Tofu Revisited

Thanks to Sandy for answering my mom's questions in yesterday's comments section. Her information was so in depth, I thought I would post it here to make sure it gets read. I have also included two recipes I found which look quite simple(www.recipegoldmine.com). I haven't tested them yet, so if you do, let us know how they turn out!

From cook and conservationist extraordinaire, Sandy...

The four places I've seen tofu placed, in a "regular" supermarket (we have Safeway and Lucky [Savemart] here in SF), are in the produce section, near the bagged lettuce and cut-up veggies; in the Oriental produce section; in the refrigerated case next to the eggs, sometimes next to dairy; and in the meat department in the "fake meat" section. I get mine from Trader Joe's, which is placed between the cheese and dip sections.

If you're lucky, you'll find several kinds of tofu to select from. If possible, stay away from the vacuum packed tofu (looks like packed in a juice box). That kind is designed for long shelf life, and tastes inferior to the fresh tofu that is packed in water in a plastic tub. You can also buy fresh tofu by the block from the Asian supermarkets.

Calorie wise, tofu contains 320 calories per pound. Ground beef, the 80%lean/20%fat kind, weighs in at 1152 calories per pound. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_calories_are_in_one_pound_of_ground_beef. As a bonus, tofu can be a source of calcium; look for calcium sulfate in the ingredients list. A double bonus is that tofu, which contains estrogen, can alleviate some symptoms of menopause.

(Warning to Jen: several studies have indicated that eating too much soy in the early stages of pregnancy *may* interfere with male reproductive system formation. I guess estrogen doesn't play nice with testosterone. That Venus and Mars thing again! I digress....)

Price wise, Trader Joe's organic firm tofu sells for $1/lb. Regular tofu sold at the big supermarkets costs a little more. Regular 80/20 ground beef here costs $2.69-$3/lb. 90/10 organic ground beef costs $4-$5/lb.

My next post will be how I use tofu, including how I got my Mid-West husband, raised on Velveeta and Wonder Bread, to eat tofu.


Cheese Tofu Casserole
1/2 block tofu (10 to 12 ounce), well drained
1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice tofu into 6 pieces. Blot tofu slices with absorbent paper to remove excess water. Brush an oblong baking dish with butter or margarine. Arrange tofu slices in the dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the tofu. Sprinkle cheese over the sauce. Top with soft bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow the casserole to set for 10 minutes before serving.


Italian Casserole
1 pound firm tofu
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon parsley
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 quart spaghetti sauce
1/2 pound large shell macaroni
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

Drain and mash tofu.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add tofu and all spices. Mix well and stir until tofu stops steaming (5 to 10 minutes).

Add one cup of spaghetti sauce and simmer 5 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil macaroni until tender.

In a 2-quart baking dish, layer 1/2 of the cooked macaroni, 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 of the tofu mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat, using all remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce bubbles.