AMAZING NUGGET RECIPE & THE MYTH OF CHEAP FOOD

My dear friend shared a post about some plant-based nuggets made by meat-giant Tyson foods, which also contain cheap palm oil (the cultivation of which destroys orangutan and wildlife habitat). And we hear this a lot: these 'plant-based' foods are accessible and cheap for those who don't have the time to prepare animal-free foods and provide viable substitutions for similar animal products.’ This argument has never felt completely right to me re the economics, so I put my hunch to a test. The results will surprise you!

This is a $4.69 block of organic tofu that was frozen, then thawed, and gently squeezed to remove its liquid. The tofu was sliced into nugget shapes.

Then, the batter made:
1/2 cup flour,
1/2 cup corn starch,
1T baking powder,
1T soy sauce,
tons of pepper,
(I added some Bay Seasoning and turmeric for color and extra zip),
a half a can of beer (about 2/3 cup, enough to make a thick batter--you can use water, soy milk, seltzer, or broth instead),
1T of nutritional yeast (not needed) and
1T of garbanzo bean flour (not needed)
These last 2 ingredients add nuttiness.

I mixed the batter and added the tofu chunks, and then let that sit for 15 minutes or so to allow the flour to hydrate and the batter to enter the pores of the tofu. (edit: this is enough batter for 2 blocks of tofu!) Then I heated a skillet with about 1/4 inch of sunflower oil (any neutral oil will do), to about 375, then placed the nuggets in, turning after about 3 minutes (edit: this is enough oil for 2 blocks of tofu). DONE!! And so incredibly delicious. I've tried so many plant-based 'nuggets' and none have come close to these, which are highly customizable, fast, and can use organic ingredients if you want, provide a far less-processed comfort food option, and only take 15 MINUTES TO PREPARE! AND get this: THEY COST WAY LESS!!!

The end result: Tofu nuggets total yield is 17 ounces with a cost of $6.67 for organic ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time. ($.39 per oz)

Tyson nuggets: $4.99 for 8 ounces, and however long it takes to bake them. And they include wildlife-damaging palm oil. ($.62/oz)

Conclusions: Organic/non-GMO tofu nuggets are CHEAPER per ounce, and take only a few minutes more prep time. AND THEY TASTE FABULOUS!