How To Tofu- Recipe Redux + A Cookbook Giveaway

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What do chicken nuggets, hotdogs, pizza, and fishsticks have in common?

They are all on the list of typical foods parents feed their kids.  I blame convenience- what's easier than taking something out of the freezer and popping it into the microwave?  Also, they're fun for kids because they're bite size or come in cool shapes.  I'm always trying to think of more healthy options that are still fun and convenient.  I believe food should be fun AND wholesome.  In fact, playing with food (to an extent) is part of healthy child development.  Once infants start on table food, it's important to let them explore it using all their senses, especially touch.  I've held this stance since my daughter Lyla started on table-food and she has become a great eater.

Lyla enjoying her Tofu Stick

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and RecipeRedux has teamed up with The Soyfoods Council to inspire family, friends and readers to add more soyfoods to their diet, specifically tofu.  There is an extensive body of evidence suggesting soy reduces the risk of breast cancer.  However, studies show that to receive the most optimal benefits in reducing the risk of breast cancer, soyfoods must be consumed starting in adolescence.  

If you're already feeding your kids tofu- keep it up!  If this is new territory for you, then I'm here to today to present you with a kid-friendly Tofu recipe.

Crunchy Baked Tofu Sticks Yields: 14 sticks Ingredients:  1 brick extra-firm Tofu ¼ canola oil 1 c crisp rice cereal 2 T nutritional yeast ¼ c cornflake crumbs Dash of paprika, pepper, cayenne powders Directions: 1.     Preheat oven to 375 F 2.     To slice tofu into 14 equal sticks, slice lengthwise once, then height wise 6 times 3.     Combine dry ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times to break down the crisped rice cereal.  Transfer to a shallow bowl 4.     Pour oil into a different bowl.  Dip tofu sticks into oil, then roll around in crumbs until well coated 5.     Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 min.  Then flip over and bake for 10 more min.

Vacation Smoothie

This month's Recipe Redux Challenge is "Memorable Vacation Meals."  Since I keep kosher, most of my favorite meal memories aren't from vacations, especially if we were visiting a place without a Jewish community.  Growing up, I remember eating a lot of tuna and PB&J, none of which are blog-worthy.  I definitely had some great meals on vacation with my husband but none too easy to "redux" or make healthy (think steak and nachos).

I've spent a good amount of time in Israel: vacationing and studying post-High School for a year.  Since kosher food is readily available in Israel, I decided to write about my favorite juicebar called Juiceland.  A Juiceland smoothie is one of the simple joys of my life.  It doesn't have protein or power "boosts" like most of the juicebars in America.  It's simply frozen fruit, milk or OJ, and some mystery white powder they throw in (sugar?).  I would always choose peaches and pears: such a great combo!  Here is my recreation of the Juiceland smoothie.

Blue Corn Chip Crusted Cauliflower Gratin + a GIVEAWAY

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In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, Frito Lay is sponsoring a recipe contest for Recipe Redux members where we have to create gluten-free recipes that use at least one of their snack chips as a replacement for traditional gluten-containing ingredients.  Gluten free foods can't contain barley, rye, or wheat.  There are many alternative grains and flours on the market making it easier for people with Celiac disease to expand their palettes.  Some popular gluten free flours are corn, tapioca, rice, arrowroot, and amaranth.  Frito Lay is working hard to implement a gluten-free validation process in order to meet FDA standards.

The Reduxers were given a list of approved chips to use in our gluten free recipes.  I chose TOSTITOS® SIMPLY NATURAL™ Blue Corn Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips since they have a gorgeous hue and I love adding color to my dishes.  I crumbled them onto a healthy cauliflower broccoli gratin for a satisfying veggie-filled dinner.