Garden And Gossip Forums

Found this interesting

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

I'm justified in eating my chips then.

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

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!

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

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

(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

Just bought my first ever block of Tofu in this weeks shop! Sounds like some canny cooking ideas for it Eyren.

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.

(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.

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/2019/05/2...ree-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.

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.

(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 

Mmm, crusty tofu!