Dessert/ Dinner/ Exercise/ Fitness

Tofu Love

It’s been a pretty peaceful afternoon and I am just loooving this new schedule! I thoroughly believe that everyone is at their best at a certain time of the day and for me it’s ALWAYS been the morning. I would much rather get up super early, get everything I need to get done done and then relax for the rest of the day. I’m a huge dork and actually enjoy going to bed early, so it suits me.

This afternoon I walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes (speed 3.7 and incline 1.0) and watched some of Pearl Harbor. Love that movie!

I then had this snack of vanilla chobani with a half serving of ezekiel cereal:

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I had never had vanilla chobani before and let me just tell you—-it was freakin’ AMAZING!!!! So thick and sweet…like a dessert but with much lower sugar than other yogurts (13 grams instead of 22). I will DEFINITELY be buying this bad boy again! It was like pudding!

I also went to the library and got these new books:

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I started The Heretic’s Daughter already and cannot put it down. I love historic fiction and have an odd obsession with the Salem Witch Trials.

And for dinner I perfected the art of tofu. I know, I know….I can hear the collective sigh at yet another post about baked tofu. But tonight it was spectacular!! Seriously! This is exactly what I did so you can replicate the love in your own kitchen:

Start by opening a container of tofu. Drain the water. I like extra firm and buy Whole Foods brand because its only $1.99. Press underneath kitchen towels and a heavy book for 30 minutes.

Then when all the water has been pressed out of it (this causes the tofu to actually lose two ounces in water weight), slice it into two thick pieces. Slice those pieces into four thin slices so you have eight thin slices of tofu. Put away four of the thin slices for another day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rub 2 tsp toasted sesame oil on your four pieces of tofu. Next, rub two tsp of rice wine vinegar on then and then douse them with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and onion powder. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping each slice after 15. They will come out from the oven chewy, golden, crusty and delicious!

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So, I recently started having two servings per tofu container instead of four servings. I am so much more full and satisfied this way! I can’t believe I used to actually get four servings out of one container. No wonder I was hungry! Half the container of tofu (once the water is pressed out of it) weighs approximately 6 oz and here are the stats for 6 oz of extra firm tofu:

155 calories

9 grams fat

0 grams sat. fat

0 grams cholesterol

16.8 grams of protein (!!!)

3.4 grams of carbs

So yes, I am so much happier eating half the container of tofu than I was when I was strangely rationing it out the way I had done for years and years. I have to buy more tofu this way, but it’s less than two bucks and that means a dollar per meal. Pretty good. I also had a baked yam and spinach with cayenne pepper for dinner if you couldn’t already tell.

After dinner I read for awhile and then had half an ezekiel english muffin with pb and jam for dessert:

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I am just looooving that its only 7:20 and I already have everything done. Coffee is made, homework is done, breakfast and snack are laid out for tomorrow and my bathtub & new book are calling my name.

Have a terrific evening!

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  • Amna
    September 8, 2008 at 11:34 pm

    what temp do you bake the tofu at?

  • VeggieGirl
    September 8, 2008 at 11:35 pm

    Love your enthusiasm about your new schedule – glad it’s working out so well!!

    Great new books!!

    Mmm, LOOOOVE sweet potatoes and kale 🙂

  • Heather
    September 8, 2008 at 11:40 pm

    That tofu looks awesome. I love baked tofu – it’s the best! I remember the good ol’ days when WF tofu was only $1.29, though. Ugh, the ever-raising food prices today…so sad.

  • Jenny
    September 8, 2008 at 11:45 pm

    This entire post really struck a cord with me. I am a HUGE fan of getting up early and going to bed early, what’s the point in staying up late? Pretty much my only activities after 7pm or so include reading a good book! I also love historical fiction, so the Heretic’s Daughter looks great to me! Enjoy your evening! 🙂

  • ttfn300
    September 8, 2008 at 11:46 pm

    Yup, that vanilla chiobani is very desert-like 🙂

  • angelcubbie
    September 8, 2008 at 11:47 pm

    Hey Jenna, Just wondering if there is any other type of oil i can sub for the sesame oil on the tofu and still get the same effect? Thanks!

  • erica
    September 8, 2008 at 11:49 pm

    Dinner looks fantastic! I’ve got to try making my tofu this way, it looks foolproof, and so delicious.

  • jenna
    September 8, 2008 at 11:53 pm

    I forgot to mention y’all! I DID marinate the tofu slices in some soy sauce for about two hours prior to baking. You totally do not have to do that though. I don’t think it adds too much more flavor.

    Angelcubbie,

    You could try to sub the sesame oil with olive oil but honestly, it won’t have the same effect at all. Sesame oil gives it that “toasty” Asian taste, especially when paired with rice wine vinegar. It’s a good buy because you will definitely use it a lot!

  • jenna
    September 8, 2008 at 11:54 pm

    Amna,

    400 degrees.

  • natalie
    September 9, 2008 at 12:10 am

    Man, I wish I read this earlier, I would have totally made the same dinner! O well, Maybe tomarrow.

    I love reading about the Salem witch trails as well, I grew up close to Salem so maybe that has something to do with it? 🙂

  • Christie I.
    September 9, 2008 at 12:18 am

    Mmm…baked tofu, one of my new favorite foods.

    I am so jealous of the vanilla chobanni, we don’t have that brand here, even at the BRAND NEW whole foods. Can you tell I am excited, it is the first time in my whole life that I have had a WF less than 1.5 hours away. 🙂

  • Nicole
    September 9, 2008 at 1:01 am

    I am such a morning person also! I love waking up early and getting everything done, which is exactly what I did today.

    Thank you for the tofu process!

  • NT
    September 9, 2008 at 1:08 am

    Hi Jenna,
    I have never posted, but know that you are training for a half..was wondering, is it just me, do you tend to lose your appetite after long runs?

    -NT

  • emily
    September 9, 2008 at 1:15 am

    Yum. I’ll have to make that asap. I am so different from the rest of you bloggers – something about going to bed early makes my skin crawl! (I am super hyper 24/7 though, so that probably has something to do with it)

  • jenna
    September 9, 2008 at 1:16 am

    NT,

    It usually takes me about 30-45 minutes after a “long run” to want to eat. I read though that you really should wait that long because that’s how long it takes for your heart rate to go back to normal and for your body to relax again, which makes eating your next meal all the more enjoyable! Even if you don’t feel hungry after this time, you really should try to eat something with protein and complex carbs to refuel your body. Sometimes even a flavored yogurt or a pb&j will do the trick…

  • mel
    September 9, 2008 at 1:23 am

    yumm!! I always eat half of the tofu container! I love it!!

  • Kristie
    September 9, 2008 at 1:25 am

    LOVE seeing those new nutritionals on the de-watered tofu haha. I guess I’ll now start eating a bigger serving out of each container too. If it weren’t nighttime and everything weren’t closed, I might even have gone out to buy some tofu right about now.

  • Jennifer
    September 9, 2008 at 1:38 am

    ok ok ok, i’ve been wanting to try tofu at home forever and you’ve finally convinced me! The only other time I’ve eaten tofu is in hot & sour soup at the neighborhood chinese restaurant; I’ve always wanted to make it at home but was intimidated. I’m going to try it this weekend, thanks for the encouragement!

    Jennifer

  • Samantha
    September 9, 2008 at 1:49 am

    Found your blog today through a rec from someone else and look forward to digging deeper. I’m in marathon training right now, have added in cycling for xtraining but am really struggling with my nutrition and hope to get back on track. Thanks for offering your expertise on your blog!

  • sara
    September 9, 2008 at 2:02 am

    jenna, what do you (and anyone else who wants to comment) think of the whole special k line? (cereal, waffles, snack bars…) also what do you think of the nature valley brand? i really like their granola bars

  • Laura
    September 9, 2008 at 2:10 am

    Vanilla Chobani is delicious! They sell several different brands of Greek yogurt at the regular grocery stores here in VA. Hopefully everyone will have it where they live soon!

    I’m going to have to try slicing my tofu really thin like that. I normally cut it into more of a cube shape. Thanks for the idea!

  • Kat
    September 9, 2008 at 3:15 am

    I am a dork too – I am such a morning person and LOVE going to bed early after having everything done for the day/ prepped for tomorrow.

    Have a great night! That tofu looks devine!

  • Maria
    September 9, 2008 at 12:49 pm

    Oh my god, your meals always look sooooo good! I’ve already made a grocery list for next week – At the minimum I am definately making your baked tofu and that lentil soup!

  • Teddy
    September 9, 2008 at 1:55 pm

    Your tofu recipe sounds like a great one! thanks for sharing 🙂

    Teddy

  • Jo
    September 9, 2008 at 2:36 pm

    Special K oats and honey is delish on top of yoghurt and stuff, sweet and crispy – it tends to go a bit soggy in milk. The Special K bars are good too – have less than 90 cals but are quite sweet, good if you want a sugar hit!

    I’m going to have to try baked tofu, I’ve never tried it like that, it sounds great.

  • runjess
    September 9, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    Thank you for the tofu tips! I’m terrible with tofu.

  • melissa
    September 9, 2008 at 3:06 pm

    Probably a dumb question…but is rice vinegar the same thing as rice wine vinegar?

  • Bev
    September 10, 2008 at 12:01 am

    I live in Ohio and we still do not have chobani yogurt. Whole Foods is suppose to be getting it in. So I made my own batch with my yogurt machine. Jenny those books look really good.

  • Jaclyn
    September 14, 2008 at 10:29 pm

    Just made the baked tofu tonight and it was awesome! Great first foray into the world of cooking tofu. Even my dog loved it. Thanks!

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    September 15, 2008 at 11:47 pm

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  • Amanda
    June 3, 2009 at 4:41 pm

    Can you really store the pressed tofu in the fridge by itself? I thought it needed to be stored in water? Please let me know. I love your blog! I have only been reading for about a week but you have inspired me to cook healthier and I am already feeling better! Yeah!

  • Hilary
    November 1, 2009 at 3:40 pm

    Jenna,
    I am new to tofu … have you ever tried this with soft tofu?
    Thanks,
    Hilary

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