Tofu-nk

In a tofu-nk and in need of ideas!

I realized I really haven't had much meat in quite a while. I might order it when I am out to eat, and I am happy to eat it if someone cooks it for me; however, I am not going out of my way to buy and prepare meat myself. I am not mostly vegetarian for moral or ethical reasons, or even really for 'diet' purposes. A lot of vegetarian dishes can have just as many calories as meat-filled dishes, depending on how they are prepared. While I didn't make a conscious decision to phase it out of my diet, it kind of happened naturally. Wanna know why?

My #1 reason for being mostly vegetarian is because I am cheap. Have you seen how much one pound of ground beef is lately? Not to mention I don't like touching raw meat (specifically, chicken). A block of tofu is $1.99 at Trader Joe's. Eggs are cheap too. I am going for the most bang for my buck here.

Eggs and Morningstar sausage. Tofu. Super versatile. Yum.

I have made or tried tofu prepared in a few different ways now (see recipes page for some of these recipes if you are interested!): tofu noodles, tofu pigs in a blanket, baked sesame tofu, tempeh in pasta sauce, tofu in soup, and I recently made up a delicious tofu marinade. My favorite way to eat it is sliced thin, marinated, and pan seared in my new cast iron skillet (one of my favorite purchases as of late). I will eat this tofu plain, and I have put it on a sandwich and used it as 'lunch meat.' A grilled cheese with mayo and tofu hits the spot, and provides a little more protein than just a regular old grilled cheese.

To make the marinade, I mix dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and a bit of canola oil. Then I pour it over the sliced tofu and let it sit at least overnight.

I feel like I am now comfortable cooking and working with tofu. Now I need to expand my library of recipes! Please help! Also, if anyone has any good vegetarian frozen meals or snacks. I am stuck on Morningstar, (sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits!) but I know there have to be other good vegetarian options out there. I need ideas, please!

Faux-fredo pasta

I took the plunge people. I am now in to tofu - it's new for me.. but, I like it, and I want to eat it like all the time. It is now my preferred protein of choice at Asian restaurants. I decided to pop in to Harris Teeter after work today, and found the Tofu Shirataki Noodles with all the tofu and fake meat. They were pretty cheap (2 for $3.00) so I decided to buy a few packs and try it out!

I didn't have too much of an appetite this evening - I had a presentation to make for class, and my nerves kind of took over and I had a little snack prior (1/4 of a leftover black bean burger). It was like something clicked afterwards, I relaxed, and I was starving! With not a ton of points left, this was a great way to get a lot of food in my belly for just a few points plus.

Disclaimer: meal was prepared in bowl. Please excuse the grossness. And the random broccoli pieces. Its called: strainer economics.

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Ok let me get to how I made this bowl o' low points, here is my intro to Shirataki Noodles recipe: Hungry Girl's Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:
1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute
1 tsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Use a strainer to rinse and drain shirataki noodles well. Pat dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Drain excess liquid. Dry as thoroughly as possible, using paper towels. Cut noodles up a bit, using kitchen shears if you've got 'em.

Add sour cream, grated topping, and cheese wedge, breaking cheese wedge into pieces as you add it. Microwave for 1 minute.

Stir well and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Nutrition Facts: 99 calories, 4g fat, 376mg sodium, 9.5g carbs, 4g fiber, 1g sugars, 5.5g protein -- PointsPlus value 2

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I altered the recipe a bit to make it cheesier (duh. I love cheese). I added an extra half-tablespoon or so of light cream cheese, and I used light sour cream instead. In lieu of parm, I used 1 oz. of light mozzarella cheese. This upped the Points Plus value by 2 additional points, for a total of four. But my belly is full! So definitely worth it. You could get by without adding the additional cheese and it would still taste good. I would probably want to add the parm next time.

Have you ever had these noodles? Any other good uses for them? I think I am going to try a zucchini with red sauce with my spaghetti packet of noodles later this week... less points for noodles means more points available for cheeeeeseeee!!!