Tofu with the tasty and healthy benefits of BASIL!

Did you know that the Japanese word tofu comes from the chinese word doufu which means fermented, or curdled, bean? In any case--although tofu originated in China, it was introduced to Japan during the 11th century.

Here is a very basic Japanese recipe for tofu we hope you enjoy. The recipe is courtesy of http://www.tofu-recipe.com/, where you can find lots of other wonderful recipes as well. Enjoy!

photo courtesy hort.purdue.edu

BTW--Lots of health benefits in those little basil leaves. Not only do you get the wonderful flavor (so familiar to all of you enjoy pesto!), but it turns out basil offers protection against unwanted bacterial growth. The flavonoids provide protection at the cellular level. Two water soluble flavonoids--Orientin and vicenin--protect cell structures and chromosomes from radiation and oxygen-based damage.

In an article published on the Whole Foods website mention is made of studies published in the February 2004 issue of Food Microbiology, which showed that washing produce in a solution containing either basil or thyme essential oil at the very low concentration of just 1% resulted in dropping the number of Shigella, an infectious bacteria that triggers diarrhea and may cause significant intestinal damage. The suggestion here is to add thyme to your recipes--particularly those that are not cooked (like salads!)
 

Basil Tofu

- 5 green onions, minced
- 6 or 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 package firm low-fat tofu, well-drained, sliced and marinated in soy sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed chili pepper sauce (sambal oelek)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
cooked brown rice

Cook onions and garlic in water or stock or vinegar until tender. Add marinated tofu and cook another 5-10 minutes. Stir in basil, chili pepper sauce and soy sauce and heat through. Serve over brown rice.