Veggies: Check
One of my friends trekked to Flushing last weekend to buy some very fresh tofu, and she brought some home for me, too. I'm a bit of a tofu virgin, but I made this simple soup that August really loved. It has lots of vegetables diced up just the right size for him to pick up (so he had a bowl of the soup, and used his spoon to pick up a couple of pieces, but then he just mashed his hands right in).
I started with a small carton of vegetable broth (about 2 cups) then added a diced carrot and a couple of slices of fresh ginger. Boiled that for 5 minutes, then added a diced small zucchini. After 5 more minutes I added about 3/4 cup diced tofu (regular) and a couple handfuls of frozen peas (which August has an amazing ability of leaving uneaten). Heated that through and ate. I liked it, too.
Now what do I do with the rest of the tofu?
I cook some ground beef (you can use pork too) with soy sauce and then add in some tofu. it's very simple but goes well with some steamed veggies and rice
You could simply cut up the tofu into little squares and microwave! then, give it to your little one with something fun to dip in, like organic ketchup or applesauce. tofu is a great protein source and super easy to chew and digest. easy to keep around, too, in a container in the fridge. hack off a few ieces whenever you need to give him a bit of protein. you can also scramble it up like eggwhites (the silken type, not the firm) and you can the firm kind in things like chile instead of ground beef - just prepare the same way.
One of my favorite restaurants in college was a vegetarian place called "The Grit." They have a great cookbook, and we like to make this recipe. I am not really a tofu person, but I love it. I usually serve it over brown rice, with melted cheese on top.
"Golden Bowl"
1 15-oz. Block firm tofu
Vegetable oil
Soy sauce
Nutritional yeast
Cut tofu into cubes slightly smaller than playing dice. Lightly oil a non-stick skillet and place over high heat. Allow oil to heat slightly and add tofu. Sauté, tossing with a non-metal spatula until evenly and lightly golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with soy sauce. Sauté briefly to further brown tofu. Remove from skillet, draining and discarding any excess fluid.
Rinse and wipe skillet dry. Lightly oil and place it over high heat. Allow oil to become very hot and add tofu. Sauté tofu, tossing with a non-metal spatula almost constantly until very well browned. Sprinkle with soy sauce to taste. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast to coat tofu cubes and, tossing vigorously, sauté for a few seconds and remove from heat. Serve immediately.