir fries, tofu is actually an extremely versatile food due to its ability to take on the flavours around it! It comes in different consistencies from ‘silken’ (or very smooth) to extra firm. All this refers to is how much moisture content is in the tofu ‘brick’ and its density texture.
Tofu has a pretty bland taste and depending on how you make it, it can either be boring or delightful! Did you know you can make pudding with tofu? Or a plant-based ricotta ‘cheese’? How about throwing some into a smoothie for a plant-based protein boost!? Here’s an even more incredible idea - BACON AND EGGS! Okay, no, it’s not going to replace animal bacon and eggs, and it’s not going to replace ‘mock’ bacon bought in the grocery store. But it can give you an alternative for your vegetarian/vegan friends, an alternative to high saturated fat meat, and can lower your food bill. Did you know that a brick of tofu, which can feed four people at one meal, costs only $2-$3 in the grocery store?! Not to mention the health benefits of reducing your consumption of animal-based proteins and increasing your consumption of plant-based foods - but we’ll save this topic for another day!
Are you still there? I’m sure I lost a few readers when I said that you can make bacon out of tofu. If you’re still here, you must either not believe me and are waiting for me to prove it, or you do believe me and am wondering where I’m headed with this.
Here’s the proof! Here are FIVE recipes that you can make at home, each that require very little ingredients, nothing funny or unheard of, ingredients you likely already have stocked in your fridge or pantry and all that’s left is to buy a package of tofu!
Tofu Pudding - Serves 4
Takes 5 minutes to prepare!
- 1 package of Silken tofu (super soft)
- 1 banana
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract
- Up to ¼ cup of milk (your choice of kind) just to achieve desired consistency
- Optional: ¼ cup of raw cocoa powder for chocolate pudding; 2-3 tbsps of honey/maple syrup, or liquid stevia (or your choice of liquid sweetener)
- Optional: 1 cup of fresh fruit
Blend everything together except the fresh fruit. Taste and adjust your flavourings to your liking. Top with ¼ cup of fresh fruit in each serving. Enjoy!
Tofu Ricotta “Cheese” - Makes 1.5 cups
Takes 5 minutes to prepare!
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp tahini (skip if you don’t have any)
- 1 tsp white miso (I use a low-sodium one) - or soya sauce
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder/granulated garlic
- 1 block firm tofu (454 g)
- salt to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp kosher salt)
- 3 cups frozen spinach (loosely packed, or about 1 1/2 cups thawed spinach)
Mix to combine lemon juice, tahini, white miso, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder. Crumble in the tofu and mix well to combine. Defrost the frozen spinach and add to the tofu mixture. Stir well to combine.
Fresh Fruit Tofu Smoothie - Makes 1
Takes 5 minutes to prepare!
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/3 cup extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon raw cashews
- 1 cup vanilla soy milk (or your favourite choice of milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup of fresh spinach, optional
Place all the ingredients in a blender, and mix until smooth. Enjoy immediately. Omit the cashews for nut allergies.
Tofu Bacon - Serves 4
Takes 8 hours to prepare, 15-20 minutes to cook - and TOTALLY worth it!
- 12 oz package extra firm tofu (the most firm you can find!!)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 drops liquid stevia (or 1-2 tablespoons sugar / maple syrup)
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 cup water
Drain and press your tofu for about an hour to firm it up even further (wrap it in a dish towel and put a heavy plate on top of it). Once the tofu is ready slice it as thin as you can. You should be able to get a LOT of slices out of one block.
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a plastic bag. Add in the tofu, squeeze out any air and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight (it will be good for several days marinating) OR if you just don't want to wait you can instead simmer the tofu in the marinade for 15-20 minutes over medium low heat. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
When you're ready to cook it, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the tofu slices out in a single layer and put in the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Take the out and flip them. Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes on the other side. Make sure you keep a close eye on them in the last few minutes because if they are VERY thin they may burn.
Tofu Scrambled Eggs - Serves 4
Takes 10-15 minutes to prepare!
- 1 package of tofu, firm
- 1⁄2 tsp. onion powder
- 1⁄2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1⁄4 tsp. sea salt or black salt if you have it
- 1⁄4 tsp. turmeric powder
- 3 Tbsp vegetable broth
- Optional: 3 cups of chopped up veggies of your choice: bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, garlic, onions, etc.
Drain the tofu from the water. Grease a pan with a small amount of olive oil. Add tofu and spices together. Using a spatula, cut up the tofu in the pan until it resembles the consistency and texture of scrambled eggs.
Once incorporated, slowly add the vegetable broth (and veggies, if using), bringing the broth to a boil and allowing to fully absorb into the tofu. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper as desired. Enjoy!
