Don't Fear the Tofu

A year ago if you'd say tofu, I'd say no thanks. It's white, jiggly, and kinda mysterious (I mean how do they make that stuff anyways?). Well, I decided to get over my judgmental attitude and give it a try. Tofu is a great low-fat meatless alternative. It's made from soybeans, so it's packed with protein, iron, calcium and other health benefits. Yay for tofu!

I don't have any fancy tofu recipes, so I thought I'd keep it simple and saute it with some fresh vegetables. Below is the brand of tofu I used; I like that it's a lighter version so it cuts some calories while still keeping all the flavor (well, as much flavor as tofu can have). I'm going to jack-up the tofu with spices to revamp its plain reputation. 

I picked a zucchini, some tomatoes and onions from my garden and sauteed them in a separate pan. Note: Instead of slicing the zucchini, I used a potato cutter to make zucchini ribbons; I cut until I reached the seeded and then threw the core away. It give the zucchini a linguine/noodle look. Its a fun way to change up textures especially at the end of the summer when I have sliced up more zucchinis than I can count. I cut the tofu in cubes and sprinkled it with oregano, basil, and black pepper. I cooked the tofu on high so it would acquire a nice crisp.

I kept flipping the tofu until it turned a nice brown and sauteed the veggies until cooked. My dad said the kitchen smelled pretty darn good,...especially since it was, gasp, tofu (he isn't ready yet to trade in his juicy steak for jiggly tofu but, he did try it!...there's still time to convert him).

Once cooked, plate and eat! So simple and, yet, so good. Congrats tofu, you've overcome your plain stereotype and proved yourself a tasty, meat substitute. I say don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case...a tofu by its tofu-ness. Give it a try and it may surprise you. Team Tofu!

  

My Saving Grace: Stonyfield

 
One of the best combinations ever concocted has to be yogurt and granola. The textures of smooth and crunchy fit perfectly with the mixtures of sweet and tangy--it's like a firework show in your mouth, filled with oohs and ahhs. My body, sadly being allergic to dairy, has developed a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with yogurt. Ah, and it's so hard to deprive yourself of something so wonderful knowing its deliciousness. And though I could eat granola with a shovel, it just isn't the same without its creamy and fruity sidekick. This was my brick wall, until I was introduced to my saving grace:

Bam. Stonyfield in one word? Ah-ma-zing. And I am going to attempt to summarize all of its numerous benefits (for body and planet) in 10 short-ish bullet points. Here I go, ahem.

10 Reasons Why I Love Stonyfield:

1. They produce all organic products. All of their delicious yogurts (soy and greek, too), smoothies, milks, creamers, and ice creams are made without icky pesticides and other chemicals that are commonly used on non-organic farms. Plus they come in regular, fat-free and low-fat. What ever floats your boat.
2. Their mission statement: "We're committed to healthy food, healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy business." Enough said.
3. The yogurt lids sponsor and raise awareness about non-profit environmental efforts, farming and health issues, and other issues that Stonyfield supports. 
4. Wait, there's more! Stonyfield has a My Stonyfield's Rewards club-- there is a code on each yogurt lid that can be submitted then traded in for free stuff. It's a great way the company gives back to the customer. Yogurt and free stuff?, don't need to tell me twice.
5. O'Soy, Stonyfield's soy yogurt--Its the saving grace I mentioned above! It says a lot about when I fully support a company though I only consume a small category of their products (But, my family and boyfriend are huge cheerleaders of their dairy products). Stonyfield has the largest (and close to only) soy yogurt selection I have seen. I even wrote them an e-mail suggesting them to sell O'Soy in larger containers--they wrote me a thank you note and free coupons. Score. Stonyfield has allowed me to enjoy yogurt with granola again. O'Soy has given my life hope and not ingestion; my GI tract is gracious.
6. Stonyfield fully supports family farms and happy cows. Fresh, organic food comes from the experts: farmers, and the producers: cows. Both need to go hand-in-hand to make yummy, good-for-you food.
7. Sustainability. Stonyfield uses packaging that is beneficial to the environment. Light-weight plastics mean all Stonyfield containers are recyclable; and, as of October 2010, all of the multi-pack cups are 93% made out of plant based plastic. Who would of thought of such of thing? Stonyfield is like the Chuck Norris of dairy. 
8. The company's CEO is referred as the CE-Yo...I just think that's witty and funny. Yo.
9. Stonyfield is very active on Facebook and Twitter.They create long lasting relationships with their supporters. They have even RT'd some of my tweets which was extremely, ahem, flattering (I about peed my pants with excitement). Plus they have awesome recipes on their Web site that are healthy, easy to make, and (of course!) incorporate Stonyfield products.
10. Finally, plain and simple, all of their products are just so good and so good for you. The company's compassion for environment and human wellness are clearly shown through taste and quality.

So good, even if your body can tolerate dairy (lucky).

This is my ode to Stonyfield. Here's a link to their Web site, Stonyfield, in case I've ignited an interest and you want to broaden your field (ha!) of knowledge. I fully support their products and what the company stands for. It's refreshing to see a business whose goals are more than selfish gains. I hope food manufacturers will (or continue to) follow in the same selfless footsteps, and concentrate more on the well-being of the consumer and environment as a whole. After all, without the two factors a company's success would never come to (fruit)ion.