Tofu… Not Just a Bland White Blob

Let’s talk tofu:

It’s one of those foods that most people grow up making fun of, dreading, or even refusing to eat. In a few cultures, however, it is a staple. In these cultures, there is no mistaking tofu as bland or gross. I’d like to prove to you that didn’t grow up eating tofu how delicious it can be.

First though, here are some of the environmental benefits of tofu:

1. If you replace meat with tofu once a month, you’ll save 20,000 gallons of water a year. That’s because cows drink water and eat food that requires water to grow. (Bon Appetit)
2. I can’t say it enough: plant protein is way more eco-friendly than animal protein.
3. Adding tofu to a dish will not change the flavor but it will add protein that will help fill you up letting you eat less which is awesome for you and the environment! Saving resources!
4. Soybeans are fed to cattle. It takes 7lbs of grain and soy products to produce 1lb of meat. If this was used toward human consumption, 7x more people could have food to eat.
5. Reduce deforestation (which takes place for cattle raising in other countries–> the #1 cause)
6. Less methane emissions from cattle–>less cattle = less methane emissions.
7. Less water pollution–> cattle sewage seeps into ground water and washes into rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans.

As an added benefit, tofu is way less expensive than animal protein. With the economy in the state it’s in right now, that’s a added reason to switch to tofu for some meals!

Strawberry Orange Smoothie Bowl

• 1 frozen banana
• Carton organic strawberries
• Orange juice
• Firm tofu
• Granola (I used a delicious granola with flax seed in it)
• Agave Nectar
• Optional: maca

Blend all ingredients. Pour into a bowl and top with granola and agave.

Tofu Scramble Burrito

• Two cloves garlic, sliced
• Tofu (I had firm so that’s what I used, but silk is better for scrambles)
• Garlic salt
• Paprika
• Black beans
• Local salsa
• Wheat tortilla

Saute the garlic and tofu together. If using silk, scramble it like an egg. If using firm, brown the tofu. Sprinkle with garlic salt and paprika and add black beans to the hot pan. Cook until hot. Meanwhile, warm tortilla. Place the mix in the tortilla and top with salsa.

• You can add any veggies you’d like to this as well.
• It kinda takes the place of a breakfast burrito.
• This is a super good source of protein between the beans and the tofu! Check out The Magical Fruit to learn about beans eco implications.
• It doesn’t look super scrumptious but it is!

“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?” -Robert Redford

Why Going Vegan is like Riding a Bicycle

I’m not a vegan. That does not stop me from wishing that I had the cajones to woman up and go vegan. The problem is… I love SO many things that have eggs in them, or BUTTER (which can make anything taste good in my opinion), or honey, or cheese… the list goes on and on.

Like I said… I wish I had the cajones. Mainly because last year one of my first and favorite Environmental professors told us this: eating meat is like driving a Hummer, being a vegetarian is like driving a hybrid, and going vegan is like riding a bicycle.

The largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is the meat industry. Livestock are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Part of this is due to the burning of fuels to transport meat, part is due to the fuel used to make the synthetic fertilizers used to grow the crops that the animals eat, and part is due to cow flatulence and manure. The flatulence and manure actually emit methane which is 20x worse than carbon as a greenhouse gas.

Furthermore, cows need a lot of water. Just to produce one liter of milk, it is said that 990 liters of water must be used.

Animal manure washes into waterways and kills ecosystems in rivers, lakes, and oceans. It also makes the water toxic for human ingestion.

In South America and other places, deforestation is occurring to clear way for cattle grazing lands. This means a loss of complete ecosystems! Plant and animal populations are being devastated.

If going vegan can help reduce all of this… maybe we should all grow a pair. OR maybe we could all try going vegan a day or two a week (or if it’s difficult for you a meal or two a week). Like I said… I really like butter. So, to give it a try (and to prove how DELICIOUS vegan recipes can be) I decided to ride a bicycle today.

Strawberry-Banana Agave Smoothie

• 1 1/2 cup soymilk
• 1 Banana
• Frozen Strawberries
• 1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
• A dash of pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, clove)
• A dash of extra cinnamon (I love cinnamon)
• Ground flaxseed
• A pinch of Maca (if desired)
• Optional: If you’re looking to make this a breakfast meal like it was for me, I recommend adding almond butter. It’ll thicken up the recipe and add some protein and fat which will allow it to make you full. Added bonus: almond butter is completely vegan! WOOHOO!

Then just blend all of the ingredients together! The frozen strawberries take the place of any ice needed, so if it is not to the desired consistency, just add some more!

Yummy vegan breakfast!

Quinoa, Kale, Artichoke, Tomato Pilaf

Makes 2 Servings

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 bunch kale, torn up, stems removed
• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 artichoke hearts chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• optional: add mushroom (portabella) for some protein, you can also add other vegetables such as broccoli.

Rinse the quinoa to remove bitterness.

Heat vegetable stock to a boil, add all of the ingredients and reduce to a simmer. Cover the mixture and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa is fully cooked.

Yummy vegan goodness! It’s not the most attractive thing but believe me. It was delicious!

It was really delicious and the recipe is really easy to fiddle with. I used all organic locally grown vegetables again and it was 100% vegan yumminess.

Lessons learned:

• Vegan things can be delicious!
• The meat industry (which is also in charge of the milk, butter, cheese, etc. that we love) is environmentally hazardous. I recommend that we all try to eat vegan for at least a couple of meals a week.
• And eating vegan stops YOU from ingesting the growth hormones and antibiotics in our animal products these days.