I used to go to the gym. No, really! My friend worked at a gym, and I used to visit him there (you didn't actually think that I exercised, did ya?). One of his duties was to make protein shakes, and I always got a kick out of the peanut butter one because it contained tofu. My friend told me that it gave the shake an extra boost of protein, so when the kind folks at Nasoya sent us some coupons for their new TofuPlus, I decided to whip up this protein-enriched shake for myself (and Mom, of course).
Mom found a recipe online. It called for the following ingredients for one serving. Since Mom and I both wanted our own shake, we simply doubled up on everything:
- 1/2 cup of soft tofu
- 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
- 1 banana (cut in chunks)
- 2 tablespoons of honey or 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 3 ice cubes
- *1 cup of skim milk
*This wasn't in the original recipe, however, the ingredients failed to spin in the blender without the added liquid, so we threw in some non-fat milk.
STEP ONE: Drain the tofu (NOTE: Since we bought the tofu prior to finding the recipe online, we did not get the right kind. We used extra firm instead of soft, and no one died).
STEP TWO: Add the tofu, peanut butter, and banana(s) to your blender.
(Good job if you noticed that we switched PB brands halfway through the recipe.)
STEP THREE: Add the honey or sugar (honey is healthier), vanilla, ice cubes (the recipe called for one or two, but we used three), and the milk.
STEP FOUR: Put the cover on your blender and process for about 30-60 seconds until the shake is smooth and creamy. Use the pulse feature to make sure that all the ice has been broken up.
THE VERDICT: Fabulous! I can see why this particular drink was the most popular at the gym. I believe it was called the "bodybuilder special" because it was more like a meal replacement than a drink - this baby has 700 calories per serving! Because of the tofu, you really won't be looking for anything else; this drink is enough food to last you a while. The best way we could probably describe the tofu is that it does not have a taste, therefore, can be added into any meal as a meat substitute or for some extra protein. Mom and I can't wait to see what else we can secretly sneak tofu into. My dad, who was against all things tofu, really enjoyed this shake ... even after we finally revealed the secret ingredient. I think that all you tofu-haters out there should try this recipe, especially if you enjoy peanut butter and banana, because that's all you're going to taste. This drink was very thick and creamy, and we would make it again. Thanks Nasoya (click here to see an earlier review of their products)!
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