Cut a lemon in half and rub your hands with the cut side. That is supposed
to remove smells from the skin (fish, too, if you handle it).
Neil, for your silken tofu: a lot of recipes specify one kind of tofu or
another, but it doesn't always matter. The recipe should tell you if it
does matter. Here are a few good and easy ways to get started:
--cube it (the size of dice) and throw it into miso soup
--cube it (same size) and toss it with a salad (you could marinate the cubes
in dressing first)
--throw it in the blender/food processor with some fruit and make a smoothie
--throw it in the blender/food processor with a green veggie such as peas or
asparagus plus seasonings and make a dip for a party
--throw it in the blender/food processor with cocoa and sugar (experiment; I
haven't tried it) and make pudding or pie filling
--and my favorite, make macaroni and "cheese" (this is in our regular "meal
rotation"):
RUTH'S MACARONI AND "CHEESE" (NON-DAIRY, CAN BE VEGAN)
1 pkg lowfat or regular tofu
12-16 oz. cheddar-style soy or rice cheese, divided*
3/4 cup rice milk or soymilk (I use rice milk for the milder taste)
1/2 tsp. paprika (or more, but taste first)
3/4 tsp. salt (pref. kosher/coarse salt)
1 tsp. curry powder
freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 oz. elbow macaroni
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook macaroni al dente. Meanwhile, puree all
remaining ingredients EXCEPT 3-4 oz. of cheese in food processor until
fairly smooth (some chunks are fine). Taste sauce and correct seasoning if
necessary. Mix with drained macaroni in oven-safe dish sprayed with
nonstick spray or brushed with olive oil. Shred reserved cheese and
sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or
until casserole is heated through and top is bubbly and lightly browned.
Great topped with stewed tomatoes or tomato salsa. Hard to tell that it's
not real cheese. Tastes like macaroni and cheese with the old-fashioned
white sauce base, not the Kraft variety. You can use non-silken tofu for
this recipe, too; when I invented the recipe I started out with silken, then
switched to regular to better imitate the texture of my mother's macaroni
and cheese (the "Holy Grail" of comfort food for me!).
*Note about the cheese: the cheese must contain casein if you want it to
melt on top of the casserole. If you want to make this recipe vegan, just
use "cheese" without casein. I can no longer eat dairy products, so I avoid
the fatfree "real" cheeses and go for this solution. My preference is for
the Soya Kaas brand, which comes in a lowfat and a fatfree version and has
pretty decent taste and texture. The lowfat has better taste than the
fatfree. Both have good texture, even after freezing and thawing. Some
brands are slimy....not my cup of tea.
Enjoy!
Ruth
Ruth C. Hoffman ruth.hoffman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Language Resources
138 Oak Street
Lake Zurich, IL 60047-1322
Tel: 847.726.1608
Fax: 847.726.1652
URL: http://www.language-resources.com/
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes." --Marcel Proust