(Since going 100% veg over a month ago, I am loving it..... why do ppl think it's so hard? I don;t get it. It's easy, really easy - course I'm still doing dairy and eggs, but that's another stage
)
Vegetarianism is not as difficult as Vegan - simply because you are allowed so many more options to foods with dairy and eggs in your diet. The beginning stages (the honeymoon) are not as difficult as long term maintenance. Give it a couple of years and you will find that either you
fall into a routine or you abandon it altogether. I know many of folks that found the lifestyle too hard to maintain out in the 'real world' and gave up.
Congrats on how well things are going.
Since you asked about tofu- here's a tip for you if you venture into the firm tofu's (for things like stir-fries). I don't know how many people I have run into, that say Tofu tastes like crap. That's impossible, Tofu tastes like nothing. It will take on the taste of whatever you are making. But only if you prep it correctly. You
must press the water from it before doing anything with it. (Even if it comes packed with little water to pour off).
Think of it as a giant sponge. It is packed in the water, therefore it has absorbed all the water it can hold. You must
wring it out. To do this, wrap the wet block in a kitchen towel and place a heavy object on top of it. Leave it for about 1/2 hr. After that, the block should have a firm hard consistency and the towel should be wringing wet. Now you can slice the tofu any way you wish with a sharp knife and it will hold its shape. Then cook with it as you would any other meat....
(Don't press the soft or silken tofu though - use as is)...
Another soy food to try you might like is Tempeh.... It's a
pressed soy product. I slice mine and saute it in a little olive oil, garlic & chili powders & pepper. Can use it in stir fries or make sandwiches out of it...
