Burnin On Em- Tofu and Peppers

I love to cook so don't ask me why I haven't done this sooner. =) I hope you guys try it and like it.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 pound firm tofu, cubed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 whole carrot, peeled and sliced
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1/2 cup broth (your preference)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Directions

Heat peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Toss the tofu into the oil, and cook until browned on all sides. 

Once browned, toss in onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic; cook until just tender, and onion is turning translucent about 5-7 minutes.

 In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Pour over tofu and vegetables, toss to coat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Serve with brown rice or quinoa.

Many people are very apprehensive about eating Tofu, but to be quite honest it truly is like every other food out there, if you cook it right, it tastes great. Below are just some of the benefits of adding it to your diet.

Cardiovascular Benefits of Soy Protein:

Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30%, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40%, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

All of this sounds very good to people trying to avoid atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. High LDL cholesterol levels can lead to a build up of cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. If these deposits get too large or break, they can cause a heart attack or stroke. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are transported in the blood, so high triglyceride levels, which are often seen in diabetes, can also contribute to the development and growth of these dangerous cholesterol deposits and heart disease. And blood clots can be another major problem for people with heart disease, since they can precipitate a heart attack or stroke. Soy protein, however, can address all of these issues, leading to a greatly reduced risk of heart disease.

Soy for Smooth Sailing through Menopause:

Soy has also been shown to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms associated with menopause. Soy foods, like tofu, contain phytoestrogens, specifically the isoflavones, genistein and diadzein. In a woman's body, these compounds can dock at estrogen receptors and act like very, very weak estrogens. During perimenopause, when a woman's estrogen fluctuates, rising to very high levels and then dropping below normal, soy's phytoestrogens can help her maintain balance, blocking out estrogen when levels rise excessively high, plus filling in for estrogen when levels are low. When women's production of natural estrogen drops at menopause, soy's isoflavones may provide just enough estrogenic activity to prevent or reduce uncomfortable symptoms, like hot flashes. The results of intervention trials suggest that soy isoflavones may also promote the resorption of bone and therefore inhibit postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Additionally, most types of tofu are enriched with calcium, which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss for which women are at risk during menopause. Calcium has also been found useful in rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which calcium may help to reduce the bone loss that can occur as a result of this disease. Tofu is a good source of calcium. Four-ounces supply about 10% of the daily value for calcium and contain only 70-90 calories.

Rich in Minerals for Energy and Antioxidant Protection:

Tofu is a very good source of iron, providing 33.8% of the DV for this important mineral in 4 ounces. Iron is primarily used as part of hemoglobin, a molecule essential to energy production since it is responsible for transporting and releasing oxygen throughout the body. But hemoglobin synthesis also relies on copper. Without copper, iron cannot be properly utilized in red blood cells. Fortunately, both minerals are supplied in tofu, which also contain 11.0% of the daily value for copper.

In addition to its role in hemoglobin synthesis, copper may be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper, along with manganese (yet another trace mineral for which tofu is a very good source), is an essential co-factor of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells). Copper is also necessary for the activity of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme involved in cross-linking collagen and elastin, both of which provide the ground substance and flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints. Four ounces of tofu supply 34.5% of the DV for manganese.

Want to Be "Buff"? Eat Tofu:

Think a meal without meat equals a meal without protein? Think again. Four ounces of tofu provides 9.2 grams of protein, that's 18.3% of the daily value for protein, and it comes virtually free of saturated fat (less than 1 gram), and at a cost of only 86 calories.

Cardiovascular Protection from Omega-3 Fats:

Fish aren't the only good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Tofu provides 14.4% of the daily value for these especially beneficial fats in just 4 ounces. Omega-3 fats have been the subject of intensive study by researchers. Omega-3 fatty acids have a broad array of health benefits. Omega-3s help prevent erratic heart rhythms, make blood less likely to clot inside arteries (which is the ultimate cause of most heart attacks), and improve the ratio of good HDL to bad LDL cholesterol. And finally, by reducing inflammation, these essential fats play a role in preventing cholesterol from clogging arteries.

Selenium-An Antioxidant, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Inflammatory Trace Mineral:

Several other nutrients in tofu are helpful for other conditions. For example, tofu is a good source of selenium; 4 ounces provide 14.4% of the daily value for this trace mineral. Selenium is needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system, which works to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body. Selenium is a necessary co-factor of one of the body's most important internally produced antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase, and also works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful not only against colon cancer by protecting colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, but in decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair, yet another way in which adequate intake of this mineral is associated with a reduced risk for cancer.

And that's just a few of the benefits. If you didn't know....well...=)

Jay.