Tofu Yu Holiday Platters!

Veggie Wraps

Winter holidays are truly around the corner. Picture these on your holiday table. Festive, delicious, and nutritious. Like the idea? We'll make them for you. The toveggie balls come with a curry, chipotle, or garlic/pepper dipping sauce (or all 3).

Organic, gluten-free, fresh, and LOCAL.
$35/per platter. 

Call Kevin at 510-204-9090 for more information and delivery details.

Toveggie Balls (wheat or gluten-free)

So What If You're Not Vegetarian

Just because you're not vegetarian doesn't mean you can't enjoy vegetarian food! I think about this all the time when my meat-eater friends look at me skeptically when I mention a 'vegetarian' food (which in reality simply means that it doesn't have meat, fish, or poultry in it.) Today I noticed something in the NY Times that is right in keeping with how I see it. (We tend to enjoy seeing our own ideas/philosophies reflected in others. ;-))

From the NY Times article "A Vegetarian Thanksgiving, Even for Carnivores": "Michael Anthony, executive chef of Gramercy Tavern in New York City, created a vegetarian tasting menu at his restaurant — but not, he emphasized, to attract vegetarians.
'It’s not a way to pull a niche market into the restaurant, nor is it designed to be an escape from regular food,' Mr. Anthony said. 'It’s meant to be a celebration of vegetables, and a great snapshot of what’s available in the farmers’ market and what’s growing in family farms around our area.' "

So let's skip the labels and just enjoy good food. It's not a matter of being a vegetarian or not, it's a matter of just liking something because it tastes delicious! So enjoy those "vegetarian" sweet potatoes, cranberries, brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie, walnuts, extra dark chocolate, and . . . Have a Great Thanksgiving!


-francine s

Tofu Cutlets

[This quick and easy recipe comes to us from Angel, a contributor to Gentle World, for Incredibly Delicious: Recipes for a New Paradigm.] 

(Tofu and tempeh can be used interchangeably, so feel free to mix, match and generally experiment until you learn how you like these the best… Once you get the basic technique down, you’ll find that these are really quick and simple to make.)

Feel free to add some of your favorite seasonings – try making them in Indian, Italian or Chinese style!

1 lb. organic tofu, rinsed & drained

2 Tbsp. tamari or substitute

tahini dressing: 2–3 Tbsp. tahini, 2 Tbsp. water, excess marinade (see below)

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

2 Tbsp. bran

garlic powder, to taste

onion powder, to taste

2 tsp. salt-free herb seasoning such as Spike

favorite seasonings (optional)

1.  Cut tofu into six slices and marinate in tamari for 10 minutes.

2.  Make tahini dressing, using excess tamari from marinade. Spread on one side of each cutlet. Add half the nutritional yeast, bran and seasonings.

3.  Place each cutlet, coated side down, in an oiled frying pan on medium heat.

4.  While frying, coat the exposed cutlet sides with the remaining dressing, yeast, bran and seasonings. Cook until browned. Flip; cook 5 more minutes.

(You can skip the frying and make an equally delicious version by simply baking the cutlets on a baking sheet lined with paper. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350º for about 25–30 minutes, but make sure you coat both sides of the cutlets.)

• Variation ~ Dip tofu slices in thick tahini dressing. Dip in breading. Pan fry.

Yields 7 cutlets.

Turkey Feathers

• Native Americans first domesticated turkeys around 800 B.C.
• Turkeys weren't initially used for their meat, but rather their feathers.

Really interesting article by Jennifer Viegas on Discovery News about the domestication of turkeys. It looks like two different native American groups--in south central Mexico and what is now the southwestern portion of the U.S., were raising them around the same time and could have even been in contact with each other, sharing turkey-raising tips.

So it could very well be that those of us who eat turkey in the U.S. are eating the descendants of turkeys raised by the Aztecs!


- francine s

Tofu Pasta w/ Lemon and Arugula

The idea of it is fun. But wait 'till you taste it. If you get the Tofu Yu pesto pasta, chances are it won't even make it to the heating stage, because you'll be eating it right out of the bag.

12 oz tofu pasta (plain or pesto)
2 cups arugula, finely shredded (or basil, or a mixture of both)
1 T. finely chopped lemon zest
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (more if you like/love garlic!)
1 small red chili, seeded and finely chopped (more if you like things HOT!)
1 tsp. chili oil
5 Tbs. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Steam heat the tofu pasta (Tofu Yu pasta is already cooked and ready to eat).

Combine the arugula, lemon zest, garlic, chili, chili oil, olive oil, and 2/3 of the grated Parmesan in a large bowl and mix together gently.

Add the tofu pasta to the arugula and lemon mixture and stir together well. Serve topped with remaining Parmesan and season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper.

Serves 4 (unless you've been munching on it throughout the preparation, in which case who knows how many it will serve! :-))

-francine s

Make Your Own Tofurkey!

[this recipe thanks to Natalie on vegweb.com]

Even if you love turkey, this recipe stands on its own merits. Give it a try!

Traditional Tasting Tofurkey

    Roast:
    5 (12-ounce) blocks firm or extra firm tofu [editor's note: Tofu Yu plain tofu is firm]
    1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs (I use savory, rosemary, sage and basil)
    1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable stock powder or vegan chicken stock
    2 teaspoons vegan poultry seasoning, or more to taste
    salt, to taste
    pepper, to taste

    Marinade:
    1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    1/4 - 1/2 cup red wine
    1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (same as you used in tofu)
    1 tablespoon veg stock powder dissolved in a couple tablespoons of hot water
    salt and pepper to taste
    1 teaspoon of mustard (Dijon or seed works best)
    add a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes if you like (I always do)

Directions:

1. Roast: Blend tofu in blender or food processor until lumps are gone. You can mash by hand, but I prefer to blend it for a better consistency. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in herbs, vegetable stock powder poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.

2. Line a medium, round bottomed colander with one layer of cheese cloth or a clean dish towel. Put the tofu mixture in colander and fold remaining cheese cloth over the top. Place the colander on a plate (to catch excess water being squeezed out) and put a heavy weight on top. Put in the fridge and press for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight if possible.

3. After pressing and with the tofu still in the colander, scoop out the center, leaving about an inch of tofu around the edges. Place your stuffing in the cavity. Put the tofu mixture you scooped out over the stuffing and press down firmly.

4. Flip the formed turkey on to an oiled cookie sheet, use the excess tofu to form the turkey legs and wings for an added turkey look. 

5. Marinade: In a bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Taste and adjust spices to taste, if necessary. Brush the whole turkey with the marinade.

6. Cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit about 1-1/2 hours, brushing with marinade every 15 minutes or whenever you remember to.

The turkey can cook for as long as you need it to. Once, I let mine cook all day, basting it about every half hour or so and it turned out great. I usually put it in the oven as I'm starting the rest of the meal. By the time the potatoes and all the veggies are done, the turkey is ready to go.

Serves: 6 or so people; Preparation time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 1-1/2 hours

Chronicle piece about Artisan Tofu

San Francisco Chronicle food writer Tara Duggan wrote a good article recently about the growing artisan tofu market. Tofu Yu was mentioned, along with a bit of information about TofuYu founders Kevin Stong and Helen Yu.

Not that long ago, tofu was the subject of much derision in Western cultures. Not anymore. Athough let's face it--in its natural state, it can look like a rather uninteresting glob of gelatinous stuff. The reality is, tofu, along with other soy products, is not only an extremely versatile and tasty food, it's packed with nutrition. And when you consider how inexpensive it is compared to other protein foods, it's extremely cost-effective. And keep in mind that protein is only one of the benefits of eating tofu.

In a 2010 Chinese study, mentioned in U.S. News, it was found that "For women past menopause who have had breast cancer, a higher intake of soy may help reduce the risk of the disease's recurrence." The study findings were published Oct. 18 in CMAJ (the Canadian Medical Association Journal).

The article goes on to say that the study was not large and involved only women who were receiving medical care in Chinese.

Marji McCullough, a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society is quoted in the U.S. News article, "Chinese women may have been likely to have a lifelong high consumption of soy. We don't know whether starting on a diet high in soy after a breast cancer diagnosis would have the same effect as eating a lifelong diet high in soy."


McCullough goes on to say that according to current American Cancer Society guidelines, which are under review, up to three servings a day of soy foods is considered safe. But women are advised to avoid the high soy dose found in more concentrated sources such as soy powders and isoflavone.

-fs

It's About Quinoa

Once called "the gold of the Incas," quinoa is high in protein. And that's not all--it's a complete protein, meaning that it has all nine of the essential amino acids. It's especially loaded with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. It's a very good source of manganese as well as magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus. So indications are that it can help people with migraine headaches, diabetes, and arterioscelerosis.

Quinoa is also a good source of riboflavin (also known as B2), which is necessary for proper energy production within cells.

Quinoa is gluten-free and easy to digest.

Look for red quinoa salad from Tofu Yu at the Farmers Market and other local markets!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

Thanks to the New York Times for this gorgeous and mouth-watering collection of vegetarian recipes. If you try one, we'd love to get your feedback!http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/08/health/20101108_thanksgiving.html