Made with organic soybeans, fresh and local Ingredients

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Greek (tofu) salad

by Francine

photo via greenmarketrecipes.com

Simple,  tasty, and nutritious, this salad is sure to please. One of the reasons we love it is because of the dominant ingredient--tomatoes. Choose your favorite--any variety (mix them up!), but if Heirloom tomatoes are available, be sure to include some of those in the mix. The silken texture and juiciness works so well with olive oil and vinegar. 

The tomato is a nutritious fruit commonly used as a vegetable. It comes to us from the ancient Mayans. The vegetable has incredible phyto-chemical properties with more health-benefiting properties than those found in apples. Tomatoes are an excellent source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. The fruit is often recommend  in cholesterol-controlling and weight-reduction programs. Antioxidants present in tomatoes help protect against cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumors.

Fresh tomato is very rich in potassium. 100 g contain 237 mg of potassium and just 5 mg of sodium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control a healthy heart rate and blood pressure. Also, keep in mind that some blood-pressure medications actually have a tendency to decrease the potassium in our bodies. So maintaining healthy levels of potassium in our bodies through the foods we eat is especially important if you're taking one those drugs. (Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about this.)


Dressing
Mix together: 

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar (or Balsamic)
salt to taste
juice of one lemon
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano 

Pour the dressing over:
1 lb, tofu, cut in 3/4" cubes

Marinate for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally

Wash, core, and cut into wedges:
3 fresh tomatoes

Wash and slice thin:
3 cucumbers

Add these to the marinated tofu along with:
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 cup Greek or black olives

Toss and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Resources:

Nutrition and You

 


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Super healthy, super-food quinoa salad

by Francine


photo via fresh-fruit-daily.com

You already know tofu is healthy for you in a variety of ways. Now put it in the company of quinoa, kale, avocado, and pomegranate seeds (super foods) and you've created a tasty, easy-to-fix salad that you can make ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator several days! By the way--there are a number of super foods and the lists vary, but you can bet that no one will dispute the benefits of eating the four included in this recipe (kale, quinoa, avocado, and pomegranate seeds).
This recipe was originally posted on Glue and Glitter by Becky Striepe and linked to from care2.com. We added the tofu to the recipe. -fs

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 pkg. tofu
  • 2 packed cups kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup additional olive oil
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook the quinoa in the water or vegetable or chicken broth. (2 cups liquid to one cup quinoa. Rinse quinoa thoroughly through a sieve, then add to liquid. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.) Once cooked, transfer to the large bowl that you’ll be serving your salad in.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the kale, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Coat the kale well, and set it aside to wilt for at least 10 minutes.
  3. When the quinoa has cooled, transfer the kale mixture, pomegranate seeds, avocado, onion, and additional olive oil to the bowl with the quinoa, and toss well. 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Coming to a Farmer's Market Near You

by Francine

photo via thedailygreen.com
You're doing a great thing for the environment and local farmers by shopping locally at farmers markets. In the last15 years in the United States, and particularly in the last 5, these markets are rapidly growing in number. Farmers, shoppers and city planners are aware that these markets provide a vital link between consumers and farmers while also functioning as a vibrant community center. For many people a stop at the farmers market on any given day has become part of the routine. In fact, when it comes to fresh produce--many people make it a point to go to the farmers market first and go their local grocery store only to buy the produce they couldn't find at the farmers market. People are increasingly interested in buying fresh, healthy, locally grown food and sidestepping the middleman.

Farmers markets are an experience unto themselves. Most vendors are delighted to offer samples, tell their customers about where and how the food was grown. It offers us the unique opportunity to ask the questions we have regarding organic certification, how to use the food, taste, etc. Many farmers markets include local artisans and their wares, musicians who perform and such activities for children as balloon artists, face painters, and pony rides.

There is a sense of community at farmers markets that adds delight to buying your food straight from the farmer who grew it, or like in the case of Tofu Yu--straight from the people who made it. In ancient times and currently in many cultures of the world, 'going to market' or the 'bazaar' was/is a big event. People buy and trade, exchange stories with one another, catch up on what's going on in the community. It becomes a meeting place, a center of life. Way more significant than a 'quick stop' at the local grocery store.

Below is Tofu Yu's current farmers market schedule. If you're there stop by to say hello and have a sample of our food. Even if you don't need to buy any tofu that day, we'd love to see you!

Sunday

  • San Francisco, Stonestown
  • 9 AM to 1 PM, year around
  • 20th Avenue, San Francisco 

Monday
  •  San Francisco
  • 12 PM to 5:30 PM
  • UCSF Fremont Plaza Market

Wednesday
  • San Francisco
  • 10 AM to 3 PM, 4/22 to 10/28
  • UCSF Mission Bay, Plaza East of 4th St. and Gene Friend Way
Thursday  *NEW*

Saturday
  • Pleasanton
  • 9 AM to 1 PM, Year Round (alternate weekends beginning 11/27/10)
  • PCFMA, Main and West Angela Streets 
  • San Mateo
  • 9 AM to 1 PM, Year Round 
  • West Hillsdale Blvd. and College of San Mateo Drive (CSM)

Friday, September 7, 2012

Tofu Tower

I don't know about you, but I love the feeling I get when I present food I've prepared for family/friends (even just one person)--and their initial reaction upon seeing it is "Wow!" Although I enjoy making delicious things to eat for myself, there's something wonderful about sharing tasty food. We all like affirmation and compliments, let's face it. And when it's beautiful or otherwise impressive to the eye--it's especially delightful to have someone besides yourself  notice and comment, right? 

Now I doubt that you could put this 'Tofu Tower' on the table without a fair amount of oohs and aaahs from everyone gathered there. But maybe the only way to really find out is to give it a try.

This dazzling recipe was published on care2.com and came from Sara, from Institute of HeartMath.

(Note: Although any of the tofus made by Tofu Yu would work well for this recipe, I personally recommend the plain or the pepper, so that the surrounding flavors can dominate.  - fs)
photo via glutenfreewithjudee.blogspot.com


What you'll need:

1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water
1 ½ lb. tofu, firm
3 ½ cup mushrooms, sliced
12 baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
1 bunch green onions, cut in 3” lengths
¾ cup soy sauce [you can use the low-sodium version and use less as well - fs]
3 tablespoons agave syrup, or sweetener of choice
3 tablespoons olive oil

How to make:
  • Cook brown rice by adding water and rice to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to very low simmer and cook covered until water evaporates, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from heat and let it come to room temperature.
  • Sautee mushrooms on medium heat in 2 tablespoons olive oil until crisp tender, about 10 to fifteen minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • In same saucepan heat soy sauce and heat on medium low until it reduces to half, about 10 minutes. Add agave, then transfer sauce to small measuring cup or pitcher.
  • Cut tofu in 8 to 10  ½ inch slabs. Bake in oiled or sprayed pans along with carrots and green onions (will most likely need two pans.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • Assemble towers by first pressing brown rice into ½ cup round measuring cup (½ cup measurement gives you a wider base to stack upon.) Pop the rice out of the measuring cup and then place the baby carrots in a star pattern. Place a tofu slab on top of carrots, then one onion on each side. Place second tofu slab and top with a small mound of mushrooms. Repeat to make another three portions.
  • Drizzle sauce on top of mushrooms and to the corners of the tofu allowing it to drizzle down the stack.
  • Top with a sprig of cilantro.
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 1 hour