Soy: it's what's for dinner - includes recipes - Getting Started

Vegetarian Times, July, 1996 by Karen Cope Straus

You've heard the news reports and read the articles about soy's ability to lower cholesterol; decrease risk for heart attack, stroke and kidney disease; protect against hormone-related cancers such as ovarian. prostate and breast; lessen the symptoms of menopause; and help stave off osteoporosis.

You may even already know that soy is a high-quality, easily digestible form of plant protein containing the proper proportion of all eight essential amino acids, and is high in B vitamins, calcium and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Despite knowing all of this, I bet you're still having trouble adding this miracle food to your diet. Sure, it's easy to order tofu when eating out in Chinese, Thai or Japanese restaurants, but how often do you use tofu at home? And how often in dishes other than stir-fries?

Well, you're in luck. You're getting started with soy at a time when there are many soy products on the market, and experts are telling us that adding as little as one serving of soy a day--a glass of soymilk, 1/2 cup of tofu or a couple of muffins or slices of bread made with soy flour--offers health benefits.

Go shopping at your local supermarket. Chances are your store now carries Chinese water-packed tofu in firm and soft styles as well as reduced-fat and flavored varieties. Most supermarkets also stock Japanese-style. silken tofu in shelf-stable packaging that doesn't need refrigeration. Silken tofu also is available in firm, soft and reduced-fat forms.

Many commercial baked goods are prepared with soy flour, and my local supermarket also stocks shelf-stable soymilk in several varieties--plain, vanilla, carob, fortified and reduced fat, in small, easy-to-tote "bricks" and family-style quarts. It also comes concentrated so you can add water at home.

At your neighborhood health-food store or natural foods market, you'll find a wider variety of soy-based products, from basic tofus to marinated, baked varieties in flavors such as Thai sesame, teriyaki, Italian herb and Mexican jalapeno. I like to cube Thai- or teriyaki-flavored tofu cutlets, then sprinkle them over salad greens or ramen noodles for a quick lunch at work. A coworker uses Thai-flavored tofu cutlets as a meat replacer in sandwiches. The jalapeno-flavored cutlet is excellent cubed and served as a quesadilla topping or filling for enchiladas, fajitas, burritos and tacos.

Your local natural foods store also carries tempeh, an Indonesian cultured soyfood similar to tofu, as well as soy yogurt, soymilk, soy sour cream, soy cheese, soy-based salad dressings, soy protein powders and soybased desserts such as pudding mixes and frozen "ice creams." Lately I've also seen soy flour (toasted and regular), dried soy beans and canned soy beans. In addition, numerous dried and frozen burger products are soy-based. Textured vegetable protein, also called TVP, a health-food store staple, is used to replace ground meat in recipes such as chili, tacos and spaghetti.

You should also do some shopping in ethnic neighborhoods and farmers markets. At a Japanese store in my neighborhood, I can buy fresh or frozen soybeans still in their green pods, and specialty items such as miso, a cultured soybean paste used as a flavoring and soup base, and bottled condiments such as black soybeans with garlic and chilies. And a vendor at a farmers market near my apartment sells locally grown fresh and dried soybeans.

One of the easiest ways to get more soy into your life is by using soymilk. Substitute it measure for measure for milk. Try it in coffee or tea, on cereal or for making blender breakfast drinks. Try it also in soups, sauces and baked goods.

A good cook I know keeps powdered soymilk handy on her baking shelf. Soymilk can also be easily made from soy flour. (See "Soy What Are You Waiting For?" April, page 40.) My friend also keeps soy flour in her freezer. It's an excellent nutrition booster added to baked goods. For every cup of wheat flour, reduce by 1/4 and top off the cup with soy flour. (Soy flour cannot entirely replace wheat flour as it has no gluten, a protein that helps breads and other baked goods rise.) Buy soy flour in small amounts, and store it in the freezer to prevent it from going rancid due to its fat content. (Don't panic at the word fat--it's a beneficial form of plant fat rich in omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce blood clotting.)

Brunswick Stew

A specialty of Virginia, Brunswick Stew traditionally is made with squirrel, rabbit and chicken. This hearty vegetarian version is made with tofu, tempeh, seitan, lima beans and corn.

Tofu: 1 Tbs. canola oil (see glossary. p. 110) 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce 2 Tbs. water 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced 1 Tbs. maple syrup or sugar 1 lb. Chinese-style extra-firm tofu, cubed (see glossary. p. 110) 8 oz. tempeh. cubed (see glossary, p. 100) 8 oz. seitan, cubed (see glossary, p. 100)

Stew: 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped 1 large onion, chopped 2 qts. water or vegetable stock 10-oz. pkg. frozen lima beans 10-oz. pkg. frozen green peas 10-oz. pkg. frozen corn kernels 28-oz. can chopped tomatoes, with juices 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced 3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce 1/2 Tbs. Liquid Smoke (see glossary, p. 110) 1 tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbs. prepared yellow mustard 3 Tbs. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (see glossary. p. 110)