Scrambled Tofu with Nosoya Organic Tofu Plus

Tofu is so controversial! Maybe not on par with Lady Gaga, abortion or the O.J. Simpson trial, but people either seem to love it or hate it. I’m not obsessed with it or anything, but I have a theory that people who hate it have never eaten a batch from a cook who knows what they’re doing.

Tofu is extremely easy to prepare. Scrambled tofu, for example, is much more forgiving than scrambled eggs (it takes way longer to burn). Plus, it’s a total blank canvas. You can literally do WHATEVER you want with it. It works as a stand in for meat and dairy and it’s so satisfying when done properly. “Properly” can mean different things to different people, but if you’re not used to eating it, it means flavored adequately, and possibly substantially (unless you’re using a silken version in a dessert, which is also a great idea).

The other great thing about tofu is, unlike the myriad of semi-healthy meat stand-ins, it’s actually good

for you! No saturated fat. No sodium. No sugar (this is obviously subject to change when prepared). And it is great source of protein! In fact, the brand I bought this time around (Nosoya Organic Tofu Plus) is actually fortified with calcium, riboflavin, various B vitamins, etc, for people who don’t consume animal products on a regular basis. Pretty neat, huh?

There’s so much to love about tofu. But I can admit it; in the wrong hands, it can be down right gross. Slimy and bland are two words that can unfortunately be attributed at times. To avoid this, stick to my simple tofu tips:

1. Avoid big chunks: Unless they’ve been marinated, they’re still going to taste like tofu. Blah.

2. Err on the side of over seasoning: Unless you’re a health nut, you will not appreciate the “natural” goodness of this soybean product.

3. Choose the right firmness: If it’s filling in for dairy, you’ll probably want silken tofu. If it’s subbing for meat, you’ll want firm or extra firm.

4. Give this scrambled tofu recipe a try. I swear you’ll like it, regardless of your history with bean byproduct.

Scrambled Tofu with Nosoya Organic Tofu Plus

Serves 2-4

2 Tbls Extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbls onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz Nosoya Oragnic Tofu Plus or other tofu variety (one package)

1 Tbls vegetarian chicken seasoning

2 tsp salt

2 tsp chives (more if fresh)

1/8 tsp tumeric

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

In large fry pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes.

After removing tofu from package, lightly squeeze out some of the excess liquid. Place in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or crumble with hands.

Add tofu to pan and turn up heat to medium high. Stir in seasonings and fry for several minutes, stirring frequently, until some pieces of tofu begin to brown and most of the moisture is cooked out.

Tips: Try experimenting with different seasonings. If you don’t have turmeric on hand, don’t worry. The main reason I use it is for color. If you want to use the tofu in breakfast burritos, do a Mexican blend of cumin, oregano, cayenne and maybe even a pinch of cinnamon. You could also use this recipe as a stand in for beef crumbles. Just use a vegetarian beef seasoning instead of chicken seasoning and cook until the tofu starts to get a bit rubbery. You definitely don’t have too cook all the moisture out (some people seem to prefer it sort of wet), but it seems a lot meatier to me when it’s dry, and it’s much more palatable for people who aren’t used to eating it.

Sam's Chicken with Worthington Chic-ketts

It’s been an interesting year. For those of you who cared enough to occasionally check my blog and wonder what had happened to me (or just bothered me in person about it), I feel that I owe you an explanation for my 12-month sabbatical from food writing. In short, I moved across the country and I started a new job. And before that, I was just feeling lazy. Anyhow, I’m living a new life in Michigan that does NOT entail weekend after weekend of 8-hour workdays. A.k.a I have time to blog again. And I feel good about that.

However, I probably wouldn’t have gotten started up quite as quickly if it weren’t for my newest twinkie friend, Brittany (featured to your right). Although Brittany and I have known each other for a while now, this is the first time in a few years that we are living in the same place, which helped us realize something; we pretty much enjoy doing all the same stuff (hence the “twinkie”). Our few weeks of hanging out have already resulted in 4 work lunches, two girl’s nights, several herb garden discussions, a couple calorie burning walks, a church bake sale, and a “recipe for the blog” session. So Brittany, this one’s for you. Which is fitting since you introduced me to this recipe.

When Donnie and I came to Michigan a couple of months ago to work out some final details before the move, we stayed with Brittany and her husband Josh. One night, Brittany showed me how to make her mom’s version of vegetarian “fried chicken.” I have had different offerings in this genre several times in my life, but NOTHING (and I

mean nothing) has ever come close to looking as similar or tasting as good.

The official name for this dish is Sam’s Chicken. It’s a sinful staple at many Adventist institutions, and although it’s always good, it’s usually not this good. I really wish I could give you some history on who Sam was, or where the name came from, but honestly, I have no idea, and an internet search offer’s little help. Now before we move on, I must share this warning:

Warning: The subsequent recipe is NOT health food. However, it IS addicting, so if you’re gonna make it, try not to make too much, because you WILL eat al of it in one sitting. Got it?

Although you could replicate this recipe with several different faux chicken products, the one that seems to work best is the Worthington Chic-ketts roll. (Side note, I’ve resolved to branch out beyond the Worthington-Morningstar Farms realm, but that will start after this post J). This is not a veggie meat for people with allergies. Aside from egg and milk ingredients it also has soy (duh), and wheat, so if you want to make this recipe for that special celiac patient in your life… just don’t because the veggie meat won’t be the only problem.

As far as the nutritional info goes, the upside is that it’s relatively low in calories and high-ish in protein (14g for about 1/9 of the role). However, it’s not particularly low in fat, and it’s also, you guessed it, high in sodium (I’m currently on the hunt for some lower-sodium veggie meats, so if anyone knows of a good one, fill me in!). While they threw in some vitamins, there are several ingredients that the average joe won’t recognize, which is always a bad sign. Overall, I give Chic-ketts a C- and that might be generous. But like many Worthington products, it has good texture and flavor. It’s soft, fibrous and juicy, which makes it a satisfying stand-in for real chicken. If anyone decides to try this recipe with a different fake chicken product, let us know how it turns out!

PS. If you’re about to make this, why don’t you just go for a jog first? You’ll thank me later.

Sam’s Chicken with Worthington Chic-ketts Vegetable and Grain Protein Roll

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 qt low fat buttermilk

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1/3 cup hot sauce

1 lb roll of Worthington Chic-ketts

3 c corn oil (peanut or vegetable would probably be fine too)

½ c unsalted butter (one stick)

2 c all-purpose flour

½ c nutritional yeast flakes (available at any health food store)

¼ c McKay’s Chicken Seasoning (or other vegetarian chicken seasoning)

1 Tbls salt

1 Tbls ground black pepper

3 eggs, beaten

Directions

Combine buttermilk, garlic cloves and hot sauce in a bowl or plastic storage container. Tear the entire Chic-ketts roll into smallish pieces and submerge chunks in the buttermilk. Cover and let refrigerate for at least an hour or so.

In a large pot, heat oil and butter over medium heat until the foaming of the butter begins to subside. (If you’re not sure whether this is happening yet, just try waiting a little bit longer. The first time we did this, we added the chicken pieces too soon and the first batch took FOREVER.)

Combine flour, nutritional yeast, chicken seasoning, salt and black pepper in a sealable plastic food bag.

Remove Chic-ketts pieces from buttermilk giving each one a light squeeze to drain off the excess liquid. Dip into egg and place in the bag with the flour mixture.

Seal plastic baggie and shake until all Chic-ketts chunks are evenly coated. Use tongs to place pieces in oil. Remove when golden brown. Depending on how hot your oil is this could take 5-10 minutes.

Tips: While most fried chicken recipes will instruct you to use a large fry-pan or skillet, I’ve found that actually using a pot with tall sides can work better. It helps prevent oil splattering all over you stove and it’s usually a bit narrower so you can actually submerge the chicken pieces entirely. Also, if you don’t have tongs, get some. But until you do, use a fork. Lastly, I like to have a dish lined with paper towels ready to soak up some of that excess oil when the pieces come out.