Tofu - aid to weight loss

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

and any other aids to weight loss ideas out there.

I was watching "how to eat well and lose weight".
And the resident chef gave a participant on the vegan diet a salad dish.

With pureed tofu as a salad dressing. That was all that was in the dispenser. Blitzed tofu.
I thought I'd give it a try. I do like tofu,
and seitan, and particularly tempeh.

I've made tofu aioli before:

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Haven't tried tofu dressing, but I do make a whipped feta one - basically whizzed with yoghurt & lemon juice, s&p & slackened off with a drop of evo to whatever consistency you want - thin as a dressing or firmer as a dip - it's good used as a spread with other flavouring added e.g. sumac, herb of choice or even garlic - keeps a while in the fridge too.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Sounds excellent, Lush.
I'll use that tonight, if we have chicken salad (which I hope). Tony adores feta.

[Binky Profile]

Gill, is that the block tofu sold in most supermarkets? Think the brand is Cauldron. Whenever we have tried to blitz it, it looks like scrambled egg (and is in fact a good substitute for that), and never goes silky.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Few things
1 the title of this thread is a bit misleading, it’s more about tofu as a low calorie alternative to other foods, not tofu as a substance that promotes weight loss, which is how I read it

2 Yes, Cauldron is the most widely sold brand of block tofu, though I have a slight preference for Taifun where available, and usually buy unbranded from the Chinese shop anyway

3 To make a dressing you usually use silken tofu I think, which is the stuff sold in juice cartons, not usually refrigerated, and always I think as far as I know labelled silken

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Ah, something to get my teeth into.

Lush, your dressing/ dip is excellent. It really takes on the evoo.
In case you don't know what what feta, lemon and evoo looks like, here's a photo.



I could easily add this and that as you say. But really like it simple.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Binky
The tofu I usually get that is soft is from a Natural Grocery Store. Its' called Dragonfly.

I've just bought some from Waitrose, extra firm tho, so it was a divil to blitz.
I softened it with evoo, and soya milk.

Not bad, it tastes like an egg based dressing - which you mentioned. It has the potential to have things added.
Chilli or garlic?
I managed to get it smooth enough.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Sue the chef on the programme said she has a top tip for all dieters (hence the weight loss comment in my title)

To blitz tofu for a dressing. She specifies silken.

I agree with her, it's not half bad.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Glad you like it - you'll soon be addicted Gill, it's that kind of thing - & you WILL end up putting a chopped chilli or two in there too....! ( a smidgeon of wasabi works nicely with parsley as well) & just wait 'till you make a spread with it...….no more cottage/cream cheese!

It's a good virtuous feeling having a dressing without any Mayo etc. isn't it ?!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Oh yes.
I can tell it's addictive.
And a lovely change from vinaigrettes that I do all the time.

It's now known as Lush's salad dressing. Tony was a happy bunny rabbit - he's a massive feta fan anyways. Thanks again.

[jeral Profile]

Tofu is very popular here with the vegans who prefer extra firm for stir fries as the protein element; also what's called braised tofu which has that bbq almost meaty smell when cooking so is useful for typical brunch plates like with mushrooms, peas & chips.

Silken has lots of uses, e.g. in dips/spreads, as cream cheese for savoury filling mixtures or sweetened (if wished) usually with icing sugar for cheese cakes, as cream or frosting; as a thickener to hot chocolate or milk smoothies (using alternative thin milks).

Tofu is an obvious one re "aid" to weight loss as it's low fat, but things like getting protein from wholemeal bread and brown rice which have no fat to speak of help as they defer hunger pangs (that GI index thing) and here the vegans eat tons of veg. Still have to exercise portion control though since pulses, nuts, seeds, carby veg and oils have those little calorie blighters

Fake meat is a little deceptive in that it's all usually very low fat but tends to need a decent spot of oil (rather than cooking spray) if frying or they can be dry by the time they've browned (i.e. consider total fat). Might work better in those air fryers, or just stick to the casserole sort I suppose if watching weight.

I've no idea if the above is of any use to anyone.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thanks Jeral.

I do find the soft tofu a bit "watery" in texture.
The Toofu Naked I just tried was pleasingly firm - trickier to puree.

There were loads of flavoured tofu in the aisle. Your brand Taifun.

[jeral Profile]

My vegans are very brand fussy now after trying different brands.

I recall a US recipe saying they preferred soft to silken for some things, buying it from an Asian grocer at a significantly lower price than supermarket silken. Stokey Sue said something similar earlier though didn't mention price.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I had a look in my local branch if Whole Food Market yesterday


They hgad three mainstream brands - Cauldron, Taifun and Clearspring and quite a lot of variants, especially in the Clearsping - smoked, marinated in various flavours etc. Mostly firm, intended to be cut in cubes or strips. But they also had a Taifun silken tofu in the chiller which I've never noticed before


When I buy from the Chinese shop or if I buy Cauldron I tend to go for firm, as it will go into a stir fry or ither dish requiring definite pieces with no mush

It's a fair bit cheaper from the Chinese shop in my experience

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I just consulted my World´s Healthiest Foods expert, George Mateljan ( )
According to him, a 4 oz serving of Tofu is only 164 calories, has 36% protein, and is packed with calcium, copper, manganese, selenium and phosphorus. ( sounds like a recipe for fireworks )
He also noted that fermented tofu is antioxidant and has "free radical scavenging benefits" ( and that sounds like some sort of mercenary terrorist hunter!)
So there you are!
I still think tofu is about as exciting as a wet weekend on the Isle of Sheppey, but still, I suppose it´s what you put with it that gives it flavour!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I still think tofu is about as exciting as a wet weekend on the Isle of Sheppey, but still, I suppose it´s what you put with it that gives it flavour!

Fuchsia Dunlop's Ma Po Tofu recipe is excellent - this is the vegetarian version, which sometimes has very finely chopped rehydrated shiitake mushrooms added to replace the bit of mincemeat in the mainstream version


https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/14/pock-marked-old-woman-s-tofu-recipe

And here's the version with the minced beef

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/14/pock-marked-old-woman-s-tofu-recipe

[Sakkarin Profile]

Oy, what have you got against the Isle of Sheppey, I was thinking of retiring there!

www.sakkarin.co.uk/foodforumpix/leysdalepanorama.jpg

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Yeah, my least favourite aunt lives there.

[Sakkarin Profile]

High point of my week there in 2015:

[jeral Profile]

Oops Sakkarin. Can I hear the words "Don't just stand there, do something!"? (Quite what escapes me.)

And yes, tofu does depend on flavours added. My vegans' ever-growing spice collection is likely to need an east wing extension at the current rate...