Posted on: November 30, 2007
Tofu or Not Tofu?
Health-seekers are flocking to a versatile soybean product that offers both health and taste benefits
By Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features
A vegetable lasagna with tofu. Image courtesy Minnesota Soybean Growers Association
In case you hadn’t heard, tofu isn’t just for squares.
It’s for tostadas, cheesecake, cupcakes and salads. And it’s a choice among a growing number of Americans looking for healthy alternatives to meat and dairy products.
“As recently as 10-15 years ago, the only way you could use tofu was in stir-fry,” says Cheryl Sullivan, a registered dietitian with the Illinois Center For Soy Foods, Urbana, Ill. “Now we’ve figured out how to cook it in a way Americans can eat it and not think it is weird.”
According to a 2007 survey of 1,000 Americans by the United Soybean Board, over 50 percent of all consumers have tried soy foods or beverages in restaurants. Twenty-two percent order veggie burgers, 24 percent order soymilk (latte, anyone?) and the most (25 percent) order tofu – a bland, high-protein soybean curd that absorbs the flavors of other ingredients with which it is cooked.
Tofu’s texture can range from extra firm to silken, allowing it to blend in to an ever-growing array of culinary dishes.
“It plays an obvious, starring role in dishes like stir fries and barbeque tofu sandwiches,” says Sullivan. “But it can also go unnoticed in dishes like reamy Coconut Pie or Raspberry Fruit Dip.”
At the annual Los Angeles Tofu Festival in September, more than 25,000 people descended upon a bastion of food booths to devour everything tofu: Tofu tostadas, tofu cheesecake, tofu Malaysian salad, tofu pizza, tomato cilantro tofu, tofu burgers, green curry tofu, honey orange tofu and even tofu boba drinks – to name a few.
“There’s definitely a growing interest,” says Noelle Ito, a spokesperson for the festival, which started out 12 years ago with only 8,000 visitors. “I think people are starting to realize that they should eat healthier and that tofu is not just a bland dish.”
Take, for example, the festival’s first ever alcoholic drink: The tofu margarita.
“There were some people who came just for that,” says Ito. “They ran out of it.”
For those who want to give tofu a try, there’s no fear of it going away soon. More and more restaurants offer tofu on the menu, while Whole Foods and other supermarkets are offering refrigerated tofu for you to cook at home. But before you go shopping, take Sullivan’s advice.
“People get confused when they go to the market when they see firm, extra firm and soft tofu,” she says. “If you want to grill it, get the firmest tofu. If you’re going to crumble it up, firmness isn’t the biggest deal.”
For those willing to give tofu a taste, Sullivan offers the following two recipes and one piece of advice.
“The key to tofu is being open,” she says.
No-Fuss Cupcakes
Tofu replaces all of the oil and some of the eggs in this fast and easy recipe that starts with a mix. This savvy substitution cuts the total fat content in half!
6 oz. silken tofu
Water according to cake mix directions
1 box standard 2-layer cake mix
2 eggs*
frosting (optional)
Preheat the oven according to cake mix directions. Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
1. Put the silken tofu with half the water called for in the cake mix directions in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Beat together the cake mix, tofu mixture, eggs, and remaining water in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer at low speed. When combined, beat 2 minutes at medium speed.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake according to the directions on the cake mix box. (If desired, bake this as a cake rather than cupcakes.)
4. Cool and apply frosting as desired.
*Tofu replaces all the oil and one of the eggs or egg whites normally used to prepare a cake mix. If a mix calls for three eggs, use two eggs; if it calls for three egg whites, use two egg whites.
Vegetarian Lasagna
Your favorite ready-made or homemade sauce works well in this lasagna that was designed for minimum preparation time.
2 jars (26 oz. each) of prepared spaghetti sauce
1 lb. lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb. tofu, mashed
4 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup water
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 350º.
Cover bottom of baking pan (9-inch x 13-inch or 10-inch x 15-inch) with portion of sauce. Put a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Add another layer of sauce on top of noodles, then a layer of tofu and then a layer of cheese. Continue layering noodles, sauce, tofu, and cheese, ending with cheese.
Pour the water around the edges of the lasagna in the baking pan. (The water will be absorbed by the noodles as the lasagna bakes.)
Cover with foil and bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until noodles are tender. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. If desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Note: Vegetables may be added to the sauce. Fat content can be reduced by replacing some of the cheese with fat-free mozzarella or with soy cheese.
