<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> ................................................................. : : : Excerpts from _Derby City Celiac_ : : --------------------------------- : : Winter 1998-9 Bill Banks, editor : : Greater Louisville Celiac Sprue Support Group : : PO Box 7194 : : Louisville, KY 40257-0194 : :...............................................................: All About Tofu -------------- Tofu is made by curding the mild white milk of the soybean. Tofu is high in protein and relatively low in calories, fats, and carbohydrates. It is one of the most versatile protein foods in the world, and contains no cholesterol. According to the USDA, 1/2 cup of tofu has about 150 mg. of calcium, about the same as 1/2 cup of milk. Tofu is a complete vegetable protein that is easy to digest, making it ideal for children and the elderly. For babies, tofu can be blended in the blender or food processor with whatever fruit, vegetable, or flavoring the child likes. It takes on the flavor of other ingredients, making it adaptable to a variety of main dishes, desserts, soups, salads, salad dressings, and dips. Tofu comes in many forms: silken (the softest), medium soft (Japanese style), medium firm (Chinese style), and hard-pressed (a very dense and firm cheese). The firmer types of tofu are best for slicing and cubing. Softer types are best for blending, mashing, and crumbling. Tofu is best when it is fresh. Fresh tofu has a fresh and delicate scent, hardly any smell at all. It can be kept for up to one week in the refrigerator, submerged in cold water. The water should be changed daily to keep it fresh and moist. If the tofu smells a little sour, it is still usable; but you should boil it for 20 minutes. This will change the texture, making it harder and chewier. Freezing tofu drastically changes its properties, adding even more variety to an already versatile food. To freeze it, just drain it, wrap it in foil or plastic, and put it in the freezer. After you thaw it and squeeze out the water, the tofu resembles a spongy latticework which has a more meaty, chewy consistency than regular tofu. In this form it more readily soaks up marinades and sauces. Some ideas for introducing tofu to your family: -- Add chunks of firm tofu to soups and stews. -- Mix crumbled tofu into a meatloaf. -- Mash tofu with cottage cheese and seasonings to make a sandwich spread. -- Create tofu burgers with mashed tofu, bread crumbs, chopped onions, and seasonings. -- Marinate tofu in barbecue sauce [GF, of course--ed.], char it on the grill, and serve on crusty GF bread. -- Add taco seasoning to pan-fried, crumbled tofu or a mixture of tofu and ground beef. -- Blend dried onion soup mix into soft or silken tofu for a cholesterol-free onion dip. -- Stir silken tofu into sour cream for a reduced-fat baked potato topper. -- Blend tofu with melted chocolate chips and a little sweetener for chocolate cream pies. -- Replace all or part of the cream in creamed soups with silken tofu. -- Make missing egg salad with tofu chunks, diced celery, mayonnaise, and a little mustard. -- In recipes, replace part of the mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, or ricotta with silken tofu. -- Use tofu in dips and creamy salad dressings. .......................................................... : : : Excerpts from the Nashville Celiac Sprue Support Group : : ------------------------------------------------------ : : newsletter: Oct. 1998 Tori Ross, editor : : 701 Heather Spring : : Brentwood, TN 37027-4424 : :........................................................: Dietary Tips: * Wendy's Salad Dressing: Did you know that you could buy individual packets of Hidden Valley's Ranch dressings from Wendy's? These GF dressing packets are good for traveling and for taking into restaurants as they will fit in your pocket. * You Can Make Your Own Thousand Island Dressing by mixing Hellmann's mayonnaise, Heinz ketchup, and a little bit of diced GF pickle. * BLT: Try Louis Rich turkey bacon, cooked one minute per strip in the microwave, for a great BLT on Ener-G's English muffins. ...................................................... : : : Excerpts from the Washington Area CS Support Group : : -------------------------------------------------- : : newsletter: Mar. 1999 Becky Campbell, editor : : 1332 R Street, NW : : Washington, DC 20009 : :....................................................: Annie's Naturals has come out with a pourable Vermont Cheddar Cheese Cooking Sauce that is gluten-free (GF). The sauce is perfect for topping a broccoli-filled baked potato. Look for it at your local health food store, or contact the company at Foster Hill Rd., North Calais, VT 05650, 800-434-1234. The company publishes a list of all their GF, dairy-free, and vegan products.