I love most veggies. I am thinking I would like to try tofu. Any ideas would be helpful.I also like lentils. Many beans.Can you tell me what to do with tofu.
I personally do not cook tofu at home often, so I can't give too many tips, but I will share what I know.
Tofu is much like the "water" of solid foods. You can marinate it in anything you want and it will absorb that flavor. You can liquify it to make desserts, you can fry it, you can bake it, you can do just about anything, really! I have tried making "barbecue" tofu sandwiches at home, but they turned out horribly, so I usually buy my tofu already prepared (the kind you simply warm up).
If you're going to be working with 'plain' tofu, you can find tons of tofu recipes online, including the database at fatfree.com.
About a week ago I noticed that Nasoya has a new product out (found it at super walmart) which is already Marinated tofu (4 flavors) cut into bite sized pieces so all you do is add your own rice or noodles and/or perhaps some veggies. There is also a $1.00 off coupon & even more recipes on the website.
Hmm. I eat.... veggies (I like them all), fruits (all except pomegranate), and beans and nuts and seeds, try to get soy in ---soy milk, soy nuts, and soy powder, also flax seed, rice and whole grains, some 'white' things like white rice, and I can't resist sourdough bread---made some today,
I don't eat dairy, eggs or meat, but once in awhile I eat fish. I eat meat (a little) when there is no other alternative.
I love lentils and have them with rice alot to make a whole protein. Or---just peanut butter on whole wheat.
I try to have 8 fruits and veggies a day. You'd be surprised how much this cuts down on what ELSE you can fit in.
I look at tofu as "cottage cheese" and "sour cream." I've made lasagne using tofu as "ricotta," and I've chopped tofu into cubes and added it to a tossed salad. I made a fantastic layered dip, using tofu as the "sour cream" and of course, I have a fan club for my tofu chocolate pudding.
If you like lentils, make a trip to an Indian market! (that's "Indian" as in "next door to Pakistan") You'll find lentils in just about every color of the rainbow! One of my faves is the red lentil. When you cook it, it turns BRIGHT yellow!
We live in a rural area no international foods stores around. I had a soy burger for lunch yesterday. Today I will have sausage and an egg in a pitta. So I will keep my investigation going.
You can ususally buy lentils and veggie soup mixes of dried peas & lentils at health food stores and places like bulk barn. Most grocery stores carry bags of them in the pasta/dry goods section.
Most of the places which carry lentils as you suggested only have one or two kinds. I think it would be worth the trip for adventure purposes alone to find an Indian market to see the rainbow of lentils there! Fern, do you ever go "to the big city" for monthly or so shopping and siteseeing? Add ethnic markets to your list of things to do.
And of course, through the magic of the Internet, there's always online ordering!
Sorry VOW ...I live in the "big City" so my grocery store is one of those uber stores where you can get lost for 2 days - thank goodness they sell food there so you don't starve to death- They have an entire "ethnic" food section featuring asian, Italian, Indian and East Indies items. One of them even has two entire aisles of kosher food and a kosher meat counter/deli! Plus Ellis and I have health food stores and Asian, Indian, Italian, Carribean, Lebanese and Iranian grocery stores within walking distance of our homes.
We are spoiled rotten in the choice of places to grocery shop-
Last edited by mauvaisroux; 11-07-2003 at 02:19 PM.
Boy I have to get out more. I have never had tofu, lentils and a bunch of other stuff. Not even sure what tofu looks like. But I am very adventureous any tips?
I like tofu - but I wish I could get tofu like what they serve at my favourite Thai restaurant. It doesn't have a silken consistency at all. It is very firm and very "dry" (by tofu standards) and has a consistency much like very firmly cooked scrambled eggs (like you'd get in a quiche). It has nooks and crannies that hold the sauce ....
I will eat the silken tofu - and I love "eggless salad" but I'd love to know where our local asian restuarants get their tofu.
I bet the tofu at the restaurant is either frozen and defrosted, or slices of it are placed in a pan, then covered with another pan and weighted, to press the excess liquid out and firm up the texture. Both of these are techniques which will give a more dense, "meaty" texture to tofu.
what do you eat??
...I live in the "big City" so my grocery store is one of those uber stores where you can get lost for 2 days - thank goodness they sell food there so you don't starve to death- 
