Tofu & Beet Greens

This dish has an Asian flavor from the garlic and soy, and makes a well-balanced meal when served with brown rice or quinoa.

Fresh beets are a wonderful bargain because you get two vegetable dishes out of one plant. The beet greens, which many people foolishly throw away, are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and are a delicious vegetable in their own right. Tofu is made from raw soybeans that are soaked and pulverized into pulp, then boiled to make the soybeans more digestible. After filtering, calcium sulfate or magnesium chloride is added to the soy milk to coagulate it into curds and whey. The curds are pressed into molds to form the “soy cheese,” which is then cut into squares. Soybeans help to ward off cancer and are a good source of natural estrogen. Pressing the tofu creates a firmer texture and gets rid of any excess water that would otherwise make the greens and tofu soggy. This dish has an Asian flavor from the garlic and soy, and makes a well-balanced meal when served with a complementing carbohydrate, such as rice.

Food as Medicine

Beet greens, similar in taste and texture to Swiss chard, offer abundant vitamins and minerals, and carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lutein.

1 pound firm tofu
2 pound beet greens
1 tablespoon expeller-pressed canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or teriyaki sauce (or to taste)
2 cups cooked rice

1. Drain the tofu; slice it 1/2-inch thick and place the slices on a dish towel or several layers of paper towel. Cover with another cloth or layer of paper towels and place a cutting board on top, weighted with a few heavy cans or a pot of water. Press the tofu slices for 1 hour, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes. You can also use baked, pressed tofu, in which case you just need to cut it into cubes.

2. Wash the beet greens thoroughly, drain, remove stems and shred.

3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet and add the onion. Sauté over medium-high heat until onion is translucent, then add the tofu and continue cooking until tofu begins to color.

4. Add the beet greens and garlic. Stir-fry until greens are cooked, about 5 minutes.

5. Season with the soy sauce or teriyaki sauce and cook for another minute to blend flavors. Serve over rice.