First of all, let’s get something straight: you say it toefu not toffu. Get it? Got it? GOOD! Now we can move on.

I’ve been vegan for 8 years in September and when I first made that step I had no idea what to do with tofu. It was just a big white sloppy mess that I couldn’t get to taste of anything. I had an email from a friend at the weekend saying that it was too soft for him and it was the first time he had cooked with it and that has inspired me to write this post.

First of all, let us talk about the health benefits of tofu.

• In 100g there is 17.9g of protein. This makes it a high protein food.
• It contains isoflavones which can neutralise free radicals i.e. cancer causing particles.
• Yes tofu does contain phytoestrogen, not oestrogen as the beef industry would have you believe. These phytoestrogens help neutralise the effects of human oestrogen which can cause bone density loss in later life.
• It’s also full of calcium, manganese, iron, omega3 fats and it’s relatively low in calories and fat or what we would call a lean protein.

Now what can you do to make it super tasty? Here are some ideas:

• Scrambled  http://www.theppk.com/2009/10/tof-u-and-tof-me-scrambled-tofu-revisited/
• Ginger sweet  http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/412629/ginger-sweet-tofu-with-pak-choi
• BBQ steaks  http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/13183/bbq-tofu-steaks.aspx
• Asian Slaw http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/asian_slaw_with_tofu_shiitake_mushrooms.html
• Ravioli http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/easy-vegan-tofu-ravioli.php
• Cheese cake http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tofu-cheesecake/
• Omelette  http://lowfatveganchef.com/the-best-low-fat-vegan-silken-tofu-omelette-recipe/

When my recipe section gets a little larger there will be plenty of tofu recipes. I eat it quite a lot because of the protein vs. fat content. It really helps my training. In the meantime, enjoy and get some tofu down your necks!