In honor of Earth Day, I’m providing a few reasons why eating fish is not great for your health or the environment. Today, I challenge you to eat one vegan meal.

Why fish isn’t a great alternative to meat…

• The ocean is stressed to the limit from the amount of fishing. There has been a 90% decline of the top predators in the ocean, including tuna and swordfish.
• The bycatch that fisheries kill is unbelievable. These are animals that were not the intended target. They are killed and thrown back into the water.
• Poor people in areas of the world who depend on fish are running out
• Fish live in polluted water and absorb the toxic chemicals in that water. These chemicals and bacteria (which include many besides mercury) become more concentrated as they move up the food chain.
• The feces from fish raised in pens increases algae growth and creates dead zones in the sea just like synthetic fertilizers.
• Fish raised in pens are often given drugs to prevent the inevitable disease that spreads when fish live cramped in cages.

It’s really not a good situation and the truth is we must all exercise our choices. Every day we choose what we will eat. Our everyday, individual choices matter.

Happy Earth Day and I encourage you, once again, to eat one vegan meal today!

This article is just a reminder that we all need to cook using fresh, whole foods as much as possible. Of course planning is necessary and that requires us all to make a little time for it.

Legislators and public health groups today praised a long-awaited report from the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine that calls for urgent, government action to reduce salt in packaged and restaurant foods.

“Limiting salt in packaged and restaurant foods is perhaps the single most important thing that the Food and Drug Administration could do to save hundreds of thousands of lives and save billions of dollars in health-care expenses,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture should quickly implement the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations, starting with mandatory limits on salt, which could be phased in gradually over time.”

Read the rest of the article…

I know everyone is busy, but more than likely you’re spending time with family and friends anyway. Why not make some of that time a fun, informal cooking lesson?

Many people and groups teach cooking classes to extend their reach…teach more people during a specific period time. Some even start blogs or shows on YouTube to extend that reach even further. It definitely makes sense to leverage your time and provide a resource that can be accessed 24/7 by anyone, anywhere in the world.

What those methods of teaching don’t do–that many people need–is provide a personal experience, a safe place to learn, try techniques and ask questions. That is one of the reasons the Vegan Cooking with Love model is based on teaching only three people. Here are a few other reasons:

• Most people’s dining rooms can seat four comfortably. More people could require additional seating and space.
• For inexperienced home cooks (like those of us who are teaching for the first time) three people is manageable and less intimidating.
• The initial three people are asked to identify three of their friends/family to teach. Three makes this task attainable, not overwhelming.
• The main way to create an experiential learning environment is to involve the students in the process. You can easily do that with a small number like three.

Another point about the model, not related to the number, is that the three people are your friends and family members. Naturally, you have the benefit of a sense of trust and level of relaxation that isn’t present in a large group of people/strangers.

So while teaching three people is not the best way to reach the masses, it is an ideal way to start a grassroots movement that is easy to replicate.

Participants in the effort aren’t required to have continued classes with their friends. They are only required to encourage them to pass the gift along…share their new knowledge, skills and abilities with three of their friends.

I hope this helps those of you who have concerns.

Pressing

The texture of firm and extra-firm tofu can be altered to be more dense and firm by pressing it. When you read recipes involving tofu, you will often see “firm tofu, pressed” under ingredients. Pressing tofu also allows the tofu to absorb sauces and marinates more readily.

For Christmas, I decided to splurge and buy a tofu press, but using the heavy object method works fine too.

To press tofu,

1. Slice tofu to your desired thickness.
2. Wrap it in a paper towel so it doesn’t get lint on it.
3. Wrap the tofu in a clean dishtowel and place it on a plate.
4. Add something heavy on top, like a cast iron skillet or thick books. If you are adding small items on top, you may want to first place a baking sheet or plate on top of the tofu so they have a flat place to rest.
5. After 20 minutes or so, remove everything and unwrap the tofu. The dishtowel will be wet since it’s absorbed the liquid from the tofu and you will notice that the tofu is much more dense.

Freezing and Defrosting

Source: http://www.newgoodfood.com

Freezing and defrosting tofu changes its texture even more than pressing does. It actually makes tofu chewy. This texture lends itself to recipes for which you might want a “meatier” texture.

To freeze the tofu, you don’t even have to open the package. Just pop the unopened package in the freezer. Freeze for at least 24 hours.

Defrosting takes a while, so plan in advance. Optimally, tofu is defrosted in the refrigerator overnight or one day in advance. However, if you don’t have a lot of time, you can remove the tofu from the package and microwave it on the defrost setting for 10 minutes.

Once it’s defrosted, squeeze the water out and press it for about 30 minutes to achieve its full chewy potential.

It’s normal for defrosted tofu to be slightly yellow in color.

Try this recipe for Microwave Sticky Tofu Ribs.

I recently started following Happy Herbivore on Twitter and just got around to checking out her website and recipes. I’ve added a few of the recipes here and plan to try a few out in the next few months.

Her cookbook will be released early next year, but can be pre-ordered on Amazon now.

Look at these beautiful photos of her food!

Since regular tofu comes immersed in water, how do you open it without making a mess? And what do you do with the water?

The water needs to be drained. This is the easiest way to do it:

1. Hold the tub of tofu over a sink, hold it vertically and cut a slit or two at the edge of the top of the package. You want to make your cut at the top so you don’t cut the tofu accidentally.

Tilt it so you don't cut the tofu accidentally

2. Drain the water directly into the sink.

3. Slice or peel the rest of the top.

4. Tilt the package so the tofu falls into your hand.

5. Gently rinse it under cool running water.

6. Pat it dry with a clean dishtowel.

Storing Tofu

If your recipe does not call for an entire package of tofu, you will need to put it in a storage container and cover it with cold water. Seal it tightly and keep it refrigerated for up to 3-4 days, changing the water daily. If you’re storing silken tofu and you don’t want to worry about changing water, just make a smoothie with the tofu that’s left and you don’t have to worry about it.

Here are several smoothie recipes to try.

So, what exactly is tofu? We know that uncooked it looks like a soft, white block.

Source: http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk

Tofu is made from soybeans that have been soaked, ground and boiled. The liquid is drained to remove the pulp and a natural coagulent is added to make it firm.

When you go to the store, you will see different types of tofu, among them are…

Regular Tofu

This tofu is packaged in water and kept refrigerated at all times. Regular tofu is available in three densities: extra-firm, firm and soft.

In general extra firm or firm (regular) tofu is good for sauteeing, stir-grying and pan-frying because it’s sturdy enough to maintain its shape while cooking. Try this Barbecue Tofu Sandwich recipe.

Extra Firm Tofu

Firm Tofu

Soft (regular) tofu works better in creamy recipes that call for pureeing or blending, like cheesecake and dips.

Keep in mind that if a recipe calls for firm tofu, it will not work if you use soft tofu instead. They are not interchangeable in recipes.

Silken Tofu

Silken tofu can be found packaged in water or in 12-ounce cardboard boxes. It is soft and creamy and really good for foods like smoothies, puddings, sauces and other desserts.

It also comes in three densities: extra firm, firm and soft. However, the variation between the densities is not as great as those between regular tofu.

Try out this Fruity Tofu Parfait with Granola recipe.

Silken Firm Tofu in a Cardboard Box

Silken Tofu Packaged in Water

]]> http://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2010/04/what-is-tofu/feed/ 0 http://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2010/03/forks-over-knives/ http://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2010/03/forks-over-knives/#comments Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:12:24 +0000 Michelle http://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=81

This movie will be a “must see.” I plan to have a viewing at my home when it is released. The research is very clear.

With all of the talk about our health care system, we must also realize that our health is in our hands, literally. What we eat and how we live our lives strongly impacts our health. Genes don’t play as large a role as we’ve been lead to believe. We must take control and make the changes that will make a difference.

Parents must understand that when they feed their children food that does not contribute to their health, they are not loving them fully. A little bit can hurt. We need a major paradigm shift.

The feature film Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

For my first class, I decided we should tackle tofu. There is much anxiety over this food.

I was initially apprehensive myself until I started experimenting and reading cookbooks.

Tofu 1-2-3: 125 Easy-to-Prepare Cholesterol-Free Recipes by Maribeth Abrams was helpful along with the many blogs and videos that you see featured to the right.

Today, let’s explore this…

“I am convinced that there is only one reason why many people in our culture consider tofu to be unfamiliar or ‘weird,’ and it has absolutely nothing to do with its taste, texture, or appearance. Rather, it’s because our parents didn’t prepare it for us when we were children.”

Think about all of the other foods, particularly meat and imagine never seeing it until you were an adult. You’d be a little wary of eating it, wouldn’t you?

Another comment I hear is…”Isn’t it bland?” Well, yes it is. It requires seasoning just like most other foods, with the exception of many vegetables and grains which have a natural flavor.

Imagine taking a chicken breast out of the package and baking it without seasoning it. It would taste bland too, right?

It’s the same concept. Tofu requires seasoning.