I’m always looking for easy but nutritional breakfast ideas because I have a tendency to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch, which then causes me to pig out on bad foods because I’m so hungry. So when I saw an article in First magazine featuring silken tofu smoothies and the benefits of tofu, I figured I’d give it a try….see how much it cost, if it really tasted good and how fast could I make it.
WHAT IS TOFU?
Tofu is made from soybeans, water and a coagulant, or curdling agent. It’s bland eaten as is but porous so it absorbs whatever flavors it’s cooked with, making it very versatile for all kinds of recipes.
HEALTH BENEFITS –
Tofu is packed with protein and a great source of calcium and iron. It’s low in calories, has no saturated fat and is very low in fat overall. It’s high in plant-based soy isoflavones, which have anti-cancer benefits. People in Japan eat tofu almost every day and the country has one of the lowest cancer rates in the world.
SILKEN TOFU –
In these smoothie recipes, silken tofu is used. (Also called soft, silk, or Japanese-style tofu.) Both silken and regular tofu are made from the same ingredients, but are processed slightly different and are not interchangeable in recipes. And as you can probably guess by the name, silken tofu has a softer consistency than regular tofu, which makes it great for salad dressings, sauces, and desserts, with a thick and creamy texture. *Silken tofu has slightly less nutritional value compared to regular tofu.
SMOOTHIE RECIPES…
The day I decided to make one of these smoothies, I was cranky. I had to go to the grocery store for the ingredients and I had once again, skipped breakfast. I was eyeing the donuts at Safeway but only bought the healthy items on my list (which made me a little crankier because I really wanted a donut.) Prep and making the banana-pineapple smoothie I was going to try should have taken about 2 minutes.
There’s only 4 ingredients; banana, silken tofu, pineapple juice and vanilla extract.
Smokey was eyeing the ingredients and didn’t seem too impressed with the silken tofu…or maybe she was looking at the blender with some foreknowledge of what was going to happen?
I had recently bought a new blender because my old one kept leaking so I took it out, cut my banana, added the juice, tofu and vanilla to it and then walked to the other room to grab my camera for pictures (as my stomach was growling since it was nearly 11 now and still nothing in my stomach except for coffee.)
Seconds later, this is what had happened to my ingredients…
What the heck? This is exactly why I had bought a new blender…because my old one leaked just like this! It took about 30 minutes to clean up the mess and I used up all our paper towel, which meant I’d have to go to the store again. Plus the floor was extremely sticky from the pineapple juice so I had to mop it, which is something I try not to do unless company’s coming over. After the mess was cleaned up, I tried the blender again with just water and it immediately leaked out which meant I now had to use my kitchen towels to dry up the mess and then have a pile of laundry to do. This process continued for about 30 minutes until I finally figured out how to correctly assemble the blender. And I then realized my old blender wasn’t broken when I tossed it out.
So now that the blender is properly assembled and my ingredients added, I could finally make it.
While I had been cleaning up the messes, the kitchen TV had suddenly turned off and because I need background sound when I’m working I stopped to see if one of the cats had unplugged it while they were running around on the counter, knowing I was busy and wouldn’t take the time out to yell at them. I tried turning it on and off and nothing. I unplugged everything, counted to 30 and then plugged everything back in. Nothing. I check the other TV’s in the house to see if something was wrong with the cable but the other ones worked. I fiddled, plugged, unplugged and yelled at the cats for another 30 minutes with no results. So I decided to wait for my husband to come home and figure it out and went back to the smoothie…with a huge headache at this point. I plug in the blender, hit the switch and nothing. Hmm? I walk around and try the blender in different outlets with no results on one side of the kitchen but the other side has outlets that work. At this point I don’t care why the outlets aren’t working, all I want is that darn smoothie (and believe me, I was using other words in my head than darn.)
It was delicious. But as I looked at the picture later, I realized I hadn’t used my pineapple for garnish or added a straw for a “pretty” picture. But at this point, I didn’t care. It did taste wonderful, I couldn’t tell the difference between the milk and or yogurt I usually use versus the silken tofu and I loved the pineapple flavor…very refreshing. *The next time I made this I added a bit of crushed ice.
So now that my stomach was satisfied, I decided to try to figure out what was wrong with the outlets. I looked at the fuse box but nothing seemed amiss. I called my husband and he told me to go ahead and switch all the fuse switches on and off, which I did. Nothing. As I walked back into the kitchen I saw another puddle of pineapple juice on the floor, which I knew hadn’t been there before. As I leaned down I saw pineapple juice pouring out of the electric socket on the counter where I had the blender plugged in earlier. It evidently had leaked into the outlet as it poured down the counter. I took the outlet plate off but couldn’t get in there to wipe anything off because there was a metal piece that I was afraid to unscrew since I didn’t have the power off and there was liquid. Instead I got out the blow dryer.
Thirty minutes later, it’s still not working so I give up. I mop the floor again, clean up all the blender mess, and run to the store for more paper towel. Once I get home, I grab all the dirty towels I had thrown on the dining room table and as I pick them up, all the sticky banana slices I had picked up with them fell on the dining room floor, along with some pineapple juice and silken tofu. I mop again and then do a load of towels. I end my silken tofu smoothie experience by walking around the house and resetting all the clocks I had turned off when playing around with the fuse box. It’s now after 3 and I’m exhausted. My husband later asked me what I did that day and I simply said, “Made a smoothie.”
CURB HUNGER, BOOST METABOLISM, EASE HORMONAL STRESS –
Studies show…
Research in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism revealed that plant compounds in soy protein reduce output of the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin by 62%, helping subjects cut their daily caloric intake by up to 55%. Which means if you start the day off with a tofu smoothie, you can feel full and satisfied for hours.
A study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that a daily dose of this soy protein delivers a steady stream of energy, plus cuts the production of new abdominal fat by 57%. This is because the plant peptides in tofu activate lipolysis – the body’s process of converting fat into usable fuel.
Researchers at the University of Delaware in Newark found that tofu’s phytoestrogens help steady hormonal swings, reducing the frequency and severity of hormonal symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, hot flashes and more, by up to 26%…good news for those of us between 35 to 50, when our estrogen levels rise and fall wildly.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH TOFU?
My friend JL Fields, writes in her book:
“If you are stir-frying chunks of tofu with veggies to serve over rice, choose firm tofu. Soft tofu is perfect to mash or puree as a filling for sandwiches or lasagna. And the tofu that is traditional to Japanese cooking, silken tofu, is a soft, custard-like food that can be blended or pureed for sauces, smoothies, or desserts. It makes a great replacement for the cream in creamed soup recipes. Frozen tofu takes on a chewy, spongy texture that makes it a useful meat substitute. Freeze it right in the unopened package. Then defrost, squeeze out the liquid and chop or shred it. Several recipes call for pressed and drained tofu. You can do this by using a tofu press or simply by wrapping the tofu in fresh or paper towels, placing in a bowl, and setting a pan or heavy cookbook on the tofu to press out the liquid.”
– From the book Vegan for Her: The Woman’s Guide to Being Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet by Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, with JL Fields. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright (c) 2013 www.dacapopresscookbooks.com
RECIPES…
The following 3 recipes are from the October 14, 2013 issue of First magazine.
This is the recipe I made…
BANANA-PINEAPPLE PARADISE –
- 1 medium banana, sliced
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In blender, puree all ingredients 30 seconds or until smooth. Sweeten with honey, if desired. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving (mine cost about $1.00, with the silken tofu being on sale for $2)
*Bonus…The tryptophan in bananas increases alertness.
CHERRY-ALMOND TANGO –
- 1 cup silken tofu
- 1 cup fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
In blender, puree all ingredients and 1 cup ice cubes 30 seconds or until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.
*Bonus…anthocyanins in cherries alleviate joint aches and pains.
TRIPLE-BERRY BLAST –
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1/2 cup white cranberry juice
- 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries and/or raspberries
- 1 tablespoon strawberry preserves
In blender, puree all ingredients 30 seconds or until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.
*Bonus…bioflavonoids in blueberries help erase varicose veins.
And from JL’s book, the next recipe I’m trying…
SILKY STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE –
Get your isoflavones here! Tofu not only adds protein, it gives this smoothie a great creaminess. No strawberries on hand? Try other berries or stone fruits. Add spinach or kale to make a green smoothie!
- 1/2 cup silken tofu
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- 1 banana
- 1 cup ice
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup (optional)
Blend all ingredients.
Yield: 2 servings
I have a package of silken tofu so I’ll be trying out JL’s recipe next and then continue to experiment with it. Now that I know how to operate my blender, it should be much easier next time! And again, it was delicious. If I hadn’t put the silken tofu in myself, I wouldn’t have known that’s what was in it.