Also, tofu is a more affordable source of protein than meat, especially if you’re cooking for a large group. Cubes of tofu can be added to soup to turn it into a main dish. Soft or silken tofu can even be used as a protein-rich base for dips or smoothies.

The eco side of tofu is that it doesn’t have as much impact on the environment as meat production. Even though rain forests are being cleared for growing soy, the majority of it is used to feed cattle! So, tofu is mostly guilt-free.

Use organic tofu for this seasonal favorite from tofu experts, House Foods.

Tofu “Punkin” Pie
(serves eight)

• 1 pkg (14 oz) House Foods Organic Tofu Firm
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 can (16 oz) cooked pumpkin
• 1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

To prepare:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients and blend thoroughly.
• Pour mixture into pie crust; bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until set. Serve chilled.

Follow these links for other tofu recipes from House Foods: Creamy Pumpkin Soup (pictured) and Tofu Mushroom Spread.

(Recipes and images courtesy of House Foods)

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

“What you eat affects our environment more than most anything else.

…more than switching to a hybrid car

…more than switching to mercury free lightbulbs

…more than recycling”

Personally, I think it’s a mixture of issues that affect our environment most; with consumerism heading up the situation. However, this post is not off base at all. Foods we eat both by type and packaging really do make a huge difference. Read the post, then come back and review some of our previous posts about healthier, less packaged foods to eat.

• Homemade Organic Fruit Snacks
• Tofu Recipes for Kids
• Two Tofu Tips for Parents
• Why Go Meatless More Often?
• Meatless Monday
• How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
• Veggie Books for Kids
• One Small Step: Eat One Meatless Meal
• 32 Unique Homemade Popsicle Recipes & Ideas – pops that aren’t packaged and have no added baddies.
  

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[photo via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

1. Many tofu recipes that I come across contain honey. That smoothie above does. Don’t forget that babies under the age of one year, cannot have honey. It’s not safe.

2. I also don’t think that sites promoting tricky tofu ideas are a good deal. Part of respecting our kids is NOT tricking them. Plus, being sneaky is so weird. It makes tofu a “weird food” to kids if you act like hiding it in other food is normal. My suggestion is to be honest with kids right from the start. If they ask, say it’s tofu, and that’s what’s for dinner.

It’s better, of course if you start when they’re young. Cedar’s been a vegetarian his whole life. To him stuff like tofu and veggies is just food, not odd food. This kid asked for celery instead of cake at his birthday, eats tofu and brown rice happily, and wants whole red bell peppers for breakfast – so introducing kids to healthy foods at a young age works. No tricks necessary.

Don’t forget – you could get a pair of tickets for the First Eco Wedding & Lifestyle Show in Canada!

Click to learn more.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Later this week I know that Peggy has some cool meatless posts planned, so I figured I’d work that in to our kid day.

So, how come tofu is so green? The main point is that it’s not meat. Meat, unlike tofu, is extremely bad for the environment.

• EarthWorks Press has noted that just one meat eater uses as much land to produce food as 20 vegetarians.
• It can take more than 15 times the amount of energy to produce pork (per pound) than it does to produce grains, veggies, and fruits (per pound).
• The Rainforest Action Network relates that producing one small hamburger is like chopping off about 55 square feet of a tropical rainforest.

There are more reasons to eat less meat – or no meat at all. But for this post, we’ll concentrate on tofu eating for the littles (and adults).

The Enchanted Broccoli Forest has one of the better kid tofu recipes – Tofu-Nut Balls. It’s a good intro for kids who haven’t been raised on tofu.

You gather:

1. 1/2 cup brown rice – uncooked
2. 1 cup water
3. dash of soy sauce (I’ve made it without soy sauce though, it was fine).
4. 1/2 pound firm organic tofu – mashed up
5. 1/2 cup ground almonds
6. 1/2 cup fine whole wheat bread crumbs

To make:

1. Mix rice and water in saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, cook until mushy. Way mushier than normal rice should be.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Put soy sauce, 3/4 of the cooked rice, and 1/2 of the tofu in a blender and blend into a thick paste.
4. Mix the paste in a large bowl with every single ingredient you have left.
5. Form little balls with your hands (about 36) and bake for 30 minutes.

Cedar likes his with organic ketchup. The book suggests on top of pasta or veggies or as party appetizers.

Peanut, broccoli, tofu for babies.

When Cedar was little I made most of his baby food, and this one dish he loved. I’d steam broccoli until super soft, and cut that into small baby bites. Then, I’d mix a little organic peanut butter in a sauce pan with some apple juice or breast milk – until sauce-like. You toss the broccoli into a bowl with some heated medium-firm tofu squares (baby bites!). Then you drizzle the sauce over it.

For more kid-tofu fun try:

The In A Vegetarian Kitchen website – they have a great kid tofu section with items like…

• “Chicken”-Style Tofu Fajitas
• Baked Tofu Nuggets
• Macaroni and Cheese with a Secret Silken Tofu Sauce
• Creamy Corn Chowder
• Miniature Chocolate Pudding Pies

Creamy tofu pumpkin pie

Fruity tofu smoothie

A great video of the making of tofu that kids will like. You can’t let them watch the making of a hamburger for fun, now can you?

Post from: Tree Hugging Family