Food Suggestions

[merttan]

Bring flour... You can make your own bread on board... Or spread ove fish before frying, or add to the soup in chunks...
P.S. What's wrong with tofu? It has it's own flavor... It's an acquired taste...

[5user5]

It's funny to see grown men around tofu act like they are 6 year old boys around brussel sprouts. My mother gave my dad a piece and said it was chicken...he never forgave her.

But seriously, is there a good way to prepare tofu on a boat. I prefer it cooked the way I think most things should be which is fried. The truth is that I have never cooked on a boat but I will do so in about 6 days and for 6 weeks. I would like to bring some tofu along. Does anyone fry on a boat? Seems like a hazard to me.

Cubing it small and putting it in soup for protein would be the easiest way to consume it I think. But thats not very creative.

[5user5]

Another note about tofu...I find that kids love fried tofu if you refer to them as "spongebobs"

[eryka]

We use tofu aboard a lot. Look for it in those UHT cardboard boxes - easier to store, no need for refrigeration.

(1) Crumble it into chili, or cube it and add to ramen noodle soup.

(2)For any kind of veggie stir-fry, drain it thoroughly, pat dry, cut into cubes or sticks, and saute till golden. Remove from pan and set aside, make the rest of your stir-fry as you normally would, then add tofu back in as you're finishing with the sauce.

(3)If you've got the time and are willing to run the oven, you can also bake it: press the liquid out (set it between two plates and put a weight on top, like a book or can, and let rest for 15 min, then pour off the water); then cut into domino-size pieces and toss in marinade or your favorite sauce. Put into a 400-degree oven and bake for about an hour, turning once or twice.

I'll try to post some example recipes in a separate post.

[merttan]

Originally Posted by 5user5

It's funny to see grown men around tofu act like they are 6 year old boys around brussel sprouts. My mother gave my dad a piece and said it was chicken...he never forgave her.

The big man want what big man eat, gimme the raw meat woman!

As a male i figured that we reach maturity around 35, then it's a reversed cycle...

[eryka]

One thing about our tofu - we DON'T use it as pseudo-meat. Won't fool anyone if you try to disguise it. We just let it be itself, its more successful that way. Hmmm, maybe that's a life-philosophy good for people as well?

An-y-way,

Here's one example of a "baked" tofu:

Jerk Tofu

14 oz block firm tofu

Jerk Sauce:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 fresh green chiles
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, combine the jerk sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the pressed tofu. Cut the block of tofu in half crosswise, then cut each half into three slices. Stack the slices and then cut through all three layers on the two diagonal, making an X. This will make 12 triangular pieces from each block of tofu. Gently toss the tofu triangles in the jerk marinade and place them in an unoiled 8x12 non-reactive baking dish. Bake for 1 hour, carefully turning the tofu about every 20 minutes.

And here's an example of a sauteed tofu recipe:

Thai Tofu with Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, and Lime

2 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
1 12-ounce package extra-firm tofu, pressed, drained, cut into ľ x ľ x Ľ inch cubes
12 ounces yellow or green zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into Ľ inch pieces (shaped like Ds)
1 large red bell pepper, cut in half crosswise, then vertically into thin strips (shaped like Js)
1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
11 oz canned coconut milk
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1-1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
ľ tsp Thai red curry paste
˝ cup sliced fresh basil, divided

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu; sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer tofu to bowl. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil, then zucchini and bell pepper to skillet; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Return tofu to skillet. Add ginger; stir 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, 3 Tbsp lime juice, soy sauce, and curry paste; stir to dissolve curry paste. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired. Stir in half of basil. Sprinkle with remaining basil; serve over rice to 4.

Notes: Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Sauce instead of last 6 ingredients. Sprinkle each serving with 1 Tbsp of fresh cilantro. Can replace ˝ the tofu with baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced (sauté with bell peppers and zucchini).

[eryka]

Originally Posted by 5user5

It's funny to see grown men around tofu act like they are 6 year old boys around brussel sprouts. My mother gave my dad a piece and said it was chicken...he never forgave her. .

Hey, I'm still that way around brussel sprouts! Maybe the problem was in pretending the tofu was something it's not, as much as the unexpected taste (see my other post). The right advertising strategy probably would have helped, something like, "Hey, if we can save money by using this other kind of protein we'll have more money for toys."

Originally Posted by 5user5

Does anyone fry on a boat? Seems like a hazard to me.

I don't deep fry, but that's as much because greasy food makes for seasickness. I'll saute if its not too rough, otherwise its cold food or pressure cooker.

[mjrogers]

At nine yeas of age, my son informed me he wanted to be a vegitarian, so for several years I became one by default. I've used tofu and tvp in lots of dishes. In lasagna and baked dishes I slice dice or crumble and mix it with the cheese or sauce. In stirfrys I use a 1/4" dice in a spicy sauce. In chilli, red beans and rice, soups and the like I use tvp. I don't think of them as a meat substitute but more as a source of complete protein (this can also be accomplished by mixing legumes and grains, but often at the cost of more calories). I relied on the rest of the dish for taste and texture and in fact you wouldn't know there was tofu in it unless I told you.

Humans need perhaps 100 grams of protein a day, depending on body size and activity level. Without it you body will use the protein in muscle to sustain cellular processes. Tofu and tvp keep well without refrigeration, are quite nutritious, and take on the flavour of whatever they are prepared with. The recipes above look really good and for the most part the ingredients could be kept for weeks without refrigeration.

If you have a daysailer / weekender and only go for a few days at a time there is little reason to bother with tofu and tvp. If you have a cruising boat and go for weeks at a time these make good sense from a nutritional and storage standpoint.

[hellosailor]

On the whole I still prefer brussel sprouts.[g]

Not that there's anything wrong with tofu, within its limits. But asking for a flavorful tofu is like asking for a flavorful glass of water: That'd be called Coke, or iced tea, or Tang.[vbg]

It ain't quite water anymore.

Did anyone ever figure out if too much soy product caused hormone or endocrine problems especially for men? I remember that being in the news not too many years ago, too.

[eryka]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Did anyone ever figure out if too much soy product caused hormone or endocrine problems especially for men? I remember that being in the news not too many years ago, too.

I had heard about that too, but think it's been eclipsed by the prescription-drugs-in-water issue (the following is from my environmental news clipping service):

Pharmaceutical waste found in drinking water, AP investigation finds (03/10/2008)

A vast array of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, are present in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million people in the United States, an Associated Press investigation released this week shows.

The concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose, and utilities insist their water is safe. But worry is heightening among scientists about the long-term consequences to human health of the presence of so many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen in so much of U.S. drinking water.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, AP discovered that drugs were detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas.

The drugs enter the water supply when users' bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed.

The federal government does not require any testing and has not set safety limits for drugs in water