I was cooked vegan for 9 years before I went raw vegan. If you are transitioning right now and finding things difficult, give yourself some slack and remember that: Tonya Kay took NINE YEARS to explore cooked vegan lifestyle before taking the next step into raw. You gotta let your body adjust to major lifestyle changes if you want them to set in. Rushing through this stuff is a “dieters” mentality. Diets you go on and off. Diets work and then they fail. Raw veganism is not a diet – it’s the healthiest lifestyle in nature and it’s sustainable. You can do it every day. And should.
Gradual adjustments are sustainable adjustments.
So as a vegan, I got my fill of soy-based milks, tofus, tempes, yogurts, ice creams and cheeses before I learned that soy fucks with your delicate internal hormone balance as much as those hideous birth control pills. Soy is a highly genetically modified crop sprayed with large amounts of pesticides and even if you do find non-GMO, organic soy foods, consuming high amounts of them still disturbs your body’s delicate natural hormonal balance and can tangibly raise the risk of breast cancer, cause an early onset of puberty in youth, affect cognitive function in men and hidden abnormalities in infants consuming large amounts of soy-based formula. Thank goodness for raw food.
Here is a super easy SOY-FREE raw vegan tofu recipe anyone can make for pennies at home.
RAW VEGAN TOFU
Blend soaked, rinsed cashews, coconut flesh, water, lemon juice and salt in blender on high until smooth paste is formed. Add psyllium husk powder and continue to blend on high, adding more or less water until desired consistency is achieved. Think: tofu – what do you want your tofu’s consistency to be? It should be light, but thick. As you start to work with psyllium, you will begin to feel the way it responds to water, thereby creating amazing consistencies.
Place a non-stick teflon 1/2 sheet on a large plate. Spread tofu paste into two square forms about 1 inch tick and place in refrigerator to firm for 10 hours. Flip each square form over, so the bottom side is exposed and place back in fridge for 5 more hours. Slice into cubes to use in your raw Indian, “macrobiotic” or Thai dishes or in raw soups and salads. Say goodbye to soy forever!
Right on, raw.
YES! I have been looking for one that didn’t use Irish moss! I have all of these ingredients! Ty! 
You’re welcome. Just experiment with the psyllium to water ratio to get your desired firmness for tofu.
This is such a GREAT idea! I was a fan of tofu but react badly to soy and I have been looking for another way to enjoy. I can’t wait to try this and my dehydrator is on its way do this will be one of the first recipes I try. What do you think of using half hemp seeds and half cashews to make “complete” protein? Either way you are a genius thank you!
I’m getting my full range of amino acids easily, so I don’t personally think much about ‘complete protein’ at all. To me, that’s sort of a 20 – 30 year old mainstream media take on being vegan. But I’m pretty far into the raw/vegan/veg lifestyle, so my mind has departed from things I used to think about over the past three decades of my journey too. I think if you use half help seeds, go ahead and germinate them first. If you are in the United States, then they won’t actually germinate because all hemp foods are deactivated (irradiated or in many hemp seeds case, simply deshelled) and that makes them an ‘inactive’ seed, unable to reproduce, according to national law. But still soak them for an hour or two and get them water rich before blending with your germinated cashews. The biggest difference will be in color and taste: hemp seeds taste VERY different than cashews and you will notice it in this tofu recipe. It might be nice, depending on your tastes! The tofu will be a bit greener/browner and taste more nutty/hempy (you know what it tastes like!). But texture-wise I’m pretty sure if you soak the seeds for an hour it will be a great replacement.
Hey Tanya, I shared this post on ‘tofu’ to my FB group and got some strong, interesting responses today (7/10/12). You’re welcome to friend me and review or personally respond! FB: Nedrra Lanakila
Oh thank you! I don’t have a FB Profile (only a Page) so I can only view other Pages. Is it a Page? Can you link me up? I won’t be able to respond, but I’d love to see your conversation!
rawsome!