Sunday, July 08, 2012

Sporty Sunday: Tastiest Tofu

I’ve flirted with vegetarianism for over 20 years. Thanks to reading Skinny Bitch, this spring, I am not only vegetarian now, but also vegan. For the most part, this didn’t require large changes in my diet. I really only had to cut out cheese, eggs, and the occasional slice of bacon. However, since dairy and eggs were my main sources of protein, I had to find a substitute. Tofu to the rescue!

I love this simple, versatile tofu recipe because it’s tasty and can easily be added to other dishes to up the protein content. I often use it in stir fries, mixed with leftovers, or just eaten straight out of the wok.

Ginger Garlic Tofu
Adapted from Syd’s recipe on Allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 block firm tofu
2 t oil
2 t minced garlic
2 t minced fresh ginger
2 T soy sauce*
1/2 lime (optional)

Press tofu for 30 minutes to remove excess water. Chop into cubes. Heat oil in wok on medium heat. Stir in garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute. Add tofu, then soy sauce, and stir to coat. Cover. Cook, stirring occaisionally, for 30 minutes.

If desired, squeeze the juice from half a lime over the finished tofu.

This method yields chewy, flavorful tofu with a wonderful, brown sear. Even the Beefy Muchacho likes it.

What's your favorite non-animal protein dish?

*If you're concerned about sodium, try using 1 tablespoon instead of 2 or a low-sodium soy sauce.

Sporty Sunday is a recurring feature in which I share my fitness routine and offer and solicit advice. While this content might seem a little out of place in an outfit diary, a healthy, strong body is the foundation of my wardrobe. I hope to inspire my readers to be fit as well as stylish!

8 comments:

Meshell said...

That sounds like a yummy marinade if you switch the soy sauce with Tamari (gluten free soy sauce with no MSG) and up it by 2 T, add in some water, and a little honey. Marinade the tofu overnight (or longer for yummy factor!) and cook the same method. The extra sauce can be poured in when sauteeing.

My favorite protein go-to are easily legumes and Kale. I have several kale salads throughout the week. Check out choosingraw.com for some amazing nutritional info on vegan and raw recipes (if you're going vegan, might as well learn something about raw because it only gets better!).

Helen said...

I'd love to hear more of your veggie/vegan recipes in addition to the fab daily outfits; as a fellow veggie, I'm always eager to hear other people's recipes - even if the recipes are sometimes difficult for me to convert to UK measurements.

Anonymous said...

If you love tofu, you might like a TofuXpress for pressing tofu. It's spendy, but presses tofu beautifully!

I'm a long-term vegetarian who eats mostly vegan. I love beans and legumes, and recently I've found out that I like tempeh too. (Turtle Island brand is lovely and doesn't seem to require steaming.) Lots of foods have unexpected protein in them, but beans and legumes are so yummy and versatile! I recommend test driving cookbooks from your local library to see if they're your style.

Tara said...

I've gone back and forth but can never really seem to commit. It's something I am, yet again, trying out this summer. Does this mean the Beefy Muchacho is becoming the Beany Muchacho?

Kasmira said...

Tara - he's trying out "Beany." I don't know if it will stick.

Anonymous said...

You probably know this already, but quinoa is a great source of protein. I mostly eat it as a breakfast cereal, but today I had this for lunch: http://www.sweettreatsmore.com/2011/08/bell-pepper-feta-quinoa-salad.html

It would be pretty easy to veganize by swapping in olives for the feta to maintain the saltiness and replacing the lime juice with lemon for a more Mediterranean flavor. I bet it would also be good with some chickpeas instead of avocado.

I'm not vegan or even vegetarian, but I also like this three-bean chili for cooler weather: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/hibernation-fare/

Anonymous said...

Have you tried sesame oil on tofu? it has the same effect as vegetable oil (which I assume you're using) but also adds a really great flavour.

Kasmira said...

Anon - I love dark sesame oil! I'll have to try it on my tofu.