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Carbon footprint of food you buy - Admin - 12-02-2021

Found this interesting

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46459714


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Vinny - 12-02-2021

I'm justified in eating my chips then. Big Grin


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Eyren - 12-02-2021

I switched to a mostly plant-based diet a couple of years ago  Cool

Apart from a few things like avocados and tomatoes, most of the food I eat is low down on those graphs. Another good reason to grow my own toms!


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - JJB - 12-02-2021

Oh dear, I'm as guilty as hell. Not too much beef but loads of chicken. Must try harder.


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Eyren - 12-02-2021

I have to admit that while I've always liked beans & chickpeas & lentils, I never in a million years expected to enjoy tofu - until I discovered how to cook it in ways I like.

With extra-firm tofu, ideally you freeze it and thaw it again, which gives it a better texture, then you slice it into bite-sized squares no thicker than 1cm, marinate it in soy sauce, ginger and garlic, then stirfry it. The end result is not that dissimilar to chicken, but with a more even texture since there are no muscle fibres.

Or you can marinate the squares with soy sauce and Italian herbs, sear on a cast-iron griddle and use on a salad (or tacos, or whatever) instead of chicken. (I know the marinade sounds an odd combination, but the soy sauce gives the tofu a nice savoury umami flavour.)

I also make tofu scramble with softer tofu, as a spicy substitute for scrambled eggs.

I don't miss meat at all - but please don't ask me to give up cheese Big Grin


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Vinny - 12-02-2021

(12-02-2021, 12:01 PM)Eyren Wrote: I have to admit that while I've always liked beans & chickpeas & lentils, I never in a million years expected to enjoy tofu - until I discovered how to cook it in ways I like.

With extra-firm tofu, ideally you freeze it and thaw it again, which gives it a better texture, then you slice it into bite-sized squares no thicker than 1cm, marinate it in soy sauce, ginger and garlic, then stirfry it. The end result is not that dissimilar to chicken, but with a more even texture since there are no muscle fibres.

Or you can marinate the squares with soy sauce and Italian herbs, sear on a cast-iron griddle and use on a salad (or tacos, or whatever) instead of chicken. (I know the marinade sounds an odd combination, but the soy sauce gives the tofu a nice savoury umami flavour.)

I also make tofu scramble with softer tofu, as a spicy substitute for scrambled eggs.

I don't miss meat at all - but please don't ask me to give up cheese Big Grin
Just bought my first ever block of Tofu in this weeks shop! Sounds like some canny cooking ideas for it Eyren. Cool


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Veggie - 12-02-2021

I have made Tofu from soybeans though haven't for a few years now.
Its something like making cheese as you turn cooked soy beans into curds and whey. The curds can be soft or hard pressed into tofu depending on preference. You also end up with Okara from the leftover soybeans which can be added to cereals and the whey which is like a thin soy milk.
I once turned a bag of soybeans into enough food to feed me for a week..............or that's how it seemed at the time.Wink


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Eyren - 12-02-2021

(12-02-2021, 02:05 PM)Vinny Wrote: Just bought my first ever block of Tofu in this weeks shop! Sounds like some canny cooking ideas for it Eyren. Cool

Go for it!

This is where I got my original tofu recipe - the video is worth watching as it explains a lot about how to cook with tofu in general.

(BTW, the couple in this video lost an insane amount of weight going plant-based - I wish I could say the same, but I'm married to a Scotsman who loves his carbs and desserts!)

 

Written recipe: https://krocksinthekitchen.com/2019/05/22/recipe-crispy-baked-italian-tofu-oil-free-vegan/

If you don't have liquid aminos or coconut aminos, you could use reduced-salt soy sauce or a smaller amount of soy diluted with stock or water (aminos are less salty than soy).

The Krocks (that's their real surname, honest!) are also responsible for the "Grilled Chicken" tofu recipe (as mentioned in my previous post).

Lastly, there's my go-to tofu scramble recipe (N.B. there's a video version as well, but Sam the presenter is a little, ahem, enthusiastic so you might just want to read the blog instead!)

I usually make the plain version and serve it with other things in a vegan full English, but it's nice with the added veggies and black beans as well.

WARNING: this is an American recipe, and includes American chilli powder, which is a lot milder than the stuff you buy here. US chilli powder is kind of like the Tex-Mex equivalent of curry powder - a mix of herbs and spices for quick'n'easy flavouring of dishes. British chilli powder is typically 95% cayenne pepper with a dash of cumin - do not use US quantities of it in a recipe unless you want to blow your head off! You can find recipes online for making your own US-style chilli blend, which usually feature milder chillies like ancho, pasilla, guajillo and chipotle as well as hotter varieties such as cayenne.


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Veggie - 12-02-2021

Never heard of "aminos" but an "invented" food puts me off!
" Liquid aminos are an unfermented liquid soy product invented by health food pioneer Paul Bragg and is a soy sauce alternative preferred by many health aficionados."

I like firm tofu, sliced into...........erm, slices, dipped in soy sauce and coated with sesame seeds - then fried until crusty.


RE: Carbon footprint of food you buy - Eyren - 12-02-2021

(12-02-2021, 04:27 PM)Veggie Wrote: Never heard of "aminos" but an "invented" food puts me off!
" Liquid aminos are an unfermented liquid soy product invented by health food pioneer Paul Bragg and is a soy sauce alternative preferred by many health aficionados."

I like firm tofu, sliced into...........erm, slices, dipped in soy sauce and coated with sesame seeds - then fried until crusty.

Well, presumably someone invented soy sauce in the dim and distant past  Tongue

Mmm, crusty tofu!