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Tofuture Tofu Press

February 23, 2017 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

The tofu press is a neat little gadget
The tofu press is a neat little gadget
The tofu press is a neat little gadget

I never thought I’d invest in a tofu press to be honest with you. It just seemed a bit posh and seriously, what could it achieve that a pile of books and a couple of tea towels couldn’t? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out.

The logo gets pressed into the tofu
The logo gets pressed into the tofu

I picked up my Tofuture tofu press at a recent vegan festival as I’m always in a buying mood at these events. There’s just something about everything surrounding you being suitable for vegans (SFV) that makes me open my wallet and, well, keep it open all day. The nice lady at the stall said that she’d recommend pressing the tofu for about four hours in the fridge for the best results. After I took it home, one morning I got up, put the tofu in for the morning and was impressed how much liquid had come out. It was kind of funny seeing the logo pressed into the top, but I can’t deny the effectiveness.

The bands on the side seem really strong
The bands on the side seem really strong

Also, when you’re pressing tofu the old fashioned way, you have to make room on the counter for it and then after you’ve wrapped it in tea towels you precariously balance heavy books and cans of beans on top of it. It’s also advisable to turn it over halfway through and maybe change the towels. I always managed to get my tofu block all lopsided using this method, which made it more difficult to slice afterwards.

Loads of water came out
Loads of water came out

So, with this handy little gadget, you basically just pop the tofu block in the tray, pull down the lid with the super-strong elastic bands and stick it in the fridge and forget about it. It really couldn’t be easier.

Once I’d pressed the tofu, I cleaned out the main bottom part of the try that catches the water. I thought it would make a great wee marinating dish. See, most of the time when I’ve marinated tofu before, it can be a bit tricky to find a container that is the right shape. I was glad to discover that popping the cubed tofu into the tray worked really well. And because the press had been so efficient at squeezing out the water, I reckon the tofu absorbed even more flavour from the marinade than usual.

It made a great marinating dish
It made a great marinating dish

Baked, marinated tofu can make a great ‘meat replacement’ on a plate full of veggies. It’s also good to pop in wraps with some salad or have at a buffet table. Tofu is mega versatile (see my article here) and the Tofuture tofu press makes preparing and marinating your own just that bit easier.

 

Filed Under: Product Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: cooking, marinating, preperation, press, tofu

Happy Herbivore Light and Lean by Lindsay S. Nixon

July 25, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Ruby chocolate muffins

The Happy Herbivore website has long been a great source of recipes and the cookbook of the same name was a best seller. This book, as the title suggests, is geared towards those of us who’d like to lose a bit of weight. There are all kinds of recipes in here and one thing they all have in common is the ingredients lists are pretty short. I find that a huge advantage, especially when trying to throw something together quickly. Although an American book, most ingredients are easy to come by here in the UK and cup measurers are available in all the big supermarkets, so that shouldn’t be a problem either.


As well as recipes, this book also includes a small section at the back that’s devoted to exercise. I have to be honest that this isn’t why I bought the book but there are common sense moves in there for everyone, like the plank and squats. However, I defy anyone to do more than five burpees in a row without getting seriously grumpy. Pick and choose what suits and you could end up more toned than you were before.

Ok, onto the food. Now, there are a few dishes in here that have made it onto my RRR (regular recipe rotation). My favourite of these is probably the Skinny Mac ‘n’ cheese. It uses canned pumpkin and you can make the sauce and then sub in whatever vegetables you want. It’s all totally flexible and tastes really quite indulgent despite the lack of fat and calories.

Skinny Mac'n'cheese
Skinny Mac’n’cheese

Another regular of mine is the Meatloaf Bites. They’re little burger-type things that you can do in a muffin tray and are ideal for stuffing into a wrap or having hot with veg. It calls for Italian seasoning, and I find a combination of dried basil, oregano, rosemary and sage works a treat. It also gives me an excuse to make proper use of my spice rack.

The Ruby Chocolate Muffins are a great little cake to make, if you fancy something sweet but healthy. The rubies are cranberries which look attractive and taste great.

Ruby chocolate muffins
Ruby chocolate muffins

There are lots of innovative recipes in here, not least the Chocolate Surprise Frosting which has sweet potato as its main ingredient – I kid you not! I honestly used this on the chocolate cake recipe from this book, served it to friends without telling them and they yummed it up. They truly had no idea they were eating vegetables! One for the children maybe?

This book is great for lunch ideas, light meals of all kinds from pasta to burgers to pancakes, desserts and there’s even a section on drinks. There are also loads of useful little recipes for sauces and dips that can be used in all different ways to make mealtimes tasty but healthier. The author has even included her own personal story to help inspire you and she certainly seems to be thriving on this no oil, whole food, plant based diet.

Recommended.

Buy it here.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: book, chocolate, cooking, Happy Herbivore, mac'n'cheese, recipes

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