The Best Crispy Tofu and Coleslaw

Can adding cruciferous vegetables to your nutrition plan help fight inflammation and offer cancer-preventing benefits at the same time?

Can adding cruciferous vegetables to your daily nutrition help fight inflammation and offer cancer-preventing benefits at the same time?

Perfecting crispy tofu is one thing. Packing in a powerhouse of anti-inflammatory benefits for the plant-based athlete in you?1 Then this recipe is for you! Coleslaw is a tough one for me, I feel like it was found in a paper cup at a cafeteria or fast-food restaurants in the 70s.

I think this coleslaw with crispy tofu, crunchy veggies in a creamy, sweet and tangy mango-lime dressing is the perfect meal for vegans and plant-based athletes alike.

Whether you’re trying to eat more veggies and maintain your intake of protein or looking to take down the inflammation after that intense workout - this one’s for you!

Ingredients & Directions 

Estimated time: 30 minutes

Effort/Skill: Medium

Salad

4 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned 
½ crown of broccoli, chopped
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ head red cabbage, chopped into slivers
4 large leaves of kale, coarsely chopped
½ bunch of cilantro leaves coarsely chopped
1 tsp Sesame seeds
2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds

Tofu

1 package of extra firm tofu drained and sliced into slivers
½ cup Soy milk (or any plain unsweetened non-dairy milk)
¼ cup Cornstarch
¼ cup Coconut flour
¼ cup Corn flour
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Dill
Avocado oil - as needed for frying

Dressing

1 lime juiced
½ cup frozen mango (or fresh, if in-season)
2 tsp almond butter 
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
¼ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
¼ tsp coriander

Directions

Chop all the ingredients for the salad, toss and set aside.

Blend the dressing ingredients well in a blender until smooth and toss with salad ingredients. Set aside and let the flavours absorb into the veggies well (you can leave in the fridge overnight if you wish).

After draining the tofu, slice the tofu into slivers. In a small shallow bowl add tofu and soy milk. In a separate shallow dish combine the cornstarch, coconut flour, corn flour and spices. Toss the milk-soaked tofu in the dry ingredients and when fully dusted prepare a frying pan of oil over medium-high heat. Gradually add the tofu and fry until crispy brown on all sides, turning as needed. You can also bake the tofu in the oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Or try it in the air fryer (400 F for 15 min) with a drizzle of oil on top. Be sure to flip half way.

Let the tofu cool and pat the oil off the pieces. Add the tofu to the salad and serve and enjoy!

NOURISHED FACT

How can athletes benefit in transitioning to a vegan or plant-based nutrition plan? Following a whole-food plant based diet is one of the best ways to incorporate vitamins and minerals into the diet. But then there’s protein, too many carbs, etc. etc. Your head is spinning, right? Finding a way to balance your diet while optimizing your workouts is key. And this is where I can help!. 

But today, I want to talk about inflammation. 

After a very intense workout you may notice inflammation or not even realize that your body is going through this nasty experience.3 Inflammation is linked with tissue damage, stroke, cancer, heart disease and the list goes on.3 What if we can prevent chronic inflammation from happening in the body through healthy eating? 

Let’s talk about a specific group of veggies that may, in fact, have anti-inflammatory properties.5 

Cruciferous veggies like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, arugula, and bok choy have been studied for their cancer prevention properties in the past.4 But can these veggies offer us anti-inflammatory benefits as well? Studies have shown that there is evidence that inflammation can come down with cruciferous vegetables, but a plant-based diet, in and of itself, may also contribute to anti-inflammatory effects as well.5,6

Bottom line: Eat a diverse collection of whole fruits and vegetables daily.

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As always, the disclaimer: research is still out on all things related to this topic. Here’s some research where you can find more information:

1 Tilg, Herbert. (2015). Cruciferous vegetables: Prototypic anti-inflammatory food components. Clinical Phytoscience. 1. 10.1186/s40816-015-0011-2. [ResearchGate] 

2 Zhang X, Shu XO, Xiang YB, et al. Cruciferous vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of total and cardiovascular disease mortality. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(1):240-246. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.009340 [PubMed] 

3 Woods JA, Wilund KR, Martin SA, Kistler BM. Exercise, inflammation and aging. Aging Dis. 2012;3(1):130-140. [PubMed] 

4 Murillo G, Mehta RG. Cruciferous vegetables and cancer prevention. Nutr Cancer. 2001;41(1-2):17-28. doi:10.1080/01635581.2001.9680607. [PubMed]

5 Jiang Y, Wu SH, Shu XO, et al. Cruciferous vegetable intake is inversely correlated with circulating levels of proinflammatory markers in women. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014;114(5):700-8.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2013.12.019. [PubMed]

6 Shah B, Newman JD, Woolf K, Ganguzz L, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Vegan Diet Versus the American Heart Association-Diet in Coronary Artery Disease Trial. Journal of the American Heart Associate. 2018;7. [JAHA]