A chocolate silk pie, top photo, will put a smile on dad's face. Other options are mango mousse tarts, below.

Trying to sell them on tofu pie might cause their eyes to grow wide, and their mouths to utter "Huh?" - with lips parted just long enough for a deft mom to slip in a spoonful of Chocolate Silk Pie. Mom, say, "That's a good boy."

Then watch his attitude change.

Tofu, long a plate lunch fixture as an accessory to pork, beef and vegetables, now has a place on the dessert tray, thanks to a dietitian at the University of Hawaii's Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.

Pia Jensen wasn't born a tofu fanatic. She grew up in Denmark, but like any American kid, her family put plenty of meat and potatoes on the table.

Today, her diet consists mostly of tofu, fruit and vegetables, but she says, "I had to train myself to love fruit. There was a real process I had to go through because when I was growing up I didn't eat any fruit. There was plenty of doughnuts, cakes and creams that were really high in fat."

Jensen said that when she first tried tofu in California about six years ago, "I thought it was some weird, bland stuff. I really didn't care much for it. But then I retried it when I got to Hawaii, and I started really liking it.

"I think it has to do with the way it's cooked here. You need to know what you're doing because tofu is like a sponge. It soaks up the flavors you put in."

Simply blend the ingredients, pour them into the crust and refrigerate for four to six hours.

The recipe uses silken tofu, a creamy, custard-like packaged product that she says is also wonderful in dips and spreads.

"By itself it's very bland but the consistency is wonderful. I've used it as a substitute for cream, and once you add spices, you'd never know it was there."

The silken tofu comes in soft, firm and extra firm consistencies. Jensen prefers the latter for pies because it sets the best.

For years, people have been eating tofu largely because of its nutritional value as a low-cost substitute for animal protein. Dieters also assumed it was low in fat, and recently, people became alarmed when they found out that 50 percent of the calories in tofu comes from fat.

As a result, there now are a lot of low-fat tofu and soy products on the market.

Still, when people talk about tofu being high in fat, Jensen says, "It upsets me. Tofu has gotten a bad rap. It's like people grabbed on to that information and said, 'it's so high in fat so I won't eat it.'"

When all the nutritional information is presented, the fat content of tofu weighs in at a low 6 grams of fat in a four-ounce serving. The fat content of silken tofu is even lower at 2.4 grams per serving. In comparison, regular ground beef has about 20.9 grams of fat in a 3.5-ounce serving. Extra lean ground beef might have 16.1 grams of fat for the same size portion.

What's more, the fat contained in tofu is mostly unsaturated vegetable fat, a fat that has been shown by studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine to significantly decrease serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

"I think this push for low fat has gone too far," said Jensen, whose fat intake is at 23 percent, below the recommended allowance of 30 percent. "People are looking for low-fat or nonfat rather than foods that are really good for them."

This means ingesting low-fat cookies and potato chips filled with empty calories rather than nutrition for the body.

"That's really the direction we're going in," Jensen said, "To have people not just look at the label, but to consider what's this food I'm putting into my body. Otherwise, I could eat a whole package of Gummi Bears because it has no fat. It's not really good for me, but I could say, 'I ate no fat all day.' "

The alternative, she says, is to choose nature's foods, such as soy beans and fresh fruit.

Following are a couple of tofu-inspired Father's Day dessert confections and an every day curry dish from Jensen that will show dad how much you care about his well-being.

1 6-ounce) reduced fat ready Graham cracker crust, such as Keebler's

8- to 10-ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 10-ounce packages regular or low-fat (1 percent) firm or extra firm silken tofu
1 10-ounce jar raspberry, blackberry, strawberry or boysenberry preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour filling into crust; smooth the top and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours until firm. Decorate top of pie if desired. Makes 10 servings.

Note: A low-fat topping can be made by mixing equal parts low-fat yogurt and low-fat whipped topping. Also, a further reduced-fat version can be made by substituting 4 to 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa for the chocolate chips, and increasing preserves to 12 to 14 ounces. This would yield 4.9 grams of fat per serving; 6.9 grams with two tablespoons of whipped non-dairy topping.

2 cups fresh or frozen mango, cut into chunks
1 10-1/2 ounce package firm or extra firm silken tofu, regular or low-fat, broken into chunks
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 2 teaspoons lime or lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon coconut (optional)

1/2 cup sherry, white wine or apple juice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh, grated ginger root
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 to 1-1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
1 cup cubed red or white potatoes
1 red, yellow or green bell pepper
2 cups cut broccoli, carrots or green peas
1/2 large apple, cubed
1/2 cup raisins (yellow, if possible)
2 tablespoons curry powder (more, if desired)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt or 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce, as desired
2 to 3 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 or 2 tablespoons of cold water
1 package (1 pound) tofu (low-fat if desired)
Chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley) and peanuts to garnish

Add potatoes, broccoli (or carrots or peas), apple, raisins, curry powder and salt, and cook uncovered until vegetables are soft; about 10 minutes.

Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened. Carefully, stir in cubed tofu and stir for about 5 minutes.

Serve hot over brown or white rice and garnish with peanuts and cilantro if desired.

Silken tofu products like these need no refrigeration until the package is opened.

Tofu was first used in China about 200 B.C., and the first batch is believed to have been made by accident when a cook added nigari, a naturally occuring mineral, to flavor a batch of pureed cooked soybeans. The Chinese word for soybean is "ta tou," meaning "greater bean."

The three main types of tofu available are:

• Firm tofu - Dense and solid; holds up well in stir-fry dishes, soups and can be grilled. Firm tofu is higher in protein, fat and calcium than other forms of tofu.
• Soft tofu - A good choice for soups or recipes calling for blended tofu.
• Silken tofu - Creamy, custard-like product works well in pureed or blended dishes. Sold in packages on store shelves, and needs no refrigeration until the package is open.

Sources of soy protein include tofu, soy flour and soy milk.