Meatless Mondays are growing ever more popular and people becoming more and more aware of the costs of eating meat.

With tofu it's such an easy way to get healthy protein into your diet. And here's the best part: you can eat it at any time of the day. Try it in place of eggs in a breakfast scramble, crisp it up for lunch or a snack, mix it with frozen berries to make homemade ice cream, and turn it into a hearty soup or even a vegan pot pie for dinner.

There are no limits when it comes to tofu.

Before you start cooking with tofu

There are two kinds of tofu: regular/firm and silken. Regular tofu is firmer and appropriate for dishes where you want the tofu to hold together.

Silken tofu has a much softer consistency and falls apart easily.

Most regular tofu comes packed in water so the number one thing you need to do is to drain the blocks as much as possible. If you don't drain it, the tofu won't absorb a marinade or get crispy in a pan.

To drain it, slice the block and place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put a heavy object (e.g. cookbooks) on it and let it sit for at least one hour. If you don't have that much time, simply squeeze the whole block between your hands - gently for a few seconds.

The best ways to eat tofu

Tofu scramble

Think of this as scrambled eggs, but with tofu. Mhhh.

You need for two servings:

1/2 red onion

1/4 red bell pepper

1 clove garlic

1 block firm tofu

salt and pepper

Instructions

Place the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic in a frying pan an sauté it on the stove on medium-high heat. Remove from the stove when your onions are beginning to change colour and set the pan aside.

In a bowl, crumble the tofu and season it with salt and pepper as you like. Put it in a different frying pan and place it on your stove on medium-high heat. Give it a little stir every now and then until the tofu begins to get firm-ish around the edges.

Gently put your onion/pepper mixture into your tofu and serve hot.

Tofu lentil salad

The perfect lunch or dinner if your are lazy, but still healthy and delicious.

You need for two servings:

1 block firm tofu

150g salad greens, any kind you like

1/2 can cooked lentils

1/2 medium avocado

250g tomatoes

1 tbsp Sriracha sauce

Instructions

Slice the tofu into quarters, press to remove excess moisture and cut into chunks. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a little bit of extra virgin oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer and sprinkle with salt.

Once the tofu is nicely brown on all sides, reduce the pan heat slightly and add the Sriracha sauce. Turn of the burner. Let the tofu sit in the hot pan while you prepare the greens for your salad.

In a large bowl, toss the greens, lentils and any other veggies. Top with the tofu cubes. Done!



Baked tofu

One of my favourite tofu recipes that pairs well with any marinade.

You need for two servings:

1 block firm tofu

1 tbsp Sriracha sauce

1 tbsp Tahini

1 tbsp water

Instructions

Remove the tofu from its packaging and pat dry. Slice the tofu into cubes. To give the tofu extra flavour, marinate the tofu pieces. Whisk together the marinade ingredients. Transfer the marinade and the tofu to a shallow container.

Coat the cubes with marinate. And let it sit for 30 minutes.

When ready, bake the tofu for 25 minutes on 180°C.

Serve immediately, while still warm. Enjoy!

Silken tofu mousse

This mousse takes only a few minutes and the result is amazing.

You need for two servings:

1 block silken tofu

1 banana

1-2 tbsp Tahini

1 1/2 tsp cacao powder

Instructions

Blend all the ingredients in a blender. Pour the mouse into serving glasses. Put away in the fridge for at least four hours, better over night. That's it!

Green tea smoothie bowl

Matcha tea powder and creamy avocado combined in this vegan smoothie bowl. A delicious new way to enjoy breakfast or as a snack.

You need for one serving:

3/4cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 ripe banana

1/2 diced avocado

150g silken tofu

2 tsp maple syrup or honey

1 tsp matcha powder

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

Combine coconut milk, avocado, banana, tofu, maple syrup or honey and matcha in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour the smoothie into a bowl. Top it with the blueberries and enjoy.

Strawberry-Almond smoothie

Enjoy this simple and satisfying smoothie after your workout.

You need for one serving:

10 frozen whole strawberries

1 cup almond milk or any milk you like

200g silken tofu

1 ripe banana

Instructions

Combine strawberries, almond milk, tofu and banana in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour in a glass. Yum!

By the way

Let me know if you tried some of these recipes and how they turned out!