Don't Throw Out that Tofu

You've stored tofu in water as recommended. The tofu is older than the expiration date. You look at the tofu and notice pink edges. Those pink edges are a sign of the tofu getting old. Don't throw it away..yet. Here's a helpful suggestion...

Tofu manufacturers will say to cut off the edges and parboil the remaining tofu for 30 seconds. That revives it. I've tried that and it works.

I also have cut off the edges and simply used the remaining tofu. That works equally well. Plus, it saves time.

The choice is yours. And, by the way...you can purchase tofu on the expiration date and still have it be usable for a week. Usually, stores mark down tofu near the expiration date to get rid of it. I've picked it up for $.50. Not bad for a good protein source.

Just make certain to change the water daily.

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What is Plain Soymilk?

When I think of plain soy milk, I think back to the “hippie days” when not many people drank it. Plain meant the ingredients were nothing but water and soybeans. It couldn't get much simpler than that.

With the recent popularity of soy foods come many changes within the ingredients. Everywhere you turn it seems there is another soy food choice. And, after reading the ingredients, some are not too healthy.

Plain now comes in varieties. Spare me. There is Plain Unsweetened. This consists of only filtered water and soybeans. Choose organic soybeans, if you can. Many times when I buy this, I simply add a little water to it. For my taste preference, straight from the container is too thick for me. You may be different.

There is soy milk marked 'Plain'. After purchasing this, I forgot to read the ingredients label. (OK, I made a mistake). This plain variety contained water, organic cane sugar and soybeans plus other stuff. In other words, it was sweetened Plain soy milk.

There is Plain Regular and Plain Low Fat. Unless you like drinking sweetened water, forgo the Plain Low fat. I hadn't tasted anything so unpalatable in ages. The Plain Regular was better, but still too sweet for my taste buds.

Personally, I think all this soy foods stuff has totally gotten out of hand. It can be very confusing to someone not used to eating any soy. After going to the marketplace and being bombarded with all the varieties available, it can be very intimidating. That is one of the main reasons people come to my classes, to learn about soy and how to use it.

Hope this helps others going through the same thing.

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Curious about Tempeh?

Curious about tempeh and how to use it? Here is an easy and quick way to make a tasty meal with it. It is from my cookbook, Cooking with Soy. My students have loved this...

Tempeh Sloppy Joes

½ block of tempeh, crumbled
¼ cup onion, chopped
spaghetti sauce, your choice
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t Italian seasoning
whole grain hamburger bun or large roll cut in half

Lightly spritz a frying pan with oil, or use a nonstick pan. Place the tempeh and onions into the pan. Add garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until tempeh is brown around the edges and onions are translucent. Add spaghetti sauce. The amount of sauce will depend upon your liking.

Stir and heat thoroughly. Scoop onto the bread of your choice.

NOTE: You can make an open face sandwich out of this recipe by simply scooping the tempeh mixture onto one piece of bread.

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Tasty Mango Pudding

Here is an easy to prepare recipe that is both tasty and nutritious.

1 large mango, peeled
1/2 cup lowfat tofu

Slice mango and let drop into small bowl.
Crumble the tofu into a 1/2 cup, to measure it.
Mash together the mango and tofu.
Stir vigorously until you reach a pudding-like consistency.

Scoop into serving bowls. Place in refrigerator and chill for about an hour.
This is great with fresh chopped mint leaves on top, if desired.