Where The Rubber Meets The Road

     A few wise, tactful friends have asked me what the hell I'm about, adopting this vegan stuff.  After all, we all know those plant-food-freak types aren't really quite...um, average.  I've given my friends many causes for  concern recently...but, actually, I had a collection of  levelheaded reasons for this sudden dietary change, and these reasons just clumped together into one messy, compelling glop. Working in the kitchen this week, it's been a  struggle to remember what those reasons were when I found myself dealing with both tofu and tempeh,  back-to-back. I was in such a flap over all the weirdness, you'd have thought I'd never cooked in my life!   I'm ashamed to say that I severely tried my dear husband's considerable patience and tolerance; he has a famous appetite, but there are limits.   I, of course, will eat anything as long as it's my idea.

     Keep in mind, it's all experimental, but I really wanted to give it a fair shot.  Apparently, in the vegan world,  foods that look more like mushy styrofoam or gag-shop rubber chicken material are given great respect and careful treatment.  I mean, these are Special Foods; you can't just cook them and eat them.  You have to press your tofu (in the South, we'd say you have to smash it) before you can even marinate it, which is still a number of steps away from eating it.  I wasn't entirely sure I could respect this substance, so I settled for just giving it the very careful treatment, like you would nitroglycerine.

     Here are the why's and wherefore's of this experiment (and I'm not interested in converting anyone, just in trying to seem rational).  First,  I had reached information overload, my own Malcolm Gladwell Moment, where food was concerned.  I had read so many books and magazine articles, had seen so many documentaries and movies, about how we grow our animal foods in this country. that I was starting to have dreams about it.  I remember when I quit smoking, it was much the same:  information reached critical mass and I was suddenly dreaming about quitting smoking.  I figured dreams about CAFO's meant something was about to happen in my waking life and I was desperately ready for some better dreams.

     Second, I have lost many family members, friends, and acquaintances to cancer in the past few years, so I had to see if there was anything to dietary-based prevention.  I picked up a book entitled Anti-Cancer by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD.  I admit I'm impressed by letters after a name.  I'm even more impressed when a neuro-psychiatrist, who helped pioneer brain imaging studies and who has survived brain cancer, decides to write a book about what to eat to avoid recurrence (or incidence, as the case may be).  He favors plants, organics, those power foods that turn up in Prevention Magazine, and avoidance of factory-raised animal proteins. Check out the link, watch the video, at www.anticancerways.com.

     Finally, and I'll just throw the rest into one paragraph, 1) on a retiree's fixed income, saving money on groceries is a good thing;  2) I needed to feel engaged in a personal way in the future of the planet; 3)  I needed something NEW, period; 4) my husband's cholesterol  has been high and it doesn't seem smart to take pills and eat steak; and 5) my daughter was thinking about becoming a vegan.  She's not a picky eater, so I figured there might be something I should look into.  Did I mention I needed something new?  I'm so completely frustrated by the don't's that come with this recession and with this time of life...I needed a do.

     So, I dove in.   I figured anybody can buy name-brand garden burgers and tofurkey, so I just had to go whole-hog (!) and learn how to handle the real, raw stuff.  The recipes that follow in this post and the next are not for the faint-hearted...but they are great for people with short memories!  If you can't quite remember what bacon or chicken tastes like after a whole week without them, you'll love these.  You might, at least, get some vicarious pleasure out of watching me make a culinary fool of myself.   At the end, I'll include links to two sites that I keep turning to for core recipes that I then piddle with and modify.  These two experiments were actually both edible and the tofu dish was lick-your-plate good.  I'll save tempeh for the next blog post.  Tofu, nitroglycerine, rubber chicken material...it's all just chemistry, right?

Smashing Tofu For Two


(Obviously, double this for company)

1 package extra firm cubed tofu, drained

1 bunch of kale, washed, torn, and thoroughly drained (don't include tough vein of leaf)

About one cup of wide rice or wheat noodles, cooked and drained  (I used whole wheat)

1/4 cup soy sauce

pinch of sugar or drizzle of agave nectar
1 Tablespoon light vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds.

Marinade for tofu:

1/4 cup soy or tamari sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon maple-flavored syrup

1 tablespoon light cooking oil (canola, safflower, etc.)

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 tsp. dried mustard

1/4 tsp oriental hot chili sauce

Start prepping this dish early in the afternoon.  You'll get breaks, truly!

Press drained tofu:  layer terry-cloth, paper towel, drained tofu, paper towel, and terry cloth.  Put a heavy book or cast-iron pot on top of this stack and leave it a couple of hours.  This will absorb liquid from tofu and prep it for marinade.
  

Mix marinade in a sealable plastic bag, add tofu, and refrigerate for about two hours. Turn the bag a couple of times to distribute marinade, but handle gently.
About an hour before serving, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse very thoroughly so they don't stick.. Toss with 1/4 cup soy sauce and a pinch of sugar.  Cover and set aside.


Drain marinade from tofu, keep marinade.
Lightly oil bottom of large, heavy pot.  Heat on high until hot,  add tofu cubes and sesame seeds.  Handling quickly and lightly, brown tofu on all sides, adding a drizzle of marinade every few seconds to prevent excessive sticking (a little sticking and crumbling is actually good).  Remove tofu when it's browned but not burned, set aside in separate bowl.  Add remaining oil and return pan to heat.
Gradually add torn, drained kale, tossing slightly to distribute oil.  Keep the greens moving in the pot as they cook.  Kale will become limp and will gradually soften, cooking down so there is little liquid left. 
Gradually add noodles and toss with kale. Remove to serving plates.  Top with cubed tofu and drizzle with remaining marinade.
(Other optional additions at end:  toasted coconut or toasted cashew pieces)


This dish tasted exotic and surprisingly delicious!  It needs a fresh and crunchy accompaniment like a lightly dressed cabbage or brocolli slaw with apples and dried cranberries (might as well get all your anti-cancer foods into one meal).  This one, I think I'll make for some foodie friends who like to experiment.  Put out chopsticks for the first tentative tastes and forks, for when they find out how good this is.

Credit for base recipe, to which I made several changes,  goes to www.veganyumyum.com. Love their site! Also: Post Punk Kitchen, although the graphics are a little alarming.