The price of food is rising! At Harvest Home, we looked for ways you can save a few dollars, stay healthy, and NOT give up on the taste you like. Try cutting back a bit on how much meat you use in a dish. Replace meat with tofu or beans. You’ll get the protein you need and a taste you want for the $$ your wallet has!
Tofu is made from soybeans. It doesn’t have much taste by itself, so it takes on the flavor of whatever it’s cooked with! And it saves you $$$: 4 ounces of tofu actually has slightly more protein than 4 ounces of steak and tofu costs about $3.00 a pound.
Easy to use in stir-fry, tacos, or tortillas, or as a side dish
Crumble or cut tofu into bite-sized pieces.
Combine the spices you usually use to make your sauce
Mix the spices and the tofu
Heat one Tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, add the tofu. Cook until browned, about 6 minutes.
Add this cooked mixture to the rest of your dish
You can introduce your family to tofu by using half tofu and half meat in a dish. The taste will surprise them! OR try tofu in a tasty stir-fry. (See recipes below)
Beans: A cup of black beans has as much protein as a chicken drumstick. This less expensive burger will “fool” anyone. Half Bean Burgers: Make patties with 1 ½ cups of cooked beans or lentils mashed, ½ cup of chopped veggies (like corn, peppers, tomatoes, red onion), ½ pound of ground beef. Cook the same way you cook a hamburger. Or use for taco filling.
A few spices, a little cooking creativity, and you’ll be surprised you can save without giving up the taste you love
Plant-Powered Tofu Plate
RECIPE: Tofu Tortilla
INGREDIENTS
For the Taco Tofu Filling & Sauce
12 to 14-ounce block extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
For The Tortillas
2 cups red cabbage, lime wedges, fresh cilantro leaves
Pico de Gallo (store-bought or homemade)
Yogurt, mixed with salt and Mexican hot sauce to taste
8 tortillas
To Make:
Make the tofu crumbles: Drain the tofu container & pat tofu dry with a clean dish towel. Place tofu in a large bowl. Using your fingers, break tofu into roughly bite-sized crumbles. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the tofu and cook on medium-high for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and lightly crispy
Thinly slice the red cabbage, and place it in a bowl. Mix with the juice of 2 lime wedges & a few pinches of salt. Mix yogurt with Mexican hot sauce to taste
Warm the tortillas, add the tofu mixture, cabbage, and toppings
TO ADD MEAT: Brown meat separately. Add to tofu mixture during last 4 minutes of cooking. Think of meat as a flavoring, not the main ingredient
TIPS & TRICKS
Saving $$ on Meat: Think of meat as a flavoring, NOT the main ingredient
Save $$: Cooked beans or lentils can be substituted for ½ cup of meat in most dishes without changing the flavor.
To add meat to a vegetarian dish, cook ½ pound of chopped meat separately and add during the last ½ hour for soups or stews. Add the last 5 minutes for stir-fry or tacos.
Tricks with Tofu
Tofu in Red sauces: Freeze firm tofu straight out of the package (no drying necessary) and use it as a substitute in any recipe where you’d use ground beef –like chili or pasta sauce. “When you take it out of the freezer, it breaks up and has this great, really crumbly texture just like ground beef,” says a chef
“Drying” Tofu: Tofu is generally packed in water. Before you cook it, wrap it in a dish towel. Place a heavy skillet with a few cans over the wrapped tofu to gently squeeze out the extra water.
See video for ways to prepare tofu
Add protein with tofu
Smoothies: Use tofu for extra protein
1½ cup milk
2 cups frozen fruit, such as cherries, strawberries
½-1 sliced frozen bananas
11 oz extra soft tofu, or silken tofu
1 tbsp maple syrup, optional
To Make: Blend everything in a high-powered blender. Add more milk for a thinner drink
