Sold on the health benefits of soy... but not sure how to eat it?
Do you have a soy-hater in your family?
Think soy is just for health nuts and vegetarians?
Soy is actually an amazingly versatile bean, a wonder-food... soy, in its many forms, can actually be - yes - delicious. And you don't have to eat slimy jelly-like food to get the benefits of soy. You just need to know where to start.
Soy snacks for true snackers:
- Soy nuts: These are baked soybeans, and they are tasty. Soy nuts are full of protein and are a must for the salty-tooth snacker. There are all sorts of flavored soy nuts, too (barbeque, sour cream and onion... even dill pickle!) Throw soy nuts into a trail mix with raisins, nuts and chocolate chips for a delicious lunch box snack.
- Edamame: You may have had edamame in a Japanese restaurant as a delicious salty appetizer. You can enjoy this finger food at home, too: it's sold frozen, and takes only a few minutes to steam. Add some kosher salt and you have a high-protein, healthy snack. Buy a bag of shelled frozen edamame too, and add it to recipes in place of peas for a colorful kick.
Is the texture of tofu standing (or jiggling) in your way?
- Silken smoothie: A delicious, protein-filled breakfast that will last you until lunch. Mix a banana, orange juice, frozen berries and silken tofu into a blender. You can add ground flax seed and wheat germ for a little extra oomph (and vitamins). Easy and delicious!
- Tofu stir-fry: If you don't like the taste of plain tofu but want a tasty meat-alternative, try this method for preparing tofu to add to Asian stir-fries: Cut extra firm tofu into cubes (or buy the cubed kind). Marinate in soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce to taste (my favorite is Sriracha) for 30 minutes to overnight. Heat oil (peanut oil gives the nicest flavor) in a large skillet and fry the tofu on medium-high heat, turning on all sides until it gets a nice dark brown crust, or to taste. In this method, the tofu takes on the spicy, salty flavor of the marinade and the frying gives it a great hearty texture you can really bite into. You won't miss the meat; in fact, you may even prefer this tofu treatment to meat in your stir-fries. Add the fried tofu to your favorite vegetables and sauce and serve it over rice. Enjoy!
