SoyMilk Crossroads

Want to eat healthier but don’t think you can afford it?  It can be pricey if you buy pre-packaged soy foods.  The cost of soy milk, meat-free hamburger patties, and tofu “chicken” nuggets is enough to drive many of us to continue with the Standard American Diet.

A Better Way

It doesn’t have to be so expensive to eat healthy.  If you’re willing to put in just a little effort, you can save a surprising amount of money by buying dried soybeans and making your own health food.  Soy beans cost, on average, around $2 per pound.  Pre-packaged soy foods can top $7-$8 per pound.

No Processing, Shipping, or Packaging Worked into the Cost

Dry soy beans can be soaked and processed to make soy milk and tofu, which you already know about.  But did you know that you can also make everything from pies to “chicken” nuggets to a scrambled egg substitute? 
 

Because you use every part of the soybean, there is no waste - and the only packaging you have to worry about is the bag that the dried soybeans come in.

Healthy is Within Reach

Studies have shown that it costs significantly more to eat a healthy diet than it does to eat junk food.  You can eliminate a lot of that cost by buying dried soybeans and making your own soy milk and protein foods - and enjoy all of the benefits of a healthy and inexpensive diet.

Need yet another way to use that okara? This delicious crustless pie is high in protein and highly customizable. You can add or leave out any vegetables you please to have a completely different taste experience each time you make this meal.

Ingredients

2 pounds chopped broccoli, frozen
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
6 large egg whites
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unflavored, unsweetened soymilk
1/2 cup okara or tofu
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
3 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (optional)
2 Tablespoons prepared no-sugar horseradish
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons dried chives
2 medium whole tomatoes, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place frozen broccoli (or fresh, blanched) into an ungreased 9 x 13 baking pan. In a skillet, warm the oil and add sliced onions and minced garlic. Saute lightly until onions are tender, but not cooked. Spread onions and garlic evenly over broccoli.
 
Place the remaining ingredients (except tomatoes) in a blender and whiz until smooth. Pour batter over broccoli and onions. Lay sliced tomatoes over top. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until the center is set and pie is brown around the edges.

Freezing tofu changes it’s look and texture, so these cutlets have a remarkable resemblance to veal cutlets.  And even more so depending on the type of sauce you choose to serve with it.
 

 This is a great winter time tofu meal.  Of course,  you can serve this with rice and vegetables.  If you find that you like the taste and texture of frozen tofu then start freezing some so that you always have it on hand.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp grated ginger root
4 Tbsp soy sauce
4 pieces of frozen tofu (reconstituted, thawed) cut these into slices about 1/4 to 1/2 inch
1/2 flour
1 egg, lightly beaten (for non-egg eaters, I find a little water or soy milk added to the flour makes a nice dip)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Oil for deep-frying
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

Combine the water, ginger root and soy sauce in a pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, add tofu, let simmer for about 20 minutes so that the tofu soaks up those flavors.
 

Remove tofu and let it cool a bit so that you can touch it.  With your fingers, press each piece to release part of the liquid.  Dip the tofu into your flour and liquid mixture, then roll in the bread crumbs.
 

Heat the oil in a skillet, deep-fryer or wok to 375 degrees.  Drop in the tofu and cook until golden brown.  The hot oil makes this step happen very quickly. 
 

Serve hot or cold with the lemon wedges.  Personally, I prefer it hot with a sauce. Here’s a couple of my favorites:

Zippy Ketchup & Lemon

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 5 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced onion
• 1/4 tsp hot  mustard (optional, but more zip)

Combine and mix well.

Ketchup & Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Comine and mix well.   Enjoy!

Yes, you can freeze your homemade tofu.  In fact, freezing tofu creates a texture very similar to tender meat.  Commercial brands are generally dried-frozen so they are loaded with ammonia gas and baking soda or other chemicals make the tofu expand when you cook it.  Your homemade frozen tofu will be more natural, of course. 

Steps for Freezing

You’ll want to make it as firm as possible.  So use a heavy weight for a long time while the tofu is settling in the mold.
 

You can cut the tofu block into pieces if you like.  Place the pieces on a plate with space between them and put it the freezer.  Make sure the freezer is turn down as cold as possible. 
 

The texture of the tofu will transform and be ready for use after about 48 hours.  Don’t freak out when you see it because it’s also going to change in color.  It turns darker.  If you don’t plan to use it immediately, just seal it in a freezer bag and store it in the freezer.  Actually, the texture and resiliency continues to improve with a lengthy storage.

Thawing the Tofu

Place the frozen tofu in a large bowl or pan.  Add boiling water so that the tofu is well covered and let sit for about 10 minutes until the tofu is completely thawed.  If you froze a large block, cut it down to smaller piece part way through the thawing, put it back into the hot water to speed up the thaw process.
 

Pour off the hot water and add cold water.  Gently press the tofu between your hands to make sure all of the hot water has been expelled.  Then lift the tofu completely out of the water and press all of the remaining water out of it.
 

This is important because you want it to be dry when you use it so that the tofu can absorb liquids and flavors during the cooking process.  That’s it; you’re ready for some recipes for frozen tofu….. 

Making tofu is relatively easy and can save you a lot of money, but once in a while a batch of tofu just doesn’t come out the way you want it to. Usually, the problem is that it’s too watery and unable to hold together. It might be disappointing, but don’t just throw out that failed batch of tofu!
 

You can turn that too-soft tofu into a delicious dessert. It doesn’t exactly taste like the pudding you make from boxed mixes, but it is much healthier and dairy-free.

Ingredients

• One block of tofu
• 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 Tablespoons soy milk
• 1/4 Teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Directions

Drain tofu and lightly squeeze between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Put tofu and soy milk into blender and puree until tofu is smooth. Add maple syrup, cocoa powder, and flavoring. Puree again until the mixture is well blended.
 

Refrigerate the pudding, covered, until chilled. Serve with bananas, strawberries or graham crackers for a special protein-rich treat.

Commercial mayonnaise consist of at least 65% fat.  And of course, a variety of preservatives.  Those jars seem to last way too long in the frig.
 

Here is a basic tofu mayonnaise that contains no eggs and very little oil.  It’s ideal for use in low-calorie and low-fat diets.  Keep it refrigerated and use it within two days.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces of tofu
• 1-1/2 to 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (or equal parts of each)
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or 2 tsp soy sauce
• dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Chill before serving.

Variations:  You have the basics, now for the variety of add-ons

• Onion - 1/4 cup chopped onion.  This is great with most fried tofu and most vegetable dishes.
• Dill & Garlic - 1/4 tsp dill and 1 glove minced garlic to replace the pepper.
• Pickle - chop up two small cucumber pickles and use over slided tomatoes.
• Celery & Onion - 3 Tbsp of each, diced.  Goes very well with squash dished.
• Mustard - 1 tsp hot mustard.  You’ll love this with fresh tomatoes, fried tofu or steamed broccoli
• Raisins - 2/3 cup raisins.  Cut back on half the salt.  Serve as a topping over apples or on Waldorf salads.

That should get you going.  Experiment.  Try a variety of herbs, too.

The protein value of a food depends on two factors:

• Quantity - how much protein is in the food.  This is expressed as a percentage of the total weight of the food.
• Quality - is the percentage of protein in a food that can be utilized by the body.  This is expressed in a protein score called Net Protein Utilization. (NPU)

Quantity of Protein

The chart shows the top 20 protein food sources.  It can be seen that the highest percentages of protein are found in plant rather than animal foods.  In fact, soy foods hold 10 of the 20 slots, including the top five.

The NPU Chart

The NPU is a biological value or protein score given to foods that refers to the percent of protein that the human body can use.
 

It’s based largely on the food’s ability to digest and how it’s amino acids match the pattern required by the body.
 

 On this chart you can see that chicken and tofu have the exact same protein value.

How to Use the Charts Together 

By combining these two charts you can calculate the usable protein of various foods.  Here’s an example.  The daily protein requirement for an adult male is around 43 grams. 
 

Regular Tofu contains 8% protein, 65% of that is considered usable by our bodies.  Let’s do the math.  One 8-ounce (227 gram) serving of tofu gives us 227 x .08 x .65 = 11.8 grams of usable protein.  That’s more than 27% of the daily requirement.
 

If you do the math, you find that the same amount of usable protein can be supplied by 3 ounces of steak or 5.5 ounces of hamburger.  The cost is much higher, of course.

Quality of Protein

The charts allow you to calculate the usable protein, but that in itself is an extremely small picture about the actually value of the these foods.  It is a common misconception that the food value of meat is superior to plant.  Protein is protein.  But what we put our bodies through to get that protein is another whole story.
 

 Americans presently obtain about 70% of all their protein from animal foods.  Because of that, the standard American diet contains one of the world’s highest proportions of saturated fats and cholesterol.  Cholesterol medication is a booming industry in our country.

Unique Quality of Tofu

Tofu is very unique among high protein foods.  It is low in calories and saturated fats and completely free of cholesterol.  It’s also an excellent source of calcium.  Tofu is also a good source for other minerals such as iron, phosphororus, potassium, sodium, B vitamins, choline and fat-souble vitamin E.

I love milkshakes.  Giving them up was out of the question.  Finding an alternative to dairy milk and ice cream was a must. 

Here’s one of my favorites:

• 6 ounces of tofu
• 3 small frozen bananas, or fresh with 3 ice cubes
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 cup cold soy milk

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth.  Serve immediately!!
 

Note:  Want ice cream instead?  Don’t add the 1/4 cup of milk.  Enjoy!!

What can you do with that pot of soymilk you just made?  I personally make four pots of soymilk each week.  That’s for a household of two.  And the other person isn’t into the whole soy thing as much as I am.

 Great Soymilk Uses 

Soymilk:  Two of the pots are just for the milk.  We use it for cereal, smoothies, and whatever cooking we do that calls for milk.  I love to experiment with different flavors.  But I always come back to the vanilla for some reason.  Addicted, I guess.
 

Tofu:  One pot of milk made in the Soyabella Soymilk Maker can in turn be used to make one block of tofu with the Soyabella Tofu Kit.  It’s a small mold and when you look at it, you just don’t think the tofu mixture will fit.  But it does.  Again, I experiment each week to see what I can with that tofu.
 

Yogurt:  One pot of milk is a liter (about a quart), which is exactly the amount that fills the seven yogurt jars in the Yolife Yogurt Maker.  But then if you want more than that, you can use whatever jars you like.  Some weeks I have to break down an make a second batch of yogurt.  When I use it in the smoothies, it can go fast.
 

Okara:  This is the wonderful by-product that you get with each pot of soymilk that you make.  It’s the bean pulp that’s left in the milk screen.  Each pot yields about 3/4 cup.  You can use it much the same way that you use tofu.  It’s loaded with protein.  Those of you throwing it away, well, you may want to look at other options.  There are some wonderful Okara recipes available.  My favorite is the Okara Burger Recipe.
 

Choices!  If you get tired of just drinking the soymilk, you may want to branch out and start experimenting with these other delights. 

The hardest part of making tofu is making the soymilk.  And now even that is easy with a Soyabella Soymilk Maker.

1. Make the Soymilk

Just set the milk screen in the utility cup, pour in a measure cup of beans, add water and let soak overnight (6 to 8 hours).    The beans swell to 3 times their original size to make a rich milk. 
 

Lift the milk screen out and drain the water, attach it to the motor head, put water in the pot and lower the head assembly into the pot.  Push the milk button and in 15 minutes you have soymilk.

2. Filter the Soymilk

Pour the milk through some cheese cloth or a fine mesh metal coffee filter to filter out the okara (bean pulp).  I save the okara from this and the milk screen for other recipes.  You can use it very much like you would tofu.  Each pot gives you about 1/2 cup okara.

3.  Stir in the Coagulator

Pour the filtered soymilk into a bowl so that you can stir in the coagulator or tofu starter.  Prepare the coagulator by dissolving it into a small amount of water.  You may want to experiment with different types.  Here I’ve used 1 tsp of Magnesium Malate Powder in 1/2 cup water. 
 

Slowly pour the coagulate solution into the soymilk while stirring.  When you have half or more of the solution mixed in, stop pouring and wait a bit.  Add just a little at a time until the soymilk looks like a paste.  That’s it, stop, even if you have coagulator solution left over.

4.  Line the Tofu Mold

Dampen the cheesecloth that came with the Tofu Kit and line the tofu box.  Set the box on a dish or collecting surface.  There will be liquid forced out through the openings in the mold.

5.  Pour the Soymilk Mixture into Mold

Pour the tofu mixture into the lined mold.  This mold box seems very small when you look at the amount of mixture in the bowl.  But I assure you, it will fit.  This box has been sized for one pot of soymilk.  As you pour, liquid will start draining through the cheesecloth.  Give it a little time to settle and you’ll fill it all the way to the top.

6.  Cover Tofu with Cheesecloth

The cheesecloth with this kit is larger than it needs to be.  So when you fold it over to close the top, you may not want to fold all sides.  Too much cloth makes it difficult to fit the lid into the mold.  So I only fold over two of the sides and leave the rest hanging out.
 

Now it’s time to weight it down and put some pressure on the mixture to form the tofu.  So I stack my balancing act.  You can find what you have that works for you.

7.  Place Weight on Top of Tofu Press

I start with a can of soup and then stack a couple hand weights on top of that.  My pile makes about 4 pounds.  In 2 hours I have a soft to medium tofu block.   In 4 hours it’s getting closer to firm. 
 

The length of time this part takes is really dependent upon the amount of weight.  A block of tofu could be complete in half an hour if you could place 20 to 30 pounds on it.  So whatever rig you come up with, you’ll want to keep notes on your time schedules for soft, medium and firm tofu blocks.

8.  Remove, Unwrap, Enjoy!

And as you can see from the picture of this block of tofu, I didn’t take much time with my cheesecloth liner.  If you want a nice smooth looking block, you’ll want to make sure your cheesecloth is wet so you can smooth it out in the box before you start pouring in the tofu mixture.
 

That’s it.  A fresh block of tofu.  I was amazed at how much better it tasted than the store-bought.  If you aren’t going to use it right away, place it in a container surrounded with water.  Change the water each day until you use it and use it within seven days.  Or, of course, you can freeze it.