Tofu Haters

Today as I was eating left-over stir fry with veggies, rice, tofu and curry sauce for lunch, I overheard a conversation between two tofu haters.  They were talking about how much they dislike tofu and their tricks for culinary disguise.

I often hear people diss tofu, but I’m still not sure why.  It seems to me the most unassuming food with very few drawbacks and many benefits.  Some people claim they dislike the “texture”, some people dislike the taste and others I think just have a negative association with what they consider the culture of tofu.  Also, many people are unsure of how to prepare it.  On that note, I am providing a very quick tofu recipe that we use every week in our house:

1. Buy a package of extra firm tofu.  It will be refrigerated and at my Chicago grocery store, is found in the produce section.  You may have to ask, depending on where you live and your location’s general tofu-acceptability. 
2. Open the package, drain the water and place the whole block on a cutting board.   Gently squeeze the tofu block with a paper towel to get out any excess water. 
3. With a sharp knife, cut the block into bite-sized squares and place in a single layer in a glass baking pan.    You don’t need to add oil or anything.  I may sprinkle some soy or teriyaki sauce on top if I feel like it. 
4.  Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes or so.  I don’t even bother to flip the squares while they cook.  Take them out and mix them into your dish.  They go great with vegetables, rice with a little sauce.

If you buy extra firm tofu and bake it as I recommend, it is pretty chewy and has a very different texture from what you started with (the white slippery stuff).  Tofu doesn’t have a strong taste in my opinion – it will take on whatever sauce or seasoning you introduce to it.  You could use a curry or peanut sauce, something spicy with chilies, a sweet Teriyaki or salty soy sauce.  You could also use some ginger or garlic; whatever you like!  Tofu is high in protein, goes easily with many dishes and flavors and has health promoting compounds called “isoflavones” that may provide cardiovascular benefits.  

We circulate it into our weekly recipes along with other dinners - some with meat, some without.  I do not eat it every day; I eat it in moderation, I really enjoy it, and I believe that more people would too if they gave it a fair chance.

 

Grimod the Gourmand: Why don't we study famous foodies like we do other historical figures?

“Life is so brief that we should not glance either too far backwards or forwards…therefore study how to fix our happiness in our glass and in our plate.”

- Grimod de la Reynière (1758–1837)

Born the son of a famous French architect, Reyniere developed a fondness for fancy, extravagant, and theatrical dinner parties.  He was also the first known public food critic and restaurant guide, publishing information about where to eat out and shop for food in Paris.  Like many other famous food writers later in history, he wrote lyrically about dining out, entertaining, food preparation and where to buy food. 

Reyniere came from a very rich family and had a lot of connections and friends; he thew 5 hour dinners at his house each week with this lucky society.  One of my favorite things he is famous for is throwing mock-funeral dinners - he even threw one for himself!  Apparently he created lavish invitations, lit candles, decorated with a black tablecloth, and even had a coffin at the event  That's a theme dinner party I haven't thought of..... 

Finally, and perhaps most oddly, he supposedly passed away at his own table at the age of 80 on Christmas day after dinner.  You can't make this stuff up! 

Ps. I am eating brie on a baguette as I am studying this fascinating man - Reyniere would be proud I think.

"Kid Food" in the Pediatric Rotation

I’m in my Pediatrics rotation now at a Chicago hospital and it is fabulous!  I never really imagined myself working with children, but what I love the atmosphere in the hospital;  there is a lot of importance placed on being gentle with the patients and their parents and we do so much education in order to help the kids remain healthy at home.  The majority of the parents I see are highly motivated to make positive changes that will affect their child’s health.  Secondly, I am absolutely fascinated by the interesting conditions that the children present with.  Today, I was remembering which part of the brain is the parietal lobe and what the difference is between the pituitary and pineal gland function.  Of course I've learned these things, but I just don't get a chance to use the information on a daily basis - so enthralling to me. Treating diseases is just different when you are dealing with a person who is very small, fragile and growing; very unlike the predominantly older, male Veterans that I usually work with. 

I have been lucky enough to be able to do “rounds” with the medical team of doctors, nurses, speech therapists, physical therapists and occupational therapists during this rotation.  I have also spent a day with the lactation consultant as one day in the Cystic Fibrosis clinic.  Its great seeing how dietitians work as part of the medical team.  Nutrition is so important to the health of our patients. 

 In honor of my time with the kids, I am going to start presenting some more information on “kid foods”.  This is a touchy subject – people always get offended when I go there…..but it’s really important!  I’m just going to say it:  our kids don’t need to eat chicken nuggets, soda, sugar cereal, chips, and fast food every day.  I took some (secret) pictures at the grocery store for you to prove my point.  Today, I am comparing yogurt to soda.  Please keep in mind that I eat yogurt every day, but I check the labels like crazy and I often use plain yogurt and mix in fruit on my own.  Below is a comparison of Coke vs. yogurt:

Note the calories in the yogurt are higher, understandably, but check out the sugar!  31 vs. 39 is way too close for comfort for my taste.  I prefer to choose varieties of yogurt that are 24 grams of sugar maximum.  Yogurt and other foods are marketed as health foods when they are more comparable to junk foods.

Not all yogurts are created equal.  A plain yogurt will still have 17 grams of sugar (in the form of lactose); that’s your base.  Anything above that is added to sweeten.   Yogurt has some great qualities:  probiotics, protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin D.  You just have to be careful with massive amounts of added sugar and the “kids” yogurts are often the worst!

Just a general suggestion:   beware of cartoon characters, bright colors, and products marketed towards children.  They don’t need “kid food” – they just need whole, healthy foods without a bunch of added sugars and colors.  Start with the yogurt, check your labels, and give your kids just plain, wholesome “food”.  

Incredible, Edible Avocado

I admittedly have a personal history of not loving avocados:  I know, blasphemous!  However, the more I learn about them and tell other people to eat them, I really wanted to find a way to incorporate them into my diet. 

Avocados get a bad rap because they are high in fat.  Forget about it!  ½ an avocado has 161 kcals, 15 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, <1 gram sugar, 2 grams protein, 7 grams fiber,  12 mg calcium and almost 500 mg of potassium!  That’s an impressive line-up.  Like many other foods, it should be eaten in moderation.  But, it should be eaten.

According to Worlds Healthiest Foods, here are some benefits of the avocado:

• Anti-inflammatory
• High in antioxidants
• Supports heart health
• Regulates blood sugars
• Anti-cancer properties

In order to maximize the benefits of the avocado, be sure to scrape the darkest green colored fruit from the inside of the skin – that’s where the really good stuff is hidden.  In honor of today’s famous American food holiday (Super Bowl), here is my guacamole recipe.  It only takes 10 minutes, is a definite crowd pleaser, and incredibly healthful.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados removed from skin and pit

1 lime, quartered

½ t salt

1 t pepper

½ t cumin

1 large, ripe tomato, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 serrano pepper, diced

Directions

1. In a large bowl squeeze lime juice over avocado slices, toss to coat. (This will help keep the avocado from turning brown).
2. Use a masher or fork to combine salt, pepper, and cumin.  You should mash the avocados completely to the perfect “dipping” consistency. 
3. Fold in tomatoes, cilantro, serrano and garlic.
4. Let sit at room temperature for ~1 hour and serve with chips.