Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based
It’s the marinades that make the tofu
Plain, white tofu has virtually no flavour. You can see that as a drawback, or as a positive. Because it allows you to add any flavour to this healthy supplier of plant protein. Moreover, it allows you to add structure to your cooking habits.
If you set aside half an hour at the weekend to dice a large block of white, firm tofu and make a few different marinades, you’ll immediately be set for the week.
Here are three examples of marinades. Besides, there is no brake on your creativity and you can replace these marinades with your own favourite combinations.
Oriental style marinade with peanut butter and sesame oil
This sweet and spicy marinade is excellent with rice or noodle dishes, accompanied by grilled and steamed vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 200 g firm white tofu
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- one tablespoon of soy sauce (tamari or shoyu)
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar (e.g. apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons maple, rice or agave syrup
- Two tablespoons of sesame oil
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- A good chunk of ginger, grated or very finely chopped
Greek style marinade with olive oil and lemon
This fresh and sour marinade is ideally suited as a substitute for feta cheese in salads, but is also very tasty slightly warmed up.
Ingredients:
- 200 g firm white tofu
- 2 tablespoons of nutritional or noble yeast flakes
- Two tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Spicy Mexican style marinade with chilli and paprika
A pungent, spicy marinade for lovers of spicy Mexican flavours. Ideally to use in wraps, with beans, vegetables and, for example, slices of fresh avocado. These are best eaten hot, by briefly frying the tofu with the marinade in a pan.
Ingredients:
- 200 g firm white tofu
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon plain white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or two finely chopped or pressed cloves of garlic
- sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
This is how to proceed:
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir in the cubed white tofu. Transfer the marinated tofu into glass jars, for instance with a span seal. This marinated tofu will keep for 1 week in the fridge.
Nutritional info: white firm tofu from the brand The Hobbit, per 100g product.
This gives a good indication of the nutritional values for firm tofu. Tofu from other manufacturers may of course differ from these exact values.
| Energy | Carbohydrates | Sugars | Fat | Sat. Fat | Protein | Fibre | Salt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 503 kJ/120 kcal | 2,1 g | 0,5 g | 6,1 g | 1,0 g | 13,5 g | 1,4 g | 0 g |
Is fermented tofu better than regular tofu?
Fermented tofu looks like ordinary tofu but has undergone a fermentation process. As a result, the flavour is slightly acid. Two advantages:
- the tofu is slightly more digestible
- this tofu has a more distinct flavour
In fermentation processes, bacteria grow and produce acids and enzymes. The enzymes trigger the digestion process, the acids provide stability and favourable acidity for the digestion process.
Fermented tofu is ideally suited for cold preparations with tofu, for example as an alternative to animal feta cheese. Great solution if you are vegan yourself or are visiting a friend or relative who does not eat dairy products.
Read more about plant-based nutrition and health:
Have a look at more articles about nutrition, health and plant-based foods:
Read more about plant-based food
Read more about yoga and yoga classes in Schaerbeek:
Check out our yoga classes here: