Tofu--the Versatile Stand-In

Dear Eating Right: I’ve heard tofu has many virtues, but I’m not sure how to prepare it so that my family will like it. Do you have any suggestions?

Dear Sylvia: Tofu has an important place in vegetarian and Asian cookery. If you’re willing to experiment a little, it can become a key source of protein in your family’s diet too. Because of its bland taste and versatile texture, tofu can be crumbled during cooking and used to replace meat in lasagna and tacos. Or, it can be shaped into patties for hamburgers. With the right seasonings, it stands in well for eggs and for cheese in cheesecake. Tofu is high in calcium, doesn’t contain cholesterol and is low in sodium.

Tofu cakes are packed in water and sold in the deli case in three varieties: soft (Kinugoshi) is custard-like and best used for purees and sauces; regular (Japanese) has a medium texture that dices well for casseroles, soups and salads; and firm (Chinese), which crumbles easily for stir-frying. Some brands of tofu also are sold in an aseptic package for longer storage.

To make tofu, dry soybeans are soaked, then ground into a thick puree. The cooked puree is separated into soy pulp and soy milk. Then, calcium sulfate is added to the soy milk to curd it. When the curds and whey are separated, the curds are strained and pressed into tofu cakes.

When Louise Winston, a volunteer at 97th Street School, introduced her family to tofu, she used this recipe for Eggless Scrambled Eggs and they never knew the difference. Her tofu gets the familiar egg-yellow hue from turmeric and a dash of saffron. Green onions perk up the flavor. Her cheeseless cheesecake and eggless egg salad recipes have the same “secret” ingredient, she says--tofu.

LOUISE WINSTON’S

EGGLESS

SCRAMBLED EGGS

1 package medium or firm tofu

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Dash saffron

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1/4 small chopped jalapeno chile

2 tablespoons butter or oil

2 1/2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup shredded Jack cheese

Drain 1/2 of water from tofu package. Add turmeric and saffron to water remaining in package. Mash tofu lightly with fork, then let stand about 1 hour. Drain.

Place tofu, seasoned salt, pepper and chile in skillet. Stir, then let cook 4 to 8 minutes until hot. Add green onions and cheese. Remove from heat and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Only questions of general interest will be printed. Eating Right cannot respond to inquiries regarding therapy for a specific ailment, nor is this column designed to replace medical advice. Send diet and health questions to Eating Right, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.

PROTEIN CONTENT OF FOODS

Calories Protein Total Fat Calcium Food Items Grams Grams Milligrams Cheddar cheese (1 ounce) 115 7 9 204 Cottage cheese (1 cup) 215 26 9 126 Whole milk (1 cup) 150 8 8 291 Nonfat milk (1 cup) 85 8 Tr 302 Egg (1 whole) 80 6 6 28 Salmon, canned pink (3 ounces) 120 17 5 167 Sardines, canned (1 ounce) 115 7 9 204 Navy beans (1 cup) 225 15 1 95 Soybeans (1 cup) 235 20 10 131 Tofu (2 1/2 x 2 3/4 x 1-inch piece) 85 9 5 108 Lean ground beef (3 ounces) 230 21 16 9 Chicken breast (3 ounces) 140 27 3 13 Turkey, light and dark meat (1 cup) 240 41 7 35 Black walnuts (1 ounce) 170 7 16 16

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72