Healthy Shabbat Recipes

The Secrets Of Tofu -- REVEALED!

Does Tofu Scare You?

Awww...come on...you can admit it...

You see a recipe with tofu -- and you run the other way!

Well, fear not, I will explain, in this post everything you need to know about tofu.

Here we go...

There are two basic kinds of tofu

Type 1: Tofu in shelf-stable Asecptic Packages. This is known as sliken tofu.  The only kosher one that I know of is made by Mori-nu.  Use this kind of tofu in desserts and smoothies. It blends very well and 'disappears' into foods. It can also work as a subsitute for eggs and yogurt.   It has no aftertaste.

Type 2: Tofu that is packed in a water and stored in the refrigrated section. Some kosher brands include nasoya and white wave. It has a very firm, more meaty texture.  Use this kind of tofu in hearty main dishes like a tofu quiche or stir fry. It can withstand frying, sauteing and grilling.   It has a slight aftertaste that will not be apparent if you use it in hearty, well seasoned dishes, but will ruin the flavor of a dessert or light tasting dish.

This kind of tofu usually should be "pressed" before it is used. It makes it more firm AND more ready to absorb flavors.  Here's how you do it:

1) Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth towel
2) Place the tofu on a plate.
3) Put another plate on top of the tofu.
4) Put something heavy on top of the plate and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
5) Then marinade or cook the tofu...

One more tip: You can freeze tofu and the press it for even more absorbancy and a more meaty texture. But, my advice is NEVER EVER try to pass tofu off  as something else (like beef or chicken) to your family. It usually won't work.  In asian countries, tofu is not treated as a meat substitute, but as a  delicacy  on it's own. We should think of it the same way.

 

Ta-dah!  That is, in my book...all you need to know about Tofu!

Want to learn even more? I recommend the book "This Can't Be Tofu!" by Deborah Madision. That's where I learned this little secret and the book contains lots more gems!

 

Gluten Free Aduki Mocha Brownies

Bean Brownies?

Don't knock 'em till ya tried 'em!

I have recently decided to kick sugar AND go gluten-free for a while, and I needed a shabbos dessert so I wouldn't feet too deprived.  This does the trick for me. Don't try to pass these off to your kids as regular brownies -- it won't work -- but it does satisfy my sweet craving in a healthy protien-filled way!

Many people make these brownies with black or white beans.  In Japan and china they use sweetened aduki bean puree in many desserts -- so I figured it would work better than others -- and it does!

1 CAN RINSED & DRAINED  Audki BEANS (Eden is the only company I know of that has canned aduki beans)
3 eggs
3 tbs oil
4  tbs cocca powder (I recommend Ghirardelli)
2 tbs instant coffee
A pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup almond butter - adds richness!
½- ¾ C.  Agave Nectar or Honey

Blend everything  in a food processor  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan. Add chocolate chips and/or nuts if desired
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Put in fridge to chill and serve chilled. It's much better cold.

No Knead Whole Wheat Challah

My friend Tracy gave me her mothers recipe for no-knead challah. Gotta try this!

12 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 packages dry, instant yeast
2 tablespoon salt
6 eggs
1 cup agave syrup or honey
1 1/3 cups oil
2 3-4 cups warm ater

Mix dry ingredients (flour, yeast, salt) in a large bowl.
MIx eggs, honey, oil and warm water together. Then combine with dry ingredients
Transfer  dough to greased bowl  and let rise until doubled. (It takes a few hours - you can even do it overnight in the fridge)
Punch the dough down, divide it into 3 equal parts.  Braid 3 challahs. 
Let rise again for 1/2 hour.

Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Bread Machine Challah

I miss my bread machine. Haven't seen it since we moved! Here's the recipe I always used to make bread machine challah.  Sorry about the sugar, agave nectar/brown rice syrup doesn't work so well here.

1 1/2 cups water
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup oil
4 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup natural/turbinado sugar
1 tbsp. active dry yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine pan according to the manufactuers direction and start the dough cycle.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Divide the dough as you like and braid into challahs. If you divide it in half you will make two medium sized challahs. Let the dough rest and rise on a greased baking pan for 30 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Easy Whole Grain Challah

This is the recipe I usually use for shabbos.  It's great if you love a hearty, whole-grain challah.

You will need:
4 cups warm water
3 TBSP dry yeast
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs
12-13 cups whole wheat flour (or a combination of flours)
1 Tbsp. kosher salt

Stir together 4 Cups Warm Water & 3 Tbsp of dry yeast.

Add:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs

Stir in 5 cups of flour. Let the mixture rest for about 45 min to an hour until it bubbles. This is the first rising.

(I like to use Robin Hood Multigrain Flour for the first 5 cups.  Warning: Do not  use this kind of flour for the rest of the recipe -- it comes out too crunchy!)

After one hour, add 1 TBSP course salt  and stir in about 7 more cups of flour (I use whole wheat).  Lightly flour a board and knead dough 7-10 minutes until mixed.  As you work, add only as much flour as necessary to allow you to handle the dough.

(Want to avoid a mess? Do the kneading on your kitchen table, but put one of those clear shabbos tablecloth covers over the table first.  Then put down a wet towel with a board over it. The wet towel will help avoid the board slipping)

Seperate challah with a blessing. Lightly grease pans. Shape the dough  into loaves and rolls. Place the loaves in the pans and let rise 45 min to 1 hour. 

Brush loaves with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if desired. Bake until brown, 45-50 minutes for loaves, 30 minutes for rollos. Remove from pans and cool on racks

This recipe is inspired by the "Easy Whole Wheat Challah" recipe in The Spice and Spirit of Kosher-Jewish Cooking. I got this cookbook as a wedding present - and I STILL don't know who gave it to me!  But I must say, it does make a great gift for a kallah (bride). No Jewish home should be without this classic!