I did it. I ate tofu…in something other than a dessert. The verdict?
It wasn’t nearly what I’d imagined it to be.
This recipe was for Quick Asian Noodles. “Quick” got my attention, and I am always looking for a new way to make Asian foods. Usually, I wind up with a decent stir fry and a craving for some good Lo Mein. My Asian repertoire is not very wide, but this recipe may have broadened the horizons a bit. If nothing else, it got me over my fear of tofu.
First of all, tofu looks pretty gross uncooked. It looks like modeling clay. Second, I’d never cooked it right, so it always came out gummy. Like modeling clay (I would assume). Every time I came across a vegetarian or vegan recipe including tofu (which was a rather frequent occurrence), I found some way to replace it. I knew I couldn’t get away with that here, though, so I held my breath and dove in.
Thanks to Cathe’s tips, I learned that tofu needs to be drained before you cook it. I also learned that it can be sauteed or even fried up to stiffen it a bit. Since it takes on whatever flavors you combine it with, the only real hurdle was/is texture. I think that, if I combine it with varied textures, I can live with it and even learn to like it.
For this particular recipe, which I followed nearly to a T, I decided that I will make a few adjustments in the future. First, it called for bifun noodles. I could only find maifun. Next time, I will look harder to see what bifun actually is. These worked out just fine, but I am willing to bet that the original ingredient is the better one. Second, while the sauce in the recipe used mostly lime juice, I think I will change the ratios a bit to include more soy sauce and less lime. The tangy flavor of the lime did not set will in my increasingly-first-trimester stomach. Finally, I think it could use a bit of crunch. Maybe some sliced almonds?
All in all, I have learned that tofu is not all that scary, Asian food is not limited to stir fry and I can actually enjoy a meal with cooked greens. And that, for all of my nay-saying on this recipe, is quite the compliment to the author.
Nutritional highlights: Tofu for protein and dark green leafy vegetables for calcium and Vitamin C and..well..everything else. Can you really go wrong here?
—Interested in joining me? You don’t have to be pregnant or vegetarian to enjoy wholesome foods. Grab a copy of The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook: Whole Foods To Nourish Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women – And Their Families
