Tofu Sandwich

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

4 homemade buns

4 Tofu steaks

4-tablespoons mayonnaise

4 Romaine lettuce leaves

Place mayonnaise on both insides of the bun.  Assemble sandwiches with one tofu steak and one lettuce leaf between the top and bottom of the bun.  The tofu steaks can be hot or room temperature.  

Serve with lemonade.

TOFU

Block of extra firm tofu

Tofu is sold in blocks from soft, firm, to silken.  Use the organic extra firm for sandwiches, stir-fry, salads, or anything needing a chewy texture.  The larger firm blocks are usually found in the diary section.  Use the silken for dips, mousse, cheesecakes and anything needing a creamy texture.  The smaller silken tofu is found in aseptic boxes usually in the Asian section.  Now, you can find tofu in health food stores and chain grocery stores. 

Tofu does not have any flavor.  The good thing about not having flavor is that it will take on any flavor you give it from sweet chocolate to salty savory.

This is the easiest way to handle tofu.  Press it to remove extra liquid and than flavor it.

Pressing tofu

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

1 block of extra firm tofu

1-teaspoon olive oil

1-teaspoon soy sauce

3-teaspoons of water

Place the block of tofu between two plates.  Put a 14-ounce can on top.  Remove the liquid as it is pressed out.  Put a 28-ounce can on top and remove the liquid until all the excess liquid is removed.  

Slice the block into quarters. 

Heat an iron skillet and add the olive oil.  When the oil is heated, add the tofu, and fry for 5 minutes.  Turn and fry for 3 minutes.

Mix the soy sauce with the water. 

Place all four fried slices in the pan, turn off the heat, and add the soy sauce water mixture.  Turn the slices until they are evenly coated and the liquid is absorbed. 

Fried and flavored tofu

Use the slices in stir-fries, sandwiches, or salads. 

MANGO SHERBET

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4-cups

This is a wonderful refreshing sherbet made without the use of an ice cream maker.  The trick is to freeze the fruit in chunks. 

4-cups of frozen pineapple chunks

1/4-cup agave nectar or stevia to taste

1/2-cup almond, rice, or soy milk

Take the frozen mango chunks out of the freezer for 20 minutes.  Blenderize  all the ingredients place in a covered container, and freeze. 

Take out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving and stir with a fork before placing in serving dishes.  

PINEAPPLE COCONUT SHERBET

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4-cups

This is a wonderful refreshing sherbet made without the use of an ice cream maker.  The trick is to freeze the fruit in chunks. 

3-cups of frozen pineapple chunks

1-cup coconut

1/4-cup agave nectar or stevia to taste

1/2-cup almond, rice, or soy milk

Take the frozen pineapple chunks out of the freezer for 20 minutes.  Blenderize all the ingredients place in a covered container, and freeze. 

Take out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving and stir with a fork before placing in serving dishes.  

VANILLA CREAM

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1½-cups

1 container (12.3ounces) silken tofu

¼-cup agave nectar

2-teaspoons vanilla

2-tablespoons oil

Blenderize all ingredients until smooth.  Chill. Use as toppings for desserts or to frost a sheet cake. 

COCONUT MILK

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 cups

1 coconut

2-cups boiling water

Take the raw coconut meat and pour the boiling water over it.  Let the mixture cool.

Blenderize the coconut mixture with the coconut water.

Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer.  Discard the coconut pulp. 

Refrigerate the liquid until ready to use.  

COCONUTS FROM THE TREE

COCONUT FLOUR

TOASTED COCONUT

Drill hole.

Split with machete.

Split coconut.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Yield: 2 to 3-cups of coconut water depending on age of the coconut

           2-3 cups of coconut meat depending on the age of the coconut

1 coconut in green or brown husk

(If you purchase a coconut in the shell.  The instructions are the same as the ripe coconut in the husk.)

Drill a hole in the bottom of the coconut.  Place in a pitcher and drill another hole in the top.  Drain the coconut.  Strain the coconut water to remove any husk particles.  Serve as is or sweeten with stevia. 

Use a machete or hatchet to cut the husk open into halves or quarters.  If the husk is brown and hard it will bounce.  Cut the husk with the machete close to the handle.  The knife will wedge into the husk, and then keep hitting the coconut on a hard surface until it splits. 

If the coconut is green, the jelly like meat can easily be spooned out. 

If the coconut is brown and older, the meat has thickened and is firm.  There will be less coconut water in an older coconut.  Zap in the microwave for 5 minutes and cool.  Remove the meat by wedging a paring knife between the shell and the meat. 

Shreded coconut.  

Cut into slices and eat the coconut raw or grate for toasting.

If desired, toast in a 250-degree oven on a baking sheet stirring often until toasted and dry. 

Dehydrate the coconut following the instructions of your dehydrator. Blenderize to make coconut flour.