Moscow Food Co-op Recipes

Much Ado About Tofu:
“Merry Month of May”

by Terri Schmidt, Newsletter Volunteer; illustration by Terri Schmidt, from the May 2007 newsletter

April is the month we honor Mother Earth. It’s May, time for spring flowers, May Day, Renaissance Fair, and college graduation — all joyful occurrences.  It’s also the time of year set aside to remember our mothers.

If you live with or near your Mom, take this opportunity to show appreciation for all she does for you. Tenneva Jordan said, “A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” There is something about the maternal instinct that brings out the protective nature of mothers.

It is often Mom who introduces tofu to the family diet. The first time tofu lands on the table, some family members may feel they are being penalized rather than protected.  The Foxtrot cartoon even made a running joke of the mother, Andy, who served unique health food, including lima bean cobbler, tofu curry, and beet loaf.  We may not be thrilled as children to be introduced to such foreign meals, but overall, it is a lucky family who has a health-conscious mother around.

Young children enjoy serving Mom breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. For a change from eggs, try the tofu scramble. Older children can make it themselves; younger ones will need some help. It is a simple recipe. To keep the texture more like eggs, use firm or extra firm tofu, press out the excess moisture, and crumble it into the pan. Don’t crush the tofu while it’s cooking. If you want to jazz the recipe up a little, add some chopped tomatoes, avocados, mushrooms, shredded cheese, pumpkin seeds, and/or a dash of hot sauce.  The scrambled tofu can also be wrapped in a tortilla with extra cheese to make a breakfast burrito.

In honor of the imaginary but delightful Andy Fox, I am offering a tofu curry dish this month. It is vegan friendly and easy to prepare.  The mild curry flavor gets absorbed into the tofu and blends well with the rich coconut flavor. Add hot peppers or more curry powder if you like your curry spicier.  Jasmine rice is a good compliment to curries. You can serve this curry recipe over rice and add a salad to make a complete meal.  This would be a tasty dish to make for mom on her special day.  A break from cooking and a homemade meal is a lovely treat for overworked mothers. Whatever your cooking talents, Mom will appreciate the thought.

I hope you indulge in all the joys of May —  smell a flower, watch a friend graduate, go eat and dance at Renaissance Fair, and most of all, show your mom some love.

Scrambled Tofu
Tofu Cookery, Hagler, 1991

Sauté until tender:
1 Tbsp. oil
½ cup onion

Add to the pan:
1 lb. tofu, crumbled
1 tsp. basil or cilantro
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
¼ tsp. black pepper

Stir fry until tofu starts to brown.  Serve hot with toast or other grain.

Per serving Calories: 100, Protein: 8 gm., Fat: 7gm. Carbohydrates: 4 gm.

Coconut and Tofu Curry
http://vegetarian.about.com

1/2 tsp. fresh ginger (about 2 slices)
5 cloves garlic
1 onion
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (optional)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Dash red pepper flakes
1 block tofu, drained and sliced into approx 1 inch squares
1 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder
14 oz. coconut milk
1 cup water

In a blender or food processor, process the ginger, garlic, onion and lemongrass until smooth, adding a bit of olive oil if needed. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the blended garlic mixture. Sauté this mixture for 1-3 minutes, then add the tofu and red pepper flakes, stirring gently to mix the tofu with the garlic mixture for another 3-5 minutes, adding more olive oil if needed. Reduce heat to medium low and add coconut, water, and curry, stirring well to combine. Cover the skillet and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes, and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

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