Tag: plant based eating

Chickpea Tofu with Harissa Sauce

Chickpea tofu?

I hadn’t heard of it until I watched a cooking demonstration by Chef Tony, the culinary director of Sodexo, a trusted partner of University Hospitals, where I work. Chef Tony made it seem so easy and, in fact, it was!

Why chickpea tofu?

I happen to love regular tofu made from soybeans but not everyone is a fan. If you are someone who does not dig the taste or are concerned with the fact that soybean tofu is processed (although minimally) then chickpea tofu may be the way to go. Both are an excellent source of plant based protein.

This recipe for chickpea tofu is Chef Tony’s with a few exceptions. Instead of using salt I used miso paste. Miso is fermented soy beans, water and a lot of salt. Wait a minute – I thought salt was something that should be avoided? Well in a randomized study of individuals with stage 1 or 2 hypertension that were given two bowls of miso soup a day, those that consumed the miso soup ended up with lower bedtime blood pressure. It is thought that the miso had a diuretic effect by increasing sodium excretion by the kidneys. In summary, miso paste is green light. Check out this great video on miso paste.

Also, I substituted table sugar for date sugar. Table sugar is refined meaning it has been processed and has a glycemic index of 100. Date sugar is less processed and still retains many of the nutrients of dates including fiber and has a glycemic index of 55.

Lastly, instead of pan frying the tofu I baked mine in the oven. Pan frying requires the use of oils which can have health risks including inflammation, effects on cholesterol and toxins when exposed to high heat.

Very much like soy tofu, chickpea tofu has very little flavor. The garlic powder does help but serving with harissa sauce makes it much more palatable.

Chickpea tofu served with harissa sauce is a must

Ingredients for the Chickpea Tofu

  • 1 cup chickpea flour (I make my own flour by running dried chick peas through a high speed blender)
  • 1 tsp. miso paste
  • 1/2 tsp. date sugar
  • 1/2 tsp, garlic powder
  • Pinch of tumeric
  • 2 3/4 cup water
  • Cornstarch

Directions for the Chickpea Tofu

  1. Whisk together chickpea flour, date sugar, garlic powder and tumeric in a bowl. Pour 1 cup water and the miso paste into the mix and stir into a smooth batter. Set aside.
  2. Pour remaining water into a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium.
  3. Whisk the chickpea batter 6-7 minutes stirring constantly. The batter should have the consistency of pudding.
  4. Turn off the heat and pour the batter into a silicone baking pan. Let cool 10-15 minutes at room temperature then transfer to refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
  5. Flip the set tofu onto a cutting board and cut into small cubes. Blot off any water or moisture with a paper towel.
  6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  7. Place the chickpea tofu on a pan covered with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Sprinkle a little garlic powder and a very light dusting of cornstarch.
  8. Bake for 40 mintues flipping half way.
The chickpea batter thick like pudding
I did not have a large silicone loaf pan so settled for using my pan with smaller individual loafs. I was able to make 4 little loafs.
Cut into little cubes.
The oven baked method is certainly not as crispy as pan frying but so much healthier.

Ingredients for the Harissa Sauce

  • 4 roasted red peppers
  • 1 red chili pepper (deseeded)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsps. white miso paste
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
  • 2 tsps. caraway seeds
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
Roasted red peppers, red chili pepper, garlic, miso paste, lemon, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, coriander seeds, caraway seeds and cumin seeds

Directions for the Harissa Sauce

  1. In a small pan stir the coriander, caraway and cumin seeds over low heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Transfer all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Add up to 1/4 cup water for desired consistency.
Harissa sauce is excellent with tofu but I also put it on veggie burgers, roasted vegetable and salad greens.

Commit to Health

When I was in my 40’s I worked for a managed care organization as a chronic disease educator. I coached individuals with obesity, heart disease and adult-onset diabetes. The root cause of these conditions generally relate to lifestyle – sloppy diet and inactivity. At that time I considered myself to be a healthy eater with an active lifestyle. I felt that I ate better than 98% of all Americans. I was healthy, no chronic health conditions and a normal BMI. But when I analyzed my diet I realized I ate like crap. I was a cheese-aholic, hardly ate any greens and my daily sodium consumption was almost 3000 mg. per day. And “little miss active” turned out to average only 1000 steps per day. I can’t believe I’m sharing this with the whole wide world – but it’s true. From that day forward I made a committment to my body and myself. I cleaned up my diet, got moving and never looked back.

What’s with Western medicine anyhow? Why is it that you’ll never hear a single word about nutrition from your doctor until you get the chonic condition? That’s just ass backwards to me. Seems it should be the other way around to prevent conditions from happening in the first place.

Something I tell patients often is “Knowledge is power. The more you know the more you can control.” Learn everything you possibly can about health, wellness and chronic conditons. Then make a commitment to apply what you have learned into each and every day for the rest of your healthy life.

A healthy outside starts from the inside. Commit to your health today not tomorrow or the next. – Diana Zatt

Cold-pressed beetroot, ginger, lemon and black pepper juice. Like tumeric root, the chemical curcumin is also found in ginger root. Consumed alone you will still get the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits but adding black pepper makes it one-thousand times more potent. My apologies for the not so aesthetic appearance of the glass (juice inside the rim). I carried my concoction thru knee high deep snow shaking it up a bit. I might need to put “camera crew” in the budget for next year lol!

Spinach-Tofu Soup with Pasta Peppercorns

This is a hearty and comforting soup that takes all of 20 minutes to whip together. It is the perfect little work day meal that stands alone or paired with a simple salad. The anti-oxidant rich spinach and protein rich tofu make it not only hearty but super healthy. I hope you enjoy. As always, I LOVE comments. Diana

Spinach – Tofu Soup with Pasta Peppercorns

Ingredients

  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 scallions (cut in small pieces and separate white from dark green)
  • 1 bag fresh spinach
  • 1 package firm and pressed tofu (cut in small cubes)
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. miso paste
  • 1/4 cup Acini di Pepe pasta
  • 2 slices Ezekiel bread (cut in crouton size pieces and oven toasted)

Directions

  1. Bring vegetable broth, white parts of scallions, spinach, red pepper flakes and black pepper to a brief boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the cubed tofu, miso paste and pasta and simmer for 10 more minutes. The soup is ready when the pasta is completely cooked. It will swell up into little balls the size of peppercorns. Serve warm and garnish the green scallions and Ezekiel croutons.

What is Tofu?

Tofu is made from dried soybeans that have been soaked, crushed and then boiled. The mixture is then separated into solid curds and soymilk. The curds are pressed into solid blocks which is the tofu. The Japanese word tofu means bean curd.

Plain tofu tastes bland but, like a sponge, it will soak up the flavors it is cooked in. Tofu is very low in saturated fat, rich in heart healthy unsaturated fat, has no cholesterol, is glutin-free and is an excellent source of protein, fiber and vitamins. Tofu is technically not considered a whole food because it is processed (although minimally). Despite this, it is still considered “green light”because of all the health benefits.

What about Tofu and Glycotoxins?

Dry heat and browning tofu above 250 degrees fahrenheit produces glycotoxins. Glycotoxins are toxic and cause chronic inflammation contributing to various diseases. Adding tofu to soups or cooking it in a casserole or other oven baked dish with moisture is safe. Frying, grilling or cooking on a baking sheet to brown using dry heat is not safe. This holds true for roasted nuts which is why it is always healthier to eat raw nuts.

Pressing Tofu:

Tofu is packaged in water to keep it fresh. Pressing tofu prior to using is important in order to squeeze out the extra water. This makes the tofu even firmer so it will hold its shape without falling apart when cooking. It also improves the texture and allows the tofu to absorb the flavors of your dish better. Tofu should be pressed a minimum of 30 minutes, but I have found the longer it is pressed the more water is released. So long as I am not pressed for time, no pun intended, I prefer to press overnight. This is the press that I use. It is sturdy, easy to clean and really gets the job done!

Tofuture Press The tofu is placed in the strainer. The lid sits on top of the tofu. The bands apply constant pressure. The water collects in the bottom container.
Tofu placed in basket
200 cc water pressed out after 8 hours

Don’t have a press? No problem. Just wrap the tofu block in a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towel and place in a large plate with a rim. Place a heavy object on top of the tofu like a frying pan. Place other weighted objects on the frying pan to weight it down even further.

Tofu wrapped in dish towel

The water will soak into the towel and flow into the plate

Can Tofu be Frozen?

Yes, it can be frozen in its original packaging or after being pressed and placed in a freezer container or bag. Freezing actually further improves the texture by making it spongier and “meat-like.” If you prefer silkier tofu then freezing would not be a good idea. Frozen tofu will change from its original cream color to amber (the color of soybeans). This is normal. Tofu can be left in the freezer for 3 months. It only lasts in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days once opened.