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Vol. 3, No. 9
Soyfoods USA
October 16, 1998

Soyfoods USA ...a monthly e-mail newsletter designed to inform media sources, dietitians, and consumers about the latest soyfoods information. Underwritten by the Indiana Soybean Board. Details at end of issue.

CONTENTS

1. Third Annual Soyfoods Symposium
2. Worthington Foods Gets ADM Harvest Burger
3. Dixie Diners' Club Adds News Items To Soy Catalog
4. New Soy Cookbook
5. Tofu For Everyone!
6. Recipes with Tofu

7. Getting on and off our list.

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THIRD ANNUAL SOYFOODS SYMPOSIUM

As part of their effort to promote soyfoods for better health, Kentucky soybean farmers are sponsoring the Third Annual Soyfoods Symposium, November 12-13, 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky. The symposium includes an exhibition of soyfood companies and their products, cooking demonstrations, and presentations from leading scientists about the use of genistein for prevention of osteoporosis and kidney disease, and the impact of soy protein on cholesterol metabolism. For more information contact Debbie Ellis of the Kentucky Soybean Board by phone: (800) 232-6769, or by e-mail: dellis@apex.net.

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WORTHINGTON FOODS GETS ADM HARVEST BURGER

Worthington Foods http://www.wfds.com/ has announced an agreement to acquire the Harvest Burger trademark and line of products from Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). Harvest Burger is one of the leading soy burgers in supermarkets. Worthington will assume the marketing, sales and distribution of all Harvest Burger products beginning January 1, 1999, at which time the Green Giant name will be removed from the packaging and replaced with the Morningstar Farms logo.

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DIXIE DINERS' CLUB ADDS NEWS ITEMS TO SOY CATALOG

Dixie Diners' Club, one of the leading direct marketers of soyfoods in the U.S., has announced the addition of more than 20 new items to their catalog, which features soyfoods prepared in a wide variety of ready-made products. You can get a free copy of their new catalog by calling (800) 233-3668 or visit their Web site at http://dixiediner.com.

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NEW SOY COOKBOOK

Financier Michael Milken, who credits soy with saving his life against prostate cancer, has published a new soy cookbook, The Taste For Living Cookbook: Mike Milken's Favorite Recipes For Fighting Cancer. The reviews are favorable at Amazon.com http://amazon.com, where it currently is on backorder. Hardcover - 122 pages 1st edition (September 1998) Allen & Osborne, Inc.; ISBN: 0966080564

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TOFU FOR EVERYONE!

By Kim Galeaz, RD
Nutrition Consultant to the Indiana Soybean Board
kimgaleaz@aol.com

Tofu is the most popular soyfood... and with good reason! There are more than just a few different kinds of tofu on the market today, and the ways you can use it are limited only by your imagination. So, if your experience with tofu in the past was not so good, or if you limit yourself to only one or two kinds or uses of tofu, read on.

There are so many different tofus on the market that is it impossible to give a complete rundown on the nutrition in this newsletter. However, you can get detailed nutritional information on at least 18 different kinds of tofu at the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference <http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl>. You should know, though, that calories, fat, protein and carbohydrates will vary by manufacturer. Overall, tofu is a nutrient-rich, protein food and a good source of isoflavones, a phytochemical with many health benefits. Three ounces of tofu, which is considered a single serving (about the size of a deck of cards), contains approximately 30 mg of isoflavones, although this, too, will vary by manufacturer.

I often hear people say they avoid tofu because it contains a lot of fat. But as a dietitian I can say one thing: TOFU IS NOT HIGH FAT!! Even if the tofu you select has 9 grams of fat in a 3-ounce serving, that still is considered reasonable in a daily dietary plan. And of the 12 different kinds of tofu I found in a natural foods store this week, only one had 9 grams of fat. Most show 3, 5 or 6 grams of fat in a 3-ounce serving. This is comparable to the fat contained in fish, poultry and lean cuts of beef and pork.

Compared to meat, poultry and fish, tofu may have slightly less protein, but this is not a problem for most of us who get plenty of protein in our diets. Tofu may be a good source of iron, averaging between 4% and 10% of our daily nutritional requirements. And tofu can be a good source of calcium, as well. Tofu is only a decent source of calcium if it is processed with a considerable amount of a calcium coagulant. The ones with the most calcium will show at least 10% of the minimum daily requirements in the Nutrition Facts label, which is pretty good as most foods go.

Using and Storing Different Types of Tofu

Silken tofu is probably the most common for many people as a result of shelf-stable packaging, which does not require refrigeration. Once opened though, it must be used within two days. This tofu is made differently than others and has a creamy, smooth texture. Never freeze silken tofu; it will ruin the texture. Available in soft, firm and extra firm 12-ounce packages, silken tofu works well for many dishes. Soft works well for salad dressings and dips, while firm and extra firm work well in stir fry dishes and baking.

Water-packed tofu also is very common. Usually sold in 1 pound blocks, this tofu is covered with water and wrapped in a plastic container. This tofu must always be refrigerated and covered with water, which should be changed daily. It should last a week or so in a refrigerator. Available in soft, firm, extra firm and regular, these tofus work great for everything. You can slice them, dice them, bake, grill, or barbecue them. You can even blend them up just like the silken tofu. Water packed tofu works best for freezing and then thawing, which makes the texture meatier, so that it tears, shreds or crumbles more like meat.

Baked tofus are made with flavorings, like soy sauce, spices and herbs, and can be considered a true convenience soyfood... you just eat it hot or cold out of the package! No preparation is needed, unlike all the other tofus, although it still needs to be refrigerated. Cubed or sliced, baked tofu can be added to just about any dish. It can even be substituted for luncheon meat in sandwiches!

Smoked tofu is another one of the more convenient tofus! Smoked with added ingredients like sweeteners, spices, flavorings and herbs, they can easily be added to stir fry meals, salads or sandwiches. Create instant meals by adding to pasta or rice. Varieties include savory, original, and hot & spicy. Smoked tofu needs to be refrigerated.

Eight Easy Ways to Use Tofu

  1. Slice baked tofu and stuff in a pita pocket along with tomatoes and lettuce.
  2. Cube smoked flavored tofu and stir into left over rice or noodles for a quick meal.
  3. Cube flavored tofus over any green lettuce salad and turn it into a full meal.
  4. Add cubed tofu to purchased meal starter frozen vegetables (16-ounce bags in the freezer case). These usually say add chicken, beef or pork, but tofu works and tastes great in these, especially the teriyaki and oriental varieties.
  5. Whenever you make any stir fry dish, like beef and broccoli, or cashew chicken, throw in some chunks of tofu also.
  6. Add cubes of tofu to meatless chili, soups and stews.
  7. Add crumbled tofu to cans of soup to boost protein and nutritional value.
  8. Make instant dip - mix a carton of silken tofu with a 1-ounce package of taco seasoning, ranch dressing or dry onion soup mix.

If you have the time and interest, you can find out almost everything about tofu in The Book of Tofu by William Shurtleff & Akiko Aoyagi. It includes more than 500 recipes, as well as instructions on how to make your own tofu! More than 600,000 copies of the book have been sold, so it often is found in local libraries and book stores.

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RECIPES WITH TOFU

Cajun Tofu & Roasted Red Pepper Pizza

1 package (12 ounces) extra firm tofu
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 (12- or 16-ounce) prepared Italian pizza crust
1 1/2 cups pizza sauce
2 jars (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450° F. Crumble tofu into bowl. Add oil and all spices. Mix. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Place pizza crust on baking sheet and spread with pizza sauce. Top with crumbled cajun tofu, red peppers and mozzarella cheese. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until toppings are heated throughout.

Yield: One pizza cut into 8 wedges. Serving size: 1 wedge. Per serving: 337 calories, 13 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 23 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 686 mg sodium, 28 mg cholesterol.

Honey Dijon Sauce

1 package (12 ounces) soft tofu
5 Tbs dijon mustard
4 Tbs honey

Mix all ingredients well. Keep refrigerated. Serve with veggie-chicken nuggets. Also great as a dipping sauce for soy sausage pigs-in-a-blanket and other meat alternatives. Could also be used as a salad dressing if thinned with plain soymilk.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups. Serving size: 2 Tbs. Per serving: 41 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 2 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 35 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Zesty Lime Marinated Tofu (this is one from a reader!)

1 pound firm tofu
2 green peppers, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 cup light (lower sodium) soy sauce
1 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon soy oil

Mix lime juice and soy sauce for marinade. Cut tofu into 1/4 inch cubes. Place tofu cubes in marinade. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight to marinate. Heat oil in large saute pan or skillet and cook onions until soft. Add peppers and saute until desired softness. Add tofu along with marinade and cook until until through over low heat (about 30 minutes).

Serve over rice or noodles.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving (without noodles or rice): 205 calories 8 g fat 1 g sat fat 16 g protein 16 g carbohydrate 1830 mg sodium 0 mg cholesterol

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Permission is granted to reprint this information, as long as credit is given to the Indiana Soybean Board <http://indianasoybeanboard.com>

Send comments or requests for information about Soyfoods USA to the editor, Roger Stevens, <info@soyfoods.com>

Back issues available at <http://www.soyfoods.com/newsletter/old/OldSUSA.html>

More information about soyfoods can be found at the U.S. Soyfoods Directory <http://soyfoods.com>.

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Copyright 1998
Indiana Soybean Board