Stevia – What 1 dash REALLY means

 

This is Stevia.  Stevia is an herb, like oregano or basil.  I often say, “1 dash Stevia” in my recipes, and I thought that I should clarify exactly what I mean by that.  A dash of stevia is about the size of your pinky nail, and it is sweeter then a tbsp of white sugar.   My stevia comes from Trader Joe’s, but you can find it in large groceries as well, usually in the supplement isle because the USDA does not approve it for sale other then as a dietary supplement.  Japan has been using for centuries, and its very safe, has no glycemic index, and will not make you gain weight, or get cancer like other sugar replacers.

This is 1 dash of stevia. It comes with this little scooper.

 

Stevia is not the same thing as Truvia.  Truvia has xylotol in it, which is a fruit sugar.  It has sugar in it.  Real Stevia is NOT sugar.  The only ingrediant it should have in it is STEVIA.

The Trader Joe’s Stevia has a little spoon that comes with it, and when my recipe calls for 1 or 2 dash’s of stevia, this is what I mean.  I love it, it is the only sweetener I use, besides honey and agave.  So, I hope I’ve cleared some things up for the people who were curious.

Crispy Thai Tofu and Eggplant with Basil Sauce

Its been a bit since I’ve posted!  To my readers, I’m very sorry its been so long.  My husband has returned from his last underway, and we have been readjusting to life together.   One of the things that is very hard for me, which I’ve written about in A Nutritionist and a Navy Chef, is the fact that he is not vegan and we don’t exactly see eye to eye on issues of nutrition.  When he comes home, I tend to slack a bit more on what is allowed into my house, and I have to cook dinner with him in mind.  This meal, while not the healthiest dish one could make, introduces him to tofu.  The tofu is nice and crispy, and it is cooked in coconut oil.  Coconut oil might be the healthiest of all the oils (especially when you’re frying tofu, since you can heat it up to high temps without it becoming a carcinogen) but it still raises bad cholesterol.  But everything in moderation, tofu is still healthier then eating fried chicken and it is full of probiotics.  This dish was inspired by a dish I had at a Thai restaurant the other night, and while Thai dishes are usually made with fish sauce, this instead uses Amino acids to  keep it nice and vegan.   My husband actually really liked it, so I was quite relieved!

• 1 cube extra firm tofu, cubed
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup ener-g egg replacer (thats 1/2 cup after mixing it with water)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 eggplant, cubed
• 1 tbsp amino acids
• 2 dash’s stevia
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 red bell pepper, cubed
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp sriacha sauce (more if you like spicy)
• 3 green onions, cut long
• 1 inch ginger, sliced
• 12 basil leaves, roughly cut

Heat the oil until it melts in a pan, and while its heating up, coat the tofu in the egg replacer, and then cover in corn starch.  Cook the coated pieces in the coconut oil in batches, we are using a small amount of oil here, so you will have to turn them every few minutes.  They don’t take long to cook, about 2 minutes on each side.  I used a small sauce pan to this.   Put the cooked pieces on a plate to drain.

In a wok, mix the amino acid, stevia and water, add the garlic and eggplant, cover and cook 7 minutes.  Check it after 5 minutes and give it a stir to make sure nothing is sticking.  After 7 minutes, add the pepper and onion and cover back up and cook another 3 minutes.  Then add the green onions, ginger and basil leaves.

When the vegetables are done cooking, add the tofu pieces, and mix to coat with the sauce.  Serve with brown rice.