Health for life

I’d like to thank the internet for some recipe kismet.

Last Monday, there was a fire in my apartment building. I, and my apartment, are fine. I am grateful. I am signing up for renters insurance. But even though the fire was half a block from my actual flat, the repercussions have been felt throughout the building – no electricity for an evening, no hot water for a day or two. And no gas, still.

So there I was, two days after a greenmarket haul, with a fridge full of vegetables, and just a microwave and toaster oven to cook them in.

I didn’t know how long this would last, so I made due. I splurged on some frozen creamed spinach, which is one of my favorite things in the world. I baked tofu in the toaster oven. I poached eggs in my microwave, which worked well for the first try, but then inexplicably gave me nothing but exploded eggs and a microwave to wash. I steamed broccoli in the microwave, and remembered why lots of people don’t like vegetables.

By midweek I was growing weary, and starting to worry about my produce. I had a beautiful bunch of lacinato kale, a new vegetable for me, waiting – I hoped patiently – in the crisper drawer. I know kale can last a week or two, but I was also getting really sick of steamed broccoli. I seasoned the heck out of it, added butter and oil, but still.

So when, four days into this adventure, Heidi Swanson posted a recipe for a raw kale salad, I knew I was in luck. It even called for exactly the kind of kale I had! Tuscan, aka lacinato, aka dinosaur, kale. With a few tweaks I could turn it into a healthy, fresh, satisfying full meal, requiring no cooking implements larger than a wee toaster oven, powered blissfully on electricity. (Wind-generated, natch, and its tiny size means it spends less energy just heating air than a full-sized oven.)

[Of course, when after days of calls to the super and building manager I finally got through to my super, he was like, Where’ve you been? (Um, here?) You didn’t answer my calls! (What calls?) I have a hot plate for you! (Ooh, yay!) So now I have two burners and the smell of vaporizing plastic chemicals mingling with aromas of sautéed kale and broccoli.]

I love how healthy this salad is – kale is a powerhouse veggie, full of vitamin A and high in protein for a plant. There are no empty carbohydrates here, and no gluten if you use wheat-free tamari. The fat content looks high, but its all healthy and good-for-you, helps your body absorb the nutrients in the kale, and makes a pile of raw greens taste almost decadently rich.

But what I really love about this salad is that its so dang good. The strong, sweet, savory tofu plays perfectly off the bright, lemony dressing (which I kept licking off my mixing spoons). A few simple ingredients, no cooking implements bigger than a toaster oven, and you get a surprisingly sophisticated, addictive salad. Thats right – an addictively delicious raw kale salad. Youre welcome. (And Heidi Swanson, the farmer who grew my kale, New York City fiighters – thank you.)

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If you like this, these will also set your taste buds (but not your apartment) on fire:

• Potato Leek Soup with Kale
• Relaxed Kale and Root Veg Salad
• White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

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Kale and Balsamic Tofu Salad
serves 3
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks and The Vegan Foodie.


1 lb extra firm tofu
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T soy sauce (wheat-free tamari for a gluten-free meal)
2 T olive oil
2 t honey
2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bunch Tuscan kale (aka lacinato, aka dinosaur) about 4-5 cups cut up

½ garlic clove
¼ t salt, plus a pinch
¼ c grated pecorino cheese
3 T olive oil
juice of one lemon (a scant half-cup)
1/8 t red pepper flakes
ground black pepper, to taste

1) Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes.

2) Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, 2 T oil, and honey (or combine in a sealable container and shake. Add smashed garlic cloves.

3) Cube tofu. Add to marinade. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

4) Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 375. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange tofu cubes in a single layer.

5) Bake tofu 30-40 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes, until browned and cooked down. (Tofu can be made in advance and rigerated for up to a few days, until youre ready to make salad.)

6) De-vein kale and cut into ribbons. (Kitchen shears are good for this.) Put in a big bowl.

7) Smush garlic and ¼ t salt together (in a mortar and pestle or in a small bowl with the butt of a knife or something). In a small bowl combine garlic/salt paste, cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Whisk together.

8) Add dressing to kale and toss. (Swanson warns, “The dressing will be thick and needs lots of tossing to coat the leaves.”) Add tofu, and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

9) Garnish with a splash of oil or a sprinkle more of cheese if you like.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, and Protein per Serving
391 calories, 28.6g fat, 4g fiber, 18.4g protein, $1.71

(A note on calculations: This amount of tofu marinade is required to get good coverage so the tofu soaks in in, but its much more than gets absorbed. So Im including the full price for those ingredients, but only ½ the nutritional impact, because it doesnt all get eaten.)

Calculations
1 lb extra firm tofu: 365 calories, 22g fat, 5.8g fiber, 39.8g protein, $1.79
3 T balsamic vinegar: 21 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0.1g protein, $0.12
3 T soy sauce: 11 calories, 0g fat, 0.1g fiber, 1.9g protein, $0.12
5 T olive oil: 504 calories, 56g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.20
2 t honey: 23 calories, 0g fat, 5.7g fiber, 0g protein, $0.55
2 cloves garlic, smashed: n/a, since you dont eat them, $0.06
1 bunch Tuscan kale: 134 calories, 1.9g fat, 5.4g fiber, 8.8g protein, $1.00
½ garlic clove: 2 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0.1g protein, $0.03
¼ t salt, plus a pinch: 0 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
¼ c grated pecorino cheese: 80 calories, 6g fat, 0g fiber, 4g protein, $0.75
juice of one lemon: 30 calories, 0g fat, 0.5g fiber, 0.5g protein, $0.50
1/8 t red pepper flakes: 1 calorie, 0g fat, 0.1g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
ground black pepper: 1 calorie, 0g fat, 0.1g fiber, 0g protein, $0.01
TOTALS: 1172 calories, 85.9g fat, 12g fiber, 55.2 g protein, $5.15
PER SERVING (TOTALS/3): 391 calories, 28.6g fat, 4g fiber, 18.4g protein, $1.71

Last night there was a vegetarian quorum in my living room: two lacto/ovo vegetarians, one vegan, and one omnivore (who had once been a vegetarian). We voted a moratorium on the question, “So, will you ever eat meat again?”

BA mentioned she was coming up on her 17-year vegan anniversary and that people still asked her that question. We all nodded in sympathy. “They may as well ask if I’d ever eat wood.”

Well, according to the trend piece Flesh Mob in the New York Press, it’s not such a crazy question. Apparently, the bacon craze and conscious carnivorism has vegetarians abandoning their previously held convictions and signing up for butchering classes and joining CSAs for the grass-fed beef—really getting back to the land.

“People were encouraged to avoid meat with scary PETA videos and horror stories about factory farming, but these days, newly carnivorous New Yorkers are able to cushion their consciousnesses with locally grown, free range and all-around-happy meat.”

I found the claim that vegetarians are lining up to become butchers quite disingenuous. Whatever their reasons for becoming vegetarian, none of my current veg-head friends would dream of consuming meat just because it’s de rigueur.

Most former veggies I know, including BH of our living room quorum, made the switch after some soul searching and for myriad reasons, including access and convenience, love (of another human)—and nearly all of them eat meat sparingly.

Plus, I thought people were catching onto the idea that a little meat goes a long way. What happened to being a flexitarian to improve one’s health, bank balance, and environment?

A 2009 Vegetarian Resource Group Poll put the nation’s vegetarian numbers at about 3%, up from 2% in 2006. Even my sister, whose husband hunts and fishes, and a pair of dear friends and avowed omnis are giving part-time vegetarianism a try.

Food is deeply personal, and increasingly, has become moral and political. I am not questioning people’s decision to eat what they choose and live as they believe is right. (I have lots of omni friends!) My beef (har) is with the framing of the story: that vegetarianism is a “phase” we’ll all get over when we grow up—an get a good whiff of frying bacon.

Maybe wood pulp and poly-cotton will be the next big thing. BA and I are on board, since they’re vegan.

Readers, what about you? Are you vegetarian, vegan, part-time vegetarian, or conscious carnivore? Would anything make you change your diet? How do you balance your ethics with your grocery bill? Is food a moral issue in your household? Let ‘er rip in the comments.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr member FantasyFan.)

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If you like this piece, you might also dig:

• Dont Fear the Bean Curd
• Film Fest 09: Three Essential Documentaries About Food
• A Confession and A Prayer to Remain Tailless

Whenever a barbecue looms, I’m overcome by a swirl of emotions: joy at the prospect of dining outside for a change; happiness with the anticipation of seeing my friends; and irritation from wondering what in the name of sweet Maude in heaven I am going to put on the grill.

I used to just buy a package of veggie burgs or dogs on the way to the party and be content. But I don’t really eat that way anymore. Okay, when I’m at a baseball game, I will track down that one stand that serves a veggie hotdog, but that’s baseball.

Now I try to get creative, or at least a little healthy. At Kris’ barbecues past, I’ve slapped marinated portabella mushroom caps and tempeh/veggie kabobs with peanut sauce on to the wire fire. This time I decide to try tofu; and I’ll admit it—even I was scared.

Tofu steaks can be delicious or disgusting—there’s really no in between—and two things can make or break you: texture and flavor. Well, that’s the case with any food, you say. But no! I counter. I dare say, no other food comes out as tasting like a damp sponge if not handled properly. (You’ll let me know otherwise in the comments, I’m sure.)

Through my caul planning, Kris’s Husband-Elect ‘s deft (and rain-soaked) grilling tongs of, and the watchful (and surely helpful) eye of my Charming Boyfriend, all at the Rainy Barbecue of Love and Togetherness enjoyed nearly perfect tofu steaks alongside all their other actual meats.

Your 4th of July, Canada Day (or Leigh Day, as it’s known around here), or any other grilling affair can too revel in Grilled Tofu Steaks of Victory. Here’s how:

Press the crap (water) out of the tofu
1) Place the tofu block(s) between two dinner plates (perably ones with a little bit of a lip), and put something heavy, like your trusty cast iron skillet, on top.

2) Let the weight squeeze out the water for 15 minutes.

3) Drain off the puddle.

4) If your blocks are getting funky-shaped, give them a turn. Repeat steps 1 through 3.

Slice into cute little triangles
Geometry time. The number of pieces you’d like to get out of a block of tofu will determine where you make your cuts. I did mine like this:


You can also do this:


Note: I used fresh tofu from the Korean grocery on the corner; each block weighs about 6 to 7 oz., yielding 4 pieces and two 3-oz servings per block. Water-packed tofu usually comes in 14- to 16-oz blocks. You’ll get the same number of 4-oz servings from a package of tofu that I got from two blocks of fresh tofu. Or you will get twice the number of 2-oz servings. Or you can go rogue and get 1 serving per block. I won’t judge you.

Lubricate well
Oil is your friend when grilling tofu since there is no drippy fat to keep things lubricated. I supplied the Husband-Elect with about 1/2 cup of oil for 7 blocks of tofu, and he used it all.

Coat the triangles in oil before putting them on the grill. Then baste them during cooking. Pretty simple. A little salt and pepper couldn’t hurt.*

*Use your best judgment if salt is your nemesis.

Don’t blink while grilling
According to CB, it only took five minutes to scorch these babies. Darlings, it’s all in the spin. That’s what we, in the food biz, call blackened tofu. After H-E got the hang of it, it only took about 1–2 minutes on each side for perfectly grilled tofu steaks.

To recap:
1) Place tofu slices on grill. Cook for 1–2 minutes.

2) Flip.

3) Cook for 1–2 minutes.

Serve with Fiery Chili Lime Sauce
A delicious sauce is not crucial to the perfect tofu steak, but I like one. I whipped up this little number from what I had floating around the kitchen. Amend to your tastes and pantry stash. While it’s packs some heat, it has beau coups of that flavor I mentioned earlier. Again, victory!

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If you cried with joy over this post, direct your puffiness to

• Don’t Fear the Bean Curd
• Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers
• BBQ Slaw, Y’all

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Fiery Chili Lime Sauce
Makes about 1/3 cup of sauce/about 4 1-tbsp servings (but a little goes a loooong way)

1/4 cup sriracha sauce (or any other prepared chili sauce)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp agave nectar (or honey)
10 mint leaves, finely chopped

1) Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

2) Whisk together.

3) Serve over gorgeously grilled tofu to exclamations and accolades.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
Tofu Steaks: 190.5 calories, 13.9g fat, 3g fiber, 12g protein, $.42
Fiery Chili Lime Sauce: 22.4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.09
Tofu Steaks + Fiery Chili Lime Sauce: 213 calories, 13.9g fat, 3g fiber, 12g protein, $.50

Calculations
Tofu Steaks
2 6–7 oz. blocks tofu: 492 calories, 24g fat, 12g fiber, 48g protein, $1.50
2 1/4 tbsp olive oil: 270 calories, 31.5g fat 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.18
Totals: 762 calories, 55.5g fat, 12g fiber, 48g protein, $1.68
Per Serving (Totals/4): 190.5 calories, 13.9g fat, 3g fiber, 12g protein, $.42

Fiery Chili Lime Sauce
1/4 cup sriracha sauce: 60 calories, 0 g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.15
2 tbsp lime juice: 9.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.10
1 tsp agave nectar: 20 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.05
10 mint leaves: negligible calories, fat, fiber, and protein, $.04
Totals: 89.5 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.34
Per Serving (Totals/4): 22.4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $.09

Tofu Steaks + Fiery Chili Lime Sauce
Totals: 851.5 calories, 55.5g fat, 12g fiber, 48g protein, $2.02
Per serving (Totals/4): 213 calories, 13.9g fat, 3g fiber, 12g protein, $.50

Am running my third week of blogging marathon from today with an incredible theme meatless dishes, pick any non vegetarian dish and make it as vegetarian or vegan, sounds interesting and challenging na. Seriously I loved making meatless dishes with their vegetarian or vegan substitutes. You will be wondering how this tandoori tofu steak will tastes, trust me they are just wow. Even my younger one who dont like that much tofu enjoyed thoroughly his platter when i served him with some veggies for dinner. This dish tastes fantabulous even they are served as startes, a crowd pleaser definitely.