Brotaufstrich with Tofu

Sandwiches built Germany. Actually, not just Germany. All of Europe and North America. Sandwiches that workers took with them to work. And these weren’t sandwiches with fancy cold cuts — workers couldn’t afford that.

But, for example, with various spreads, because those were easy to make tasty out of scraps, leftovers, and the cheapest ingredients.

Here’s another effect of my fascination with German cuisine — bread and spreads for bread.

Ingredients

• 200 g smoked tofu
• 80 g pickled cucumber
• 100 g mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp Kala Namak (black salt)
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• A pinch of ground nutmeg
• A pinch of ground juniper
• 1 tsp mustard

Method

1. Grate the tofu on the fine side of a grater.
2. Finely dice the cucumber.
3. Add to the tofu along with mayonnaise and spices, and mix thoroughly.
4. Leave for about half an hour so the flavors can meld.

Variations

• I used black salt to add an eggy note, but you can also use smoked or regular salt.
• I used pickled cucumber, but you can replace it with dill pickles, finely chopped olives, or chopped fresh/pickled onions.
• Lots of possibilities here!

Notes
 Using this basic scheme — grated or blended tofu plus some fat (mayo/oil), spices (here I went with smoky flavors), and optionally finely chopped vegetables — you can create all sorts of spreads and toppings for bread.

Serving Suggestions

• Spread on bread, of course.
• Add tomato, lettuce, or other fresh, pickled, or fermented vegetables.
• Works great with a spicy sauce, for example [link].

One of the sillier, yet still surprisingly persistent, food myths is that bread (and potatoes) make you fat.
 What makes you fat is stuffing yourself like a wild pig and sitting on your ass in front of the TV. In other words: too many calories.

But within your calorie intake, bread and potatoes are not the most calorie-dense. 100 g of bread is about 200 kcal (boiled potatoes only 150).
 You don’t get fat from bread or potatoes.
 You get fat from fat. From a thick layer of butter or margarine, huge amounts of mayo, fatty drippings were poured over potatoes.

That’s why if you like sandwiches, if you like bread, eat it with spreads like this one, without butter or margarine.

And always remember: veggies are your friends. Fresh, pickled, fermented — or added like here, chopped cucumber, or other veggies mixed into the spread or piled on top of your sandwich.

Such sandwiches are not only tastier and more appealing but also have more fiber and health-promoting nutrients, plus a lower energy density.
 Which means: if vegetables make up a large part of your meal (and fill up your stomach), you’ll eat fewer calories but get more beneficial micronutrients.

I’m tempted to create a whole series and maybe even a small ebook with recipes for Brotaufstrich — or generally different sandwiches like the ones I make for myself. What do you think?
 If you like the idea, you can motivate me to put this recipe collection together with a tip.