If you follow this blog, you know what a big fan I am of tofu. Perfect in appetizers, desserts, fancy dinners, sandwiches and more, tofu is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen.  Most people I work with, don’t get tofu. They either don’t know what to do with it or are unsure how to work with the flavor, or lack of flavor. Don’t fear. The beauty of tofu is that it can be pretty much anything you would like it to be: pudding, sauces, ricotta, steaks, think of tofu as the new “chicken”. Besides being less expensive than meat protein, tofu is also lower in calories, cholesterol and saturated fat free.

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I think it’s appropriate to address the discussion on soy foods and breast cancer. Soyfoods contain large amounts of isoflavones, also referred to as plant estrogens or phytoestrogens. You can find them in a variety of foods, but soy is a very rich source. It’s important to note that isoflavones are not estrogen, though their chemical structure is similar to the hormone estrogen. Both isoflavones in soy and estrogen bind and activate estrogen receptors on cells. Estrogen, the hormone, will bind to any receptor in the body, while isoflavones are more particular and tend to bind to only one type of receptor. The difference in receptors demonstrates how isflavones and estrogen behave differently in the body. This is also why isoflavones are called SERMs, selective estrogen receptor modulators.

There a a multitude of studies that demonstrate the safety of soyfoods, in particular their benefit for those who have breast cancer.  A recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that among Chinese breast cancer patients, those who consumed the most soyfoods were about 30% less likely to die from breast cancer or to experience breast cancer recurrence over a four year period compared to patients with the lowest intake of soy. Personally, I favor natural soy foods, those that have been minimally processed: tofu, tempeh, soymilk, edamame, over textured soy protein and the like.

This milkshake is super creamy, thanks to the addition of silken tofu and a frozen banana. I call it a milkshake, but I tend to drink this as a after-run morning smoothie. I usually dislike the chalky taste of protein powder, this milkshake tastes delicious and has the same protein as those other “shakes”.

Chocolate Tofu Milkshake

Ingredients: (makes two milkshakes)
1 cup silken tofu (I like mori-nu brand)
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp. liquid sweetener of choice
1 frozen banana
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 cup ice

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend baby blend until you get a silky, creamy milkshake. About 90 seconds using a high powered blender. Feel free to adjust liquid to make it thicker/thinner to your liking.

Cookbook Contest:

Want to win this awesome cookbook, packed with tofu recipes? To enter: follow DK on facebook/twitter. In the comment section below, what is your favorite tofu dish? If you have never tried it before, what dish would you like to try? Contest ends October 20th!

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Soyfoods Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Ever tried Kimchi?

No?

Of course you probably haven’t! Unless you enjoy Korean food or are excited to try new things, this ingredient might be completely foreign to you. Let’s be honest, fermented cabbage  doesn’t usually scream “delicious” if you haven’t tried it before.

This is one of those ‘you just have to trust me’ kinda dishes. Kimchi is typically made with cabbage and daikon radish, but I’ve seen some varieties include a lot of other vegetables as well. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter that much which one you go with, but try to find a napa cabbage based variety for this dish.

If you want to impress your friends and family. (“Who me? Fermenting cabbage on a school night? You don’t do the same?”) You can follow the tons of homemade Kimchi recipes available online.  If you want to leave the fermenting to the pros, head to your local Whole Foods or Asian Market for a jar of it.

I don’t think we eat enough fermented foods and am hoping you will join me in changing that. Why are they so important?  Here’s the deal.  Everyone has  microflora (bacteria) in our intestine which is key to keeping us healthy and to help fight off the “bad” bacteria. Fermented foods help to keep the “good” bacteria thriving and our microflora balanced. This is especially true for those who take antibiotics, their job is to kill the bacteria in your body, regardless of whether it is “good” or “bad.”

Kimchi Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup napa-cabbage Kimchi (homemade or prepared)
3 cups of leftover cooked rice (brownie points for brown rice)
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
8 oz. firm tofu, crumbled or chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp. butter (I like Earth Balance brand)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. Sirarcha
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce

In a large saute or wok, heat the butter over medium high heat . Add the kimchi and fry for 1-2 minutes, add the onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes more. Add the tofu and saute 2-3 more minutes. Add the rice, soy sauce, Sirarcha, scallions and cook until heated through.

Enjoy!

Living in an 100+ year old townhouse has its charms: Quant living space, decorative molding, ornate door fixtures, and I’m pretty sure it’s haunted. Not included in this list is the zero storage space, few electric outlets, and lack of central air. Our tiny window air-conditioner doesn’t get much use from October to June, but once summer rolls around it’s almost impossible not to turn it on. I swear, most nights I feel like I should be renting out our living room to a hot yoga studio or sauna.

I will also freely admit that we go out to eat a lot more often during the warmer months as turning on the oven makes the entire house an inferno well into the wee-hours of the morning.  Therefore, you’ll see why I was very excited to see this month’s Recipe Redux theme: No Cook Meals. Please, I’ve been doing just that since June 1st! This is a rotating favorite and I cannot get enough of it. Lighter than most greek salads, you’ll want to add this to your favorite summer no-cook salad recipes.

Greek Salad

Marinade:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Scant 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use the good stuff)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. juice from Kalamata olives, below
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
salt/pepper

Salad Ingredients:

1 can White Northern beans (Cannellini beans), rinsed and drained
1 English cucumber (or other thin-skinned variety), seeded and sliced into chunks
2 bell-peppers (red, yellow, orange, preferably), diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and rough chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
Tofu-feta or Feta cheese- optional

Place the vegetables and feta (if using) into a large bowl. Combine all of the marinade ingredients except for the olive oil. Slowly whisk the olive oil into the marinade ingredients until thick. Pour over the vegetables and let sit for at least 1 hour.

To make this even more “light,” pour out the marinade that has shifted to the bottom of the bowl.

What are your go-to no-cook meals?

Hope you all have been enjoying the potato recipes thus far. If you missed the last two postings, we had Purple Potato Eater Salad and Spicy Thai Salad. This last one is more of a traditional potato salad, without the cups of mayo and/or hard boiled eggs. Instead of weighing down the potatoes with heavy toppings, this light salad lets the potato flavor shine.

I used a mix of potatoes, yellow potatoes, red potatoes, and a sweet potato. The sweet potato gives the salad a sweet flavor without adding extra sugar.

Have you tried any of these salads yet? Which one has been your favorite?

Lightened-Up Mixed Potato Salad

4 medium red skinned potatoes, quartered
2 sweet potatoes, quartered
4 yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayo (Veganaise)
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Pinch salt/freshly ground pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then add the rest of the potatoes and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until just tender to bite through. Remember, potatoes keep cooking even after their boiled.

Drain and cool. I like doing this on a cooled baking sheet to spread the potatoes out in an even layer.

Combine the mayo, cayenne pepper, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, onion powder and garlic powder together in a food processor or blender. With the blade running, pour in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and continue to mix until the dressing looks creamy. Toss with the cooled potatoes and add scallions, parsley and salt/pepper to taste. Toss to combine, and place in the fridge to cool for ~1 hour before serving.

Disclosure Statement: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the United States Potato Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.