Mie Okuda, the executive chef of Momokawa in Kips Bay, has created a series of healthy recipes to satisfy body, soul, and palate.
“Enjoying foods is a gift to our lives,” said Okuda, the author of the healthy recipe e-book “Thinking of You.”
When it comes to dieting, Okuda doesn’t believe in restricting food intake. Instead, she replaces unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones.
She believes that when you are eating well, the brain is satisfied, the cravings subside, and the body naturally attains its right balance.
Since I’ve been craving brownies for a while hoping to eat a bit healthier, I met up with Okuda and asked her to teach me a guilt-free brownie recipe.
She offered me a low-sugar and low-fat recipe because she uses sugar-free dark chocolate and replaces butter with tofu.
Tofu Associations
When people mention tofu, I immediately associate tofu with savory dishes like Chinese mapo tofu, Korean spicy tofu soup, or Japanese miso tofu soup. But tofu and brownies? Not a combination I'd ever thought of.
What I learned from Okuda is that tofu makes a good substitute for butter. A cup of butter, which has 184 grams of fat can be substituted with a cup of tofu, which has 6 to 7 grams of fat.
To cut down on fat even more, you can use more cocoa powder and reduce the amount of dark chocolate.
This recipe for tofu brownies is adapted from the original recipe in her book. It’s perfect for anyone who is on a diet or can’t have foods high in sugar, carbohydrates, fat, or sodium.
I really enjoyed these tofu brownies. I actually couldn’t detect a tofu flavor. These brownies are light and not overly sweet. In terms of texture, they are silky, moist, and buttery. Cheers for this guilt-free recipe!
Tofu Brownies
Makes 16 servings
1 cup of silken tofu
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar-free cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 ounces of sugar free dark chocolate
A dash of pure vanilla extract
8 walnuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 330 F.
Wet ingredients:
Wrap the tofu in cheesecloth and squeeze tightly to drain. Then place tofu in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy. Transfer the tofu to a bowl and add sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk to mix all the ingredients together.
Dry ingredients:
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder with a spatula.
Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave for 20 second and stir until smooth.
Combine the melted chocolate with the wet ingredients and mix well together. Then combine the mixture with the dry ingredients and mix everything well.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Then slowly mix the egg whites into the batter.
Pour the batter into a 8“ by 8” by 3"cake pan. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake it in the oven at 330 F for 35 minutes. Let cool before cutting and serving.
(Recipe adapted from “Thinking of You” by Mie Okuda)
CiCi Li is the presenter of “CiCi’s Food Paradise” on NTD Television. She’s also a television producer, food writer, and chef trainee. Join her on her adventure and discover the endless wonders of “Food Paradise” at CiCiLi.tv
