Authors: Deborah Madison

This Can't Be Tofu! (22 page)

SERVES 3

You can also add eggs to the pan once the tofu is cooked. Serve in corn or wheat tortillas with your favorite salsa
.

1 carton soft tofu

1½ tablespoons safflower or canola oil

3 tablespoons finely diced onion

1 serrano or 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and diced

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder, or more to taste (optional)

⅛ teaspoon turmeric or curry powder

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

½ cup grated smoked Cheddar or smoked Mozzarella cheese Salsa

1.
Drain the tofu, wrap it in a towel, and press while you gather the rest of your ingredients.

2.
Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion and sauté over high heat for 1 or 2 minutes to sear. Add the chile, cumin, oregano, and ground chipotle, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more.

3.
Crumble the tofu into the pan, sprinkle over the turmeric, and cook, stirring frequently, until dry and firm. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and stir in the cilantro and cheese. Serve with warm tortillas and salsa.

SMOOTHIES AND THEIR COUSINS
,
good at any time, tend to serve as a substitute for the sit-down, solid breakfast. Fortunately, one can find portable sustenance along with good flavor in a smoothie.

While I’ve long been comfortable sipping a smoothie made with soy milk, the idea of drinking pureed tofu did make me nervous. Once I gave it a try, I had to admit that it was pretty good. Good enough that I’m confident that even the most reluctant among us will be pleasantly surprised. Tofu works especially well in drinks that you want to be smooth and creamy (but not made that way with banana), such as those based on coffee or juice. Tofu, however, does have a presence, so strong surrounding flavors are recommended. For this reason you may have better success if you base your smoothies on soy milk, and use tofu in small quantities as a thickener. Silken tofu purees most nicely, but you can use any type except extra-firm regular tofu. One-half to 1 cup are ample for 2 servings.

Don’t take the measurements given here too seriously. They’re just to get you started. After you’ve made one or two smoothies you’ll be concocting your own combinations with flair. You’ll also develop a keen eye for things that used to be bothersome, like a half-pot of espresso that’s gone cold, a little coconut milk begging to be used, a dollop of peanut butter, the tail end of some lemon curd, or a pear that’s grown a little too soft to serve. All of these can be easily turned into delicious beverages.

The ice cubes, by the way, are for making your smoothie cold. Leave them out, if you really don’t care, or briefly freeze the fresh fruit and skip the ice. If you like protein powders and the like, go ahead and add them to your drinks as well.

Mark’s Tofu Shake

SERVES 4

Chef Mark Mattern of Disney World shared his recipe with me for a tofu shake he serves to guests to break the ice before the start of their Healthy Cooking Program. He said that they have absolutely no idea the beverage they were enjoying so much was based on tofu. Such was his success that he uses this recipe at home on his unsuspecting children—with equal success
.

½ box silken tofu (soft or firm both work)

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 medium bananas

1 cup milk (skim, soy milk, or if you’re a fan, buttermilk)

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

½ cup ice cubes

In a food processor or blender, puree the tofu and fruit until smooth, gradually adding the milk to loosen the mixture. Add the honey and ice and continue to blend until smooth.

Peach-Almond Smoothie

SERVES 4

A drop or two of almond extract tastes good with all stone fruits, such as peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, and apricots. Try any of these fruits, alone or together, to make this smoothie
.

¼ pound silken tofu

2 large, juicy ripe peaches or nectarines

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 drops almond extract

1 teaspoon light honey or maple syrup, to taste

1 cup soy milk or buttermilk

½ cup ice

Put the tofu and peaches in the blender with the vanilla and almond extracts and puree until smooth. Add the honey, milk, and ice, continue to blend until smooth, then serve.

Fruits and Flavorings for Smoothies

Many fruits and flavorings keep good company with tofu and soy milk.

FRUITS

guavas

pineapples

plums

apricots

cherries (pitted, of course)

mangoes

papayas

peaches and nectarines

seedless muscat grapes

ripe pears

berries of all kinds

melons

dates

kiwi fruit

JUICES

apple

white grape

cranberry

fruit nectars, such as guava and apricot

coconut and coconut pineapple

mango and papaya

FLAVORINGS AND ADDITIONS

vanilla

almond extract

fresh lime juice

fresh lemon juice

fresh mint or lemon verbena

syrups, such as almond, hazelnut, cassis, and others

strong coffee or espresso

cinnamon

nutmeg

chocolate

nut butters

OTHER INGREDIENTS

yogurt

sherbets

ice cream

rice and almond drinks

The
All-Banana Shake

SERVES 2

Personally, I’ve always liked a banana smoothie that’s pure bananas, especially when it has lots of vanilla in it. This comes from enjoying a few
liquados
one winter in Mexico, which tasted of bananas, vanilla, and thick Mexican cream. It was like sipping melted ice cream through a straw. But back to tofu …

½ cup silken tofu

1 large, ripe banana

1 to 1½ cups soy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

1 teaspoon light honey, to taste freshly grated nutmeg

5 ice cubes

In the blender puree the tofu with the banana until smooth, then gradually add the milk and flavorings. Add the ice and puree again until smooth. Pour into glasses and scrape a little nutmeg over the top.

Variations:
¼ cup peanut butter or almond butter
•
2 tablespoons or more chocolate syrup
•
both peanut butter and chocolate syrup
•
½ cup coconut milk plus a squeeze of fresh lime

Date Shakes

MAKES 4 SMALL SERVINGS

Date shakes are one of the perennial treats found at date gardens in California’s Coachella Valley. Made with ice cream and dates, they are very sweet and rich. Using yogurt and/or tofu in place of some or all of the ice cream makes them a little less intense and allows more of the delicious date flavor to come forward. If you’re using dates that have hardened, steam them over boiling water or in the microwave until they’re soft, so that they can be successfully pureed
.

½ cup soft dates, preferably Medjools or Deglet Noors

1 cup soy milk

5 ice cubes

½ cup yogurt, ice cream, or silken tofu

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon orange flower water

Put the dates and soy milk in a blender and blend on low speed until the dates are completely broken up. This can take a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and blend at high speed until smooth and cold. Serve in small glasses.

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