Something a little more exotic

Tonight I decided to try cooking with tofu. Tofu is soybean curd and by itself really doesn't have any flavor but it takes on the flavor of what it is cooked with. I made a recipe called Carrot and Tofu Scramble, which in its introduction says that even people who dislike tofu like this dish. Win, win.

First you have to grate a pound of carrots which, unless you have a food processor, is an arduous task. I am sure that I will be finding carrot gratings for a while now. Drain and crumble 1 pound of extra firm tofu. Cook grated carrots in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The carrots start to caramelize a bit.

This is what the crumbled tofu looks like. I know, not that appetizing, but don't judge yet.

After 15 minutes, add the tofu and cook an additional 5 minutes. At this point, the tofu starts looking like scrambled eggs. Add 1/3 cup soy sauce and 1/3 cup sesame seeds and cook for one more minute. Stir in 1 teaspoon of dark sesame oil and serve over rice.

Voila, the finished product. This dish was very good. I was pleasantly surprised. The tofu took on the flavor of the soy sauce and the sesame seeds added crunch to the dish. It serves 4 but once again, I think you could serve six with a green vegetable or small salad. It has 203 calories without the rice. I used brown rice but you could use which ever kind you prefer. It also has 12g protein and 4g fiber.

I have read that soy helps with the symptoms that women of a certain age get. Here is my contribution to soy intake. While it is a fat, like avocado's it is unsaturated fat and not quite so bad for you. By the way, I think that it's terribly unfair for vegetables to contain fat. It's just not right.

Now for desert......

Normally, I don't make deserts because it is usually a sweet that I don't need and I am usually full from the meal itself but since it is the weekend, and I had time, I went for it.

This is a Thai dish that was super easy to make and delicious! This serves 4 but you may be tempted to make it serve only two. :)

In a dry pan, toast 1/4 cup of sesame seeds. Keep an eye on them as they burn quickly. Toasting brings out the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds.

Slice 4 bananas diagonally and squeeze the juice of two limes (or 4 tablespoons of lime juice) over them and set aside.

Boil over a low even heat, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water until it reaches 235 degrees. You will need a candy thermometer for this. Dip the bananas in the sugar mixture and put on a piece of wax paper that has been buttered. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve right away.

Awesome good and coming in at 222 calories per serving.

I am feeling pretty good that I finally cooked with tofu. I'm not sure that it will be a regular addition to my diet but is good for a change once in a while.

I hope you decide to try it!