Tofu Learnin' 101

Confession: I'm a recovering tofu hater. I hated tofu so much that I would make fun of people who ate it. Why? Probably because I *innocently* make fun of people way too much. Also, I think, because I didn't understand how simple it was. Cooking with it just seemed way too complicated. I mean, I would have had to go to the store... buy tofu... and do who-knows-what with it. 
Flash forward a few years and I realized that there were all kinds of cooking blogs out there with awesome recipes and tutorials and general kitchen knowledge that I could benefit from! Once I read a few tips on cooking tofu, I was ready to go and now it is easy as tofu pie!
My one beef (pun intended) with tofu is that it takes a certain amount of foresight. I like mine dense, so I like to press it for a couple hours. If you're anything like me, you might have motivation to cook now, but who knows how you'll feel in a couple hours. Unfortunately, they've yet to invent self-pressing or pre-pressed tofu, so I generally start pressing when we start running low on food. If my motivation leaves me high and dry, I just refrigerate it and the next day I'll pick up where I left off!

Tofu Tips:

• Pressing your tofu is essential if you want it to be dense; the longer you press, the firmer it will be
• Tofu presses best if under moderate weight for a longer amount of time. I used to think that if I just put something really heavy on it, then it would press faster... I squished a lot of tofu that way! Now I use a cast iron skillet instead of a cast iron Dutch oven!
• To press tofu:

               -Drain tofu and place it on a towel

               -Fold the towel over the tofu and set something heavy on top (bag of flour, books,etc.)

               -Let tofu sit for at least 30 minutes or overnight

• The shelf stable tofu is best in sauces, dips and desserts. The extra firm cooks up okay, but I feel like the tofu from the fridge cooks much better. 
• Tofu will take on any flavor, so you can marinate it, toss it in a spice blend, serve it with a sauce... Flavor it how you would flavor any other protein. 
• To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut into cubes or slice into steaks (be sure to flavor it!). Bake for 10 minutes, flip the tofu and bake for 10 more minutes.
• Yes, tofu does fry very well, but I cannot condone doing that to such a healthy chunk of soy!

Tofu Scramble

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 T Bragg's or soy sauce
• 1t Turmeric
• pepper, to taste
• 2 cups assorted veggies, chopped (optional)
• Sriracha, to taste (optional)

1.) While tofu presses, prepare your onion, garlic and veggies (if using)

2.) Saute the veggies until soft, splashing with water if they start to stick

 

3.) Once veggies are soft, crumble the tofu into the pan, breaking up any large pieces with the spatula

4.) Add the turmeric, Bragg's and Sriracha and cook over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes (until the tofu is warmed through); season to taste with salt and pepper

Scrambled tofu is great eaten alone, in a breakfast wrap or sandwich, or tossed with a salad and topped with avocado! 

As you can see, this meal is FAST. Like, ready in about 10 minutes fast! That is, unless you've forgotten to press your tofu!

Garden Prep

It's finally time to get outside and start some garden planning! My yard is a mess and I still have plants in the ground from last season that I never dealt with and our compost hasn't been turned in months... where to start?! SEEDS! Might as well start with the thing that takes no effort but lots of time. I know that seeds seem like a hassle, but it's so worth it when you go to eat your first tomato off of a plant that you've nurtured from the beginning (kind of like the feeling you get when your kid graduates college, i'm sure)!   
There are so many different vessels in which to start your seeds these days. Plastic, biodegradable, small, large, soil pellets, organic seed starting mix, etc... it's very easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices you have for starting your seeds. That's when I say, "screw the man!* I'm going rouge with my seeds"! 
To make your own seed starting containers all you need is a can of anything (beans, soup, tomatoes, etc.), newspaper and tape. 

1.) Tear a piece of newspaper in half, longways. Roll can in the paper, leaving a few inches space at the bottom. Tape together when rolled up all the way.

 2.) Fold in the extra paper at the bottom (like you're wrapping a present) and secure with a piece of tape.

3.) Pull out the can, put in some soil and plant your seed!

These are biodegradable, so when your little guy is big enough to go in the ground, just tear the bottom back a bit and put him in a hole! 

As far as what soil to use, I always get an organic brand, but I don't worry about whether it's specifically for seeds or not. Seed starters are mixed with peat moss to make it lighter, but as long as you're not over-watering, any organic soil will be fine. Remember: always use a spray bottle or mister when watering seeds and seedlings!

*"the man"- big-box stores who want to confuse you so that you'll just buy everything

My Kind of Butter

All work and no play means we have not been doing much cooking! We've been out of town and busy with work and getting the yard ready for planting, so we've been living off beans and rice and hummus (which is fine by me). There is one thing, however, that I always have time to make... almond butter! 
If you're anything like I am, you're no stranger to the beauty of a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. Being a teenage vegetarian who didn't like vegetables, peanut butter was a lifeline. Unfortunately, most peanut butter is full of sugar and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, so in eliminating processed foods, out went the peanut butter.
I started buying almond butter because I had heard about how good almonds are for you. They help stabilize blood sugar (reducing cravings), they are full of healthy fats and they regulate blood pressure and cholesterol. The downside was that almond butter is expensive! It was too costly of an addiction to continue buying it, so I decided to start making it. Honestly, it is effortless to make- all you need is a food processor!

Cinnamon Almond Butter

makes about 2 cups

1 lb bag whole raw almonds
1 T cinnamon
1 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place almonds in a cast iron skillet or on a sheet tray and roast for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Let cool for 10 minutes, but don't let them cool completely. They should still be warm.

Put almonds in the food processor and let it go! It's not the best sound in the world, but you get used to it.  

Stop and scrape the sides if it's sticking

About halfway!

Process for 5-10 minutes. Some batches come together quick and some take longer. Once it has "butterized" add the cinnamon and salt and pulse to bring it all together. 

The longer you let it spin, the runnier it will get. This batch was for Jon because he likes his more solid. If it was for me, I would have let it go a couple more minutes. Forget about runny eggs- runny almond butter is so much better tasting and better for you!