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I’m recovering from a condition…tofuphobia. Tasteless, shapeless, almost colorless, to me tofu has always had the appeal of a Film Festival featuring the works of Paris Hilton. But as I creep into middle age, I’m starting to look at the foods I once snubbed my nose at like a picky two year old. And you know what? Some of them really don’t deserve the bad rep. Of course, I have to convince my family to try them too. What to do, what to do. I do what all loving mothers and wives do… I trick them. Oh, c’mon, I see you shaking your head saying, “My mom never did that!” Ah, so young…so innocent. (My fellow moms chuckle with me.)
I wanted to sneak a little healthy soy protein into my kids lunchbox so my next experiment was Daughter Oldest’s favorite egg salad. I like to take a slow but steady approach…lovingly and slowly sneaking incorporating healthy alternatives. So I add a couple eggs to the mix. Then you can honestly say, “Yes, it’s made with eggs!” And they won’t know the difference in the taste either. Trust me. Don’t even try to out trick us moms.
Here’s how you do it.
Once you’ve done that, just follow this recipe.
Tofu and Egg Salad
- 1 block well drained firm tofu (If you want baby steps, you can use half this block to increase the egg-tofu ratio)
- 2-3 hard boiled eggs
- 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. dried dill (or 1 tsp. fresh)*
- Pinch of salt
*NOTE: I won’t call the egg salad police if you’d rather use your own favorite egg salad seasonings.
Peel and chop the eggs. Drain the tofu well and cut into cubes (if you’re trying to fool your kids, don’t cut them into exact cubes…chop them into irregular shapes.) Mix all the remaining ingredients together and toss gently with the chopped eggs and tofu. Chill for at least 1 hour..this is a must to allow the flavor to penetrate the tofu. Oh, and don’t tell them until after they come back for seconds. Another healthy trick for your sneaky mom arsenal. That’s it.
He said, and I quote, “Great egg salad, hon.” Ha!
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January 18th, 2009 at 7:52 am
That sounds good, I love egg salad and topped with broccoli sprouts, yum. However, I would know there’s tofu in it, I am allergic to soy and it makes me break out into hives. I’d hope that if I was eating at a friend’s house they’d warn me first!
January 18th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
HA! This looks GREAT! I am going to sneak it in on my hubby and see if I can trick him.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:49 am
@Caitlin, That would be a problem! That’s why I only recommend “sneaking” it with family that I know are ok to eat soy products and wouldn’t normally try it.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:42 am
Oh, that’s a great idea! I love egg salad and put all kinds of stuff in it (curry being my favorite), and tofu should work perfectly.
January 21st, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Okay, I have an aversion to tofu as well…but this recipe has peaked my interest. If I was ever going to try tofu (again) it might be in the form of “egg” salad. Hey, I’m all for supporting the soybean growers. It does look delicious!
January 21st, 2009 at 8:39 pm
This sounds intriguing! I plan to try it. I just made chocolate pudding using silken tofu, brown sugar, milk, cocoa powder, 1 banana and vanilla extract. My kids and husband said it tasted like caulking. Okay, so I tried.
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:11 am
OK, so I might actually try this. I was a vegetarian in my former life and I think I went a little crazy with the meat once I switched camps. I shunned all tofu-like foods, because, why really would I want them anymore? But I suppose you’re right. Tofu is healthy, so I suppose I could possibly incorporate it again. This sounds like a good way to do it. And no one will ever know. So sneaky it just might work.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Yum. I love *eggless* egg salad, but have not had in a while. Thanks for reminding me about it. And by the way, I just discovered you while checking out the voting for the funny food blog and you are way funnier than that blog who seems to be winning right now. You get my vote.
April 7th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
This recipe sounds delicious. I am a tofu fan because it is so versatile and can be a good source of both protein and calcium (depending on how it’s made). I used to call my salmon patties “oatmeal patties” because the kids didn’t think they liked salmon – or any fish for that matter. Must have brought up tasty images of oatmeal cookies – they loved the oatmeal patties. One day my husband accidentally called them by their true name – and that was the end of patties altogether, forever and always. Fast forward 20 years and now they love salmon, but still won’t eat salmon patties.
April 15th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t like tofu. I want to like tofu, but an experience in Japan at the impressionable age of 16 left me scarred. In the heat of summer, I was served an ice cold…slab?…of tofu. Really, it looked like a big stick of butter. It quivered. And I had to eat. the. whole. thing. to. be. polite. It wasn’t so much the taste, as there was none. It was more a problem with texture…
The best part of being middle aged is that I can just so no to tofu. (And I can buy pastry whenever I want).
Ironically, however, my two kids seem to love tofu. They fight over it. So I think I’ll have to try this recipe, despite myself. Because as long as I have it in the house…
….quiver…..
April 21st, 2009 at 4:49 am
@Bad Home Cook – LOL. I feel for you. I don’t think I could eat tofu plain and cold. {shiver} But thanks for giving me a good reason to be middle aged!
May 26th, 2009 at 9:30 am
My kids love this! I’ve made it several times and they eat it up everytime.