Easy Pad Thai

Healthy Benefits

Nutritional highlights. Tofu is a good source of protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium and phosphorous. In addition, tofu is a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1.

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients   

• 1 cup water, plus more for soaking the noodles
• 1 10-oz. package rice noodles or ramen-style noodles
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 12-oz. package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into chunks
• 4 Tbsp. Liquid Amino's (or soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• Hot Pepper Flakes, to taste
• Sliced scallions, for garnish
• Chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

• Fill a large bowl with boiling water. Submerge rice noodles in the water and soak for about 15 minutes.
• In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic cloves and tofu chunks. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce over the tofu and sauté until golden brown.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, maple syrup, hot pepper flakes, remaining liquid aminos and 1 cup of water.
• Add the soaked noodles and peanut butter mixture to the tofu and cook through for about 5 minutes.
• Garnish with sliced scallions and chopped peanuts and serve right away. 

Inspired by http://www.peta.org/recipes/easy-vegan-pad-thai/

Scrambled Tofu with Spicy Salsa

Scrambled Tofu with Spicy Salsa is protein that's high in taste but low in calories and fat. 

Tofu takes on the flavor of its surrounding ingredients. If you love salsa, you'll love this scramble.

Healthy benefits
Tofu is a highly nutritious, protein-rich food. It's a complete protein that contributes to significantly lowering total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, LDL (bad cholesterol) leading to a greatly reduced risk of heart disease. It's a great source of many nutrients including tryptophan, calcium, manganese, iron, protein, omega-3 fats and more.

Salsa is rich in vitamins and minerals and is a good source of the fat-soluble Vitamins A, E and K. Despite being low in calories, salsa is high in vitamin A (helps your eyes be better about night blindness), vitamin B6 (helps maintain healthy brain function, maintain normal nerve function, helps form red blood cells) and Vitamin C (helpful in their role as antioxidants). It's a good source of iron, as well as magnesium and potassium to help maintain normal blood pressure which could help prevent strokes, heart attack and other potentially life-threatening heart problems.

Ingredients (1 serving – 228 calories per serving)
1 cup organic tofu
3 tbsp medium salsa

Preparation

- In a bowl, mix crumbled tofu and salsa

- Spray cooking pan with canola oil

- Cook and stir tofu and salsa for about a minute

Note to vegan chef

Chunky salsa will add more texture and color. Experiment with vegetable salsas and mild, medium or hot salsa. Make your own fresh salsa to avoid the high sodium that can be found in store bought salsa.

Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 228
Total fat: 10.7 g
     Sat fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 441.7 mg (mostly store bought salsa)
Carbohydrates: 11 g
     Fiber: 4.2 g
     Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 24 g

Reference: Tofu, Nutritional Info for Salsa, Loseit, Top Health Benefits of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C