Tofu is an amazing versatile and healthy vegetarian protein. It is made from coagulated soy bean curd and has a very subtle flavor, which makes it a great base for many dishes. Tofu is often praised for easily taking on the flavors of whatever it is cooked with, making it a versatile and easy ingredient. It can be marinated, baked, fried, and made into meat-like patties. It is also inexpensive and easy to find. Read on for some helpful tips on how to cook with tofu:

How To Cook With Tofu

Pay attention to your marinade. Because the flavor of tofu is so subtle and delicate, preparing plain, non-seasoned tofu will result in a bland dish. Marinate your tofu in whatever you seasonings you want, but try to avoid oil-based marinades. Tofu is high in water content, which means the oil will have a hard time mixing with it.

Also, if you are using the water-packed kind of extra-firm tofu, you should press out the additional moisture before you marinate your tofu in other ingredients. This will allow other flavors to get in. Cut tofu width wise, then spread the slices in a single layer on top of a cookie sheet or other flat tray that has been lined with dish towels and paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels and dish towels. Place another cookie sheet on top, and load with heavy items you have around the house. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes, but a few hours are preferable. Once your tofu has been pressed, follow whatever recipe you like! It will now soak up any delicious flavor you can throw at it!

You can cook tofu in a variety of ways, including grilling, broiling, and stir-frying. It can be cubed, left as slabs, coated in corn-starch then fried, or cut into strips and used as taco meat. When it comes to tofu, the sky is the limit, so use your imagination and get cooking with this amazing versatile food!

Source:

• “How to Cook Tofu: 6 Ways to Make It Taste Spectacular”, Delish

Try your hand at preparing tofu with our delicious Vegetable and Tofu Burger. Get more great recipes and start meal planning on your mobile with our easy to use app.

How To Cook With Honey

• Use it as a sugar replacement. Honey behaves differently in recipes than sugar, resulting in a different flavor, color, and moistness. Honey is slightly sweeter than sugar, so you can use slightly less than a one-to-one ratio when you bake with it. It will also retain more moisture, so it is often appropriate to reduce the amount of liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup for every cup of honey. Finally, remember that honey has the tendency to brown faster than sugar, so reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
• Put it on your salad. Honey is a great complement to savory ingredients or acidic dressings on a salad. You can also easily make your own version of a honey vinaigrette. Simply combine 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, and one teaspoon of soy sauce. Whisk ingredients together until the honey has dissolved. This dressing is a great complement to salads with strong cheese, walnuts or pecans, and apples or other fruit.
• Have it with fish. Honey is particularly delicious with oily fish like salmon. Simply combine honey, balsamic vinegar, unrefined sugar and spoon over salmon. Plus, the omega oils in fish combine with honey’s vitamins and minerals, making this combination particularly heart healthy.

“You can make steak, salmon, shrimp.. any kind of fajita that you like!”

April of Baking, Beauty, & DIY with April and her husband Justin share a colorful and delicious recipe for healthy steak fajitas.

THE RECIPE

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
½ red onion
½ white onion
Tortillas
6 cloves garlic minced
lemon juice (2 or 3 lemons)
Optional: meat of your choice, steak, seafood, etc.

Add soy sauce, vegetable oil and water into a large bowl. Squeeze in one lemon, then add cracked pepper and garlic. Whisk together, then add onions and bell pepper. Cover and marinate for an hour. Cook the vegetables and steak, then add to the tortillas. Fold and enjoy.

PROS

April and Justin helpfully explain the nutrition value of these fajitas, plus give tips on where to find healthy ingredients.

CONS

The recipe explanation is a little rushed and confusing in parts.

THE TAKEAWAY

Easy steak fajitas done in a healthy way.

Ready to start smarter meal planning with Food On The Table? Start here.

Bok choy is a delicious Asian cabbage that has many of the same benefits as other dark leafy greens. It is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin Kfolate, and small amounts of niacin, thaimine, and riboflavin. The best part is that even with all these vitamins, one cup of bok choy only has nine calories! This means that bok choy is a great complement to any diet. Plus, cooking with bok choy is easy, and there are a variety of ways to use it. Read on to learn how to cook with bok choy:

How To Cook With Bok Choy

• Throw it in a soup. Bok choy is traditionally used in savory and comforting Asian soups, which are the perfect meal for a chilly night. Many of these recipes feature the dark leafy green with wheat noodles, steak or other protein, and Asian spices like ginger and garlic combined with chicken stock. One simple way to make Chinese bok choy soup is to boil 3 cups chicken broth with soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, red pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic, then add thinly sliced bok choy leaves. Simmer until the bok choy has become dark green, wilted, and tender.
• Serve it cold. For a different take on bok choy, try eating it raw. The flavor of raw bok choy is surprisingly delicate, and is complemented quite nicely by a salty Asian dressing. This refreshing method of cooking bok choy is a great dinner or lunch meal when the weather gets hot. Simply combine bok choy with green onions, chow mein noodles, and almonds in a large bowl. Toss with a dressing made from olive oil, white vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Simple as that! A healthy, crunchy way to enjoy bok choy.

Sources:

• “5 Ways with Bok Choy”, Williams Sonoma’s The Blender

Try out cooking with bok choy in this recipe for Warm Bok Choy, Beet and Feta Salad. Get more great recipes and start meal planning today with our mobile app.

Health Benefits of Avocado

• Avocado is unique in that it is a naturally occurring source of vegetable fat. For this reason, some people think they should avoid it if they are trying to lose weight. But the fat that avocados contain has a lot of health benefits. The phytosterols and polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols have anti-inflammatory benefits, while the oleic acid has similar benefits to olive oil. This acid lowers the risk of heart disease and allows the digestive tract to absorb higher amounts of fat-soluble minerals.
• Avocados contain many of the nutrients that the body absolutely needs. It contains vitamin K, which facilitates blood clotting; potassium, an important electrolyte that supports muscle contraction and heart health; folate, an incredibly important compound during infancy and pregnancy that helps build healthy cells and tissues; lutein, which contributes to eye health; and vitamins E, C, and B6.
• Some parts of an avocado may be healthier than others. Some studies have suggested that the dark green flesh right under the peel contains the greatest amount of carotenoids. That means that it may be beneficial to be mindful about how you are peeling and serving your avocado. One method is to peel the avocado like a banana, which will leave that rich dark green flesh intact for you to enjoy.

Source:

• “8 Health Habits Facts About Avocados”, WebMD

Try this recipe for Avocado and Shrimp Salad and get all the amazing health benefits of avocado. For more recipes and to start meal planning on your mobile, try our great app.