Asian Barbecued Tofu

When my family and I Chinese takeout, we are usually limited to the same thing, time after time - fried rice with mixed vegetables and a vegetable spring roll. Sure, we like it, and it's a pretty handy and quick meal when we are so inclined. But I have to admit, it does get boring. Some places will offer a few other vegetarian selections we could choose from, but honestly, I have just not been that impressed with them. So as we usually find, being a vegan is mostly best served by cooking at home. Lucky for my family I love to cook!

I got in the mood for some barbecue the other day, but didn't want to make the seitan for it, since I was kind of hungry right then. After glancing through my recipes, I settled on this:

Asian Barbecued Tofu

One onion, chopped
One garlic clove, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Dijon mustard
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cayenne
Olive oil
One package extra firm tofu, frozen, boiled, squeezed and sliced about 1/4" thick

In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, tomato sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, salt and cayenne and process until saucy. Put in a pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

Fry tofu in olive oil in batches, until nicely brown on both sides. Add barbecue sauce to the tofu, simmer together for about 10 minutes. Serve.

I actually expected this to be more traditionally barbecue tasting than it was. It would have gone nicely with some rice, but I served mine instead with some vegan mac and cheese and green beans. I realized it was more Asian when my daughter came home, asked what was for dinner and before I could respond said, "It's Chinese food, isn't it?" So, Asian Barbecue Tofu was born.

If you are new to tofu, I think it may be initially an acquired taste. I have to admit I didn't care for it at first. It wasn't until I learned about the freezing and boiling technique that I begin to not only like it, but love it! I still prefer it sliced thin to cubed, and for any dish that doesn't call for creamy, like lasagna, I always get the extra firm variety.

Tofu is very popular in the Orient today but was first used in China over 2000 years ago. While the details of its discovery are uncertain, legend has it that it was discovered by accident when a Chinese cook added the seaweed nigari to a pot of soybean milk, causing it to curdle; the result was tofu.

The oldest evidence of tofu production is a Chinese mural incised on a stone slab. It shows a kitchen scene that proves that soymilk and tofu were being made in China during the period A.D. 25-220. The oldest written reference to tofu appeared also in China at about A.D. 1500, in a poem "Ode to Tofu" by Su Ping.

Kento priests, who went to China to study Buddhism, brought tofu back to Japan during the Nara era (710-794). Tofu was eaten as part of a vegetarian diet for priests for their protein content. The word "tofu" is first mentioned in Japan in the diary of the Shinto priest Nakaomi. Tofu was used as an offering at an altar. In 1489 the word "tofu" was first written in the actual Japanese characters. Tofu gradually became popular among the nobility and the samurai class. During the Edo era (1603-1867), tofu became popular among ordinary people. The cookbook "Tofu Hyakuchin" was published in 1782 and sold very well.

In 1603 the Spanish dictionary "Vocabulario da lingoa de Iapam" was the first European document with reference to the word "tofu". Domingo Fernandez de Navarrete described in his book "A Collection of Voyages and Travles" how tofu was made. The first English reference to tofu was in 1704, when Navarrete's book was published in English.

Tofu was first produced (non-commercial) in France by Paillieux in 1880. Hirata & Co. started to make tofu in San Francisco in 1895. The first Westerner who produced tofu on a commercial scale was T.A. Van Gundy in 1929 when he started the company La Sierra Industries in California.

Tofu is sometimes called "the cheese of Asia," because of its physical resemblance to a block of farmer's cheese. Tofu is a highly nutritious, protein-rich food that is made from the curds of soybean milk. Off-white in color, it is usually sold in rectangular blocks.

Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30%, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40%, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

Soy has also been shown to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms associated with menopause. Soy foods, like tofu, contain phytoestrogens, specifically the isoflavones, genistein and diadzein. In a woman's body, these compounds can dock at estrogen receptors and act like very, very weak estrogens. During perimenopause, when a woman's estrogen fluctuates, rising to very high levels and then dropping below normal, soy's phytoestrogens can help her maintain balance, blocking out estrogen when levels rise excessively high, plus filling in for estrogen when levels are low. When women's production of natural estrogen drops at menopause, soy's isoflavones may provide just enough estrogenic activity to prevent or reduce uncomfortable symptoms, like hot flashes. The results of intervention trials suggest that soy isoflavones may also promote the resorption of bone and therefore inhibit postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Additionally, most types of tofu are enriched with calcium, which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss for which women are at risk during menopause. Calcium has also been found useful in rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which calcium may help to reduce the bone loss that can occur as a result of this disease. Tofu is a good source of calcium. Four-ounces supply about 10% of the daily value for calcium and contain only 70-90 calories.

Think a meal without meat equals a meal without protein? Think again. Four ounces of tofu provides 9.2 grams of protein, that's 18.3% of the daily value for protein, and it comes virtually free of saturated fat (less than 1 gram), and at a cost of only 86 calories. Here's how it compares to a few other foods. For each 100 calorie serving, tofu contains 11 grams of protein. By comparison, 100 calories of ground beef provides 8.9 grams of protein, and a 100 calorie serving of cheese contains 6.2 grams.

Tofu provides 14.4% of the daily value for omega 3 fatty acids in just 4 ounces.

A large percentage of the conventionally grown soybeans in the United States come from genetically modified (GM) seeds. If you are limiting your exposure to GM foods, choose organically grown soybeans (and foods such as tofu, tempeh and miso made from it), since the current USDA organic regulations prohibit the use of GM seeds for growing foods to be labeled as organically grown. Many commercially available brands of tofu are made from organic and non-genetically modified soybeans, and, as an added bonus, most organic and non-gmo tofu brands are the same price as conventionally produced tofu. Look for Nasoya brand, Mori-nu organic and other organic tofu brands.

Try some the recipes I've posted using tofu. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised!

Pumpkin Alfredo

Every time around Hallowe'en, I like to try something with pumpkin in it. I'm not a big sweets eater, so it typically means something main dish. I found this and couldn't wait to try it!

Pumpkin Alfredo

1 package fettuccine noodles
1 package soft silken tofu
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup flaxseed
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
olive oil and sea salt to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, combine all sauce ingredients together in a food processor. Blend until smooth. When pasta is finished cooking, drain, rinse and return to pot. Toss in a light amount of olive oil to evenly coat the noodles. Combine the sauce with the pasta and mix well. Throw some pecans on top!

The flavor was very nice and mild, not as spicy as I expected. I put whole pecans on top, but I think mixing in some chopped pecans would be a good idea.

I tried making the sauce in the blender at first, but that didn't work so well. Definitely use a food processor for getting a good blend of the ingredients. The flax seeds add a nice little crunch.

Pumpkins are believed to have originated in North America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C. References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for "large melon" which is "pepon." "Pepon" was changed by the French into "pompon." The English changed "pompon" to "Pumpion." American colonists changed "pumpion" into "pumpkin." Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets centuries before the pilgrims landed. They called pumpkins "isqoutm squash", and used pumpkin seeds for food and medicine finding the seeds to be useful in eliminating intestinal parasites. The tribes also used pumpkin seeds to treat kidney problems. The seeds are still used to prevent kidney stones, but it is not known how this works. They also dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. Indians would also roast long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and eat them. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians and pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets. As today, early settlers used them in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. The origin of pumpkin pie is thought to have occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and then filled it with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes of a dying fire. In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

A 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that 68 percent of Americans have a magnesium deficiency. A magnesium deficiency can eventually lead to serious conditions like heart disease, hypertension and diabetes if left untreated. One way to make sure you don’t fall into this category is to regularly incorporate pumpkin seeds into your diet. Pumpkin seeds are so high in magnesium that just one quarter cup of pumpkin seeds contains approximately 87 percent of the recommended daily value of magnesium for an adult. A great source of phosphorus and manganese, pumpkin seeds also contain protein, iron, calcium, zinc and a variety of vitamins including B, K and A. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the zinc in these seeds has proven to help prevent osteoporosis in both men and women. Omega-3 fatty acids found in pumpkin seeds create a natural anti-inflammatory effect so arthritis-sufferers can find relief without the negative side effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Phytosterols, a naturally occurring compound found in pumpkin seeds, have been found to be helpful for lowering LDL cholesterol. Pumpkin seed oil helps keep testosterone from inflicting damage on the male prostate cells and therefore helps reduce prostate cancer development. Pumpkin seeds help ease difficult urination by inhibiting enzymes associated with prostate enlargement. Pumpkin seed extract can also help those with incontinence issues by increasing testosterone levels and strengthening the pelvic muscles.

I can find pumpkin seeds year round at my local grocery store in the bulk aisle. I'll definitely be using pumpkin seeds much more often!

We Are All Connected

This says so much about what I believe, and says it so well.

A Life Connected: VEGAN from NonviolenceUnited.org on Vimeo.

Pass the Peas, Please!

As a true GRITS (Girls Raised In The South) kind of gal, I grew up on black eyed peas. I still eat them fairly regularly and always on New Years Day, right along with collard greens. So, naturally, when I came upon this recipe for black-eyes pea fritters, I had to try it!

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

1 cup dried black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed (this is a VERY IMPORTANT part!)
1/2 medium onion, diced (I used a whole onion)
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (I just used a whole green pepper)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
5 cups coconut oil

In a food processor, combine the beans, onion, peanuts, thyme, cayenne, vinegar, water, and salt and pulse until completely smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the batter from the refrigerator, add the bell pepper and cornmeal, and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, warm the coconut oil until hot but not smoking, about 5 minutes. Lower the oil to medium high, and in batches of 5, spoon the batter into the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Fry, stirring around, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. If necessary, adjust the temperature to ensure that the fritters do not cook too quickly. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel–lined plate and allow them to drain.

Now, I have to be honest. The first time I made these, I thought I would be clever and use canned black eyed peas. You know, to save time. What I ended up with was a black eyed pea cornmeal mush. Tasty, but not quite the same. We ate it anyway, but with a spoon instead of a fork. You see, I had neglected to notice the part in the recipe about using dried, UNCOOKED peas. Yeah, that's a pretty important part to this recipe, let me tell you. But the flavor was just so nice I wanted to try again, actually following the directions this time. You can see the result in the picture above. The original recipe suggested serving these with hot pepper sauce, but I didn't.

Black eyed peas are also known as cowpeas. I remember the first time I read that name years ago, it gave me quite a giggle. What I didn't realize at the time was that cowpeas probably originated in Africa and came here with the slaves. They were often known as a "poor man's" food; the landed gentry of the Eastern seaboard considered the cowpea simply that: peas grown to feed the cows. George Washington imported 40 bushels of what he called "pease" from Jamaica in 1797 to plant in his fields for forage, but no record exists that he actually sampled them himself. He would probably be shocked to learn that his cattle, slaves, and sharecroppers not only ate them, but were enjoying such a nutritious diet. OF course, George and his buddies were the same enlightened group who declared the tomato poisonous and unfit for humans, while his poorer, but healthier counterparts were eating those with gusto too! Black eyed peas consist of an average of 24% protein, are rich in the amino acids lysine and tryptophan, and are most nutritious when eaten in combination with cereals. The Southern custom of serving peas with cornbread or rice is a tradition that is actually healthy.


If you have never eaten black eyed peas, you are missing out! Fry up some of these fritters, and you'll see what I mean!

Summer is just around the corner...

Ahoy, me maties! I've been gone awhile, being nothing but lazy. Ugh, and gained back 7of the 16 pounds I'd lost over the last year. Blech. So, since the only thing is for me to get my patootie back in gear, I'm back, renewed! A slate of new vegan cookbooks from the library have me re-energized, so here I am, in all my goddess glory, ready to renew my commitment to health (wealth and happiness...!) Back to my cardio, onward to my yoga, upward to my strength training!

First, a tidbit on why being vegan is the best way to go: because a vegan diet reverses heart disease. On the American Heart Association (AHA) diet, which includes meat, patients' arteries continue to clog, while Dr. Dean Ornish's vegan diet unclogs arteries. In one study, AHA dieters experienced a 28% average worsening of clogged arteries, while dieters on Ornish's program experienced an 8% improvement in their arteries. (PETA - Reasons to Go Vegetarian)

Dr. Oz told a recent vegan convert that everything can be reversed. If that is the case, and I believe it is, then why would anyone who has, or is at risk for, certain life threatening conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer that can be avoided, stopped, even reversed by becoming vegan, wouldn't become vegan? It seems like such a no-brainer to me, yet most Americans continue to eat the standard diet, or worse, follow such unhealthy diets like the Atkins diet. I think much of it is peer pressure, often from family. Often, when families gather, it is centered around food, most notably holidays. Ham at Easter, turkey at Thanksgiving, ham, goose or duck at Christmas. Holiday cookouts, like July 4. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, in her book, The Vegan Table, cautions we have a tendency to romanticize these traditions. While no one wants to be seen as contributing to animal cruelty, it seems safe enough to shroud our violence against animals in the sanctity of Tradition. Shirley Jackson's tale, The Lottery, points rather vividly to our tendency to cling blindly to meaningless rituals and participation in pointless violence. When one of the characters states how there has always been a lottery, in defense against another village that has ended the tradition of their own lottery, it reminds me of how often I have heard the reasoning given by meat eaters - "We ALWAYS have turkey at Thanksgiving!" or "How can you celebrate the 4th without hot dogs and hamburgers? It's un-American!" or, my favorite, "Man has always eaten meat!"

Albert Schweitzer said, "The thinking [person] must oppose all cruel customs, no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo." We must remember that just because something always has been, doesn't mean it always should be. Food can still be the centerpiece to our gatherings and celebrations, but we can make them gentler, kinder, healthier! The summer is nearing with the rising temperatures just around the corner. I look forward to the thirst quenching iced teas, the crunch of delectable salads, and the sensual juiciness of fruits as they run down my chin. I also look forward to the sights and smells of my husband grilling in the backyard, the feel of cool water as I jump into the neighborhood pool, and the bright colors as more plants reveal their blooms. These are what make summer memories for me. And it is all cruelty free!