February 26, 2019
When I decided to take the leap from meat eater to vegetarian (and subsequently vegan), I knew that there were going to be some foods that I just plain missed and craved. So, I decided to eat specific recipes that were completely new to me, and not try and ‘re-create’ every breakfast, lunch, and dinner that I’ve ever eaten. Honestly, the thought of eating foods like Tofurkey or Fakin’ Bacon really kind of turned my stomach. However, I do understand the want and need to sometimes have something to eat that soothes those cravings, and well, to each their own, right?! This one kind of snuck up on me, though. I was roasting a lot of veggies and started marinating tofu and putting it on the same tray. I would usually eat the veggies and tofu warm, that night, or reheated later in the week. One day, I went to the fridge and pulled out the cold marinated tofu and just popped a piece in my mouth. “Holy Cow, this tastes and feels just like Chicken!” I guess I had never eaten the leftover tofu right out of the fridge, before. It really reminded me of my love for ‘cold chicken’. I use this to put on top of salads, make cold “chicken-breast” sandwiches, or as a starter for fake chicken salad. It’s a great source of non-animal protein, calcium, and iron. It is low in calories and high in isoflavones. Soy naturally contains some isoflavones called, phytoestrogens, rumours have run rampant that it causes breast cancer, or that men would grow breasts. This has been proven to be not the case. (see link below) In fact, breast cancer studies have shown just the opposite. Remember to get the Organic Tofu, so that you are not getting any GMOs. Please don’t be afraid to eat good, organic soy. Enjoy!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3192476/
Tastes Like Chicken Tofu
Ingredients
- Organic Extra Firm Tofu
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tsp (scant) Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano (make sure to grind between fingers)
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350/F or 176/C
- Drain and cut tofu in any shape that you like. I like to cube it, but you could also cut it in strips, for salads and sandwiches.
- Place remaining ingredients in a mason jar and mix vigorously.
- I like to place the tofu in a pyrex dish and pour marinade over. Let sit for 10 mins and then place the dish in the oven. Bake for 20-30 mins or until tofu is firm on all sides. checking every 5 mins and turning.
- Let cool and place in pyrex covered dish and place in fridge overnight.
Cold tofu can then be eaten as a snack, as a salad topping, spaghetti topping, sandwich, or made into chicken salad.
