As you may know, I generally don’t make Asian food since it tends to be common restaurant food for my husband and I. But lately, I have realized that you can make some pretty great Asian food at home – not the same ambiance as our favorite little Thai restaurant, but great for a unique weeknight meal.

This recipe is from my favorite, Bon Appetit. There is something about the citrus and spicy chili sauce that gives it the perfect spicy-sweet combination. Make sure to get the red sweet chili sauce (often in your International food aisle) not the chili-garlic sauce that is a brown color. I almost made the mistake of thinking “it is about the same thing, right?” since I had chili-garlic on hand. But, when I ended up buying the sweet chili sauce and tasted it – wow, totally different sauce! Not saying it wouldn’t be potentially good with the chili-garlic, but it is out of this world with the sweet garlic!

PORK TENDERLOIN STIR-FRY WITH TANGERINES AND CHILI SAUCE
4 Servings

1 1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 small unpeeled tangerines or clementines, cut (with peel) into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
6 baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick ribbons, tough bases discarded
5 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal, divided

Place pork tenderloin strips in medium bowl; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss with cornstarch to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger; stir 30 seconds. Add pork tenderloin strips; stir-fry until pork is beginning to brown and is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add tangerine pieces; toss 30 seconds. Add sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder; boil until sauce in skillet thickens slightly, tossing to blend, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, bok choy, and half of sliced green onions. Stir-fry just until bok choy is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with remaining sliced green onions and serve.

The Word: This is a favourite around here but it is so hard to find a restaurant that will make these without serving some kind of nasty excuse for a pancake on the side. The solution? Do it ourselves and use rice papers on the side to roll it up.

The Yin and the Yang: This dish is full of yin, yang, and neutral elements making it a wonderful balance in a one dish meal. Our recipe uses bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoots may be little bamboo but they are full of benefits! They are high in fiber, can help reduce bad cholesterol, help prevent high blood pressure, have been used as a remedy for tozemia and stomach worms. What a busy little baby!

The Recipe:

• 1/2 lb pork, trimmed of all fat and cut into thin strips.
• 6 tbl. dry red wine
• 2 tbl. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. soy sauce (yes, there is a need for tbl and tsp measurement seperate, this is not a typo)
• 1 tbl flour
• 3 tbl hoisin sauce
• 3 tbl oyster sauce
• 1 tbl canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 tin bamboo shoots
• 2 medium carrots cut into thin sticks
• 1 celery stalk, sliced thinly
• Rice paper rounds(you can usually find these in the asian section, my favourite brand is rose brand)

1. Combine the pork with 2tbl of red wine and 2 tsp soy sauce in a medium bowl. Toss well to coat and set aside. In another bowl combine the remaining red wine, 2 tbl of soy sauce, 1 tbl. flour, hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce. Set aside.
2. Heat a wok, swirl the oil in and add the pork mixture. Stirfry until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes, transfer to a bowl. Add the garlic and onion to the wok. Stirfry until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrots, celery, and bamboo shoots and 2 tbl of water. Stirfry until the cabbage wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Add the pork and wine mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute.
3. Rince the rice papers under warm water one at a time, do not stack them.
4. Place them on a plate, dress the paper as desired (I use a bit of hoisin sauce, my husband uses garlic chili sauce), spoon some of the pork mixture onto each, roll up, and serve.

The Result: While this is a chopping intensive recipe it is always worth it. I love those nights when I find the time to get mu shu on the table.

One of my favorite Stir Fry’s!

Begin by starting brown rice according to package directions.  Once you have covered rice to simmer,

* * *

Pre cut the following vegetables:

Onions, broccoli, garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, & snow peas. (Cut into slim and elongated slices for a prettier presentation).

Lay aside for later.

* * *

Prepare the shrimp:

Use pre-cooked fresh or frozen shrimp.

Put shrimp in sauce pan on med. heat to thaw and warm for 5 minutes, then drain off excess water if any. Remove tails if they are still attached.

* * *

In a bowl, combine 1 can mushroom soup, 1/2 cup water, & juice of one large lemon (or 1/8 cup of bottled lemon juice).  Mix together and set aside.

*

Add olive oil to a frying pan or wok.  Add vegetables with herbs & spices of your choice, and cook until they begin to tender.

Add shrimp & mushroom/lemon mixture to vegetables.

Mix together well to warm all ingredients thoroughly, but don’t overcook vegetables, you want them crisp.

Pile Stir Fry over cooked Brown rice on individual plates.

Enjoy!

Rice with seasonings

Chicken nugget

Satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potato)

Stir fry thin sliced pork with asparagus

Egg Omelet with Kiriboshidaikon

Stir fry thin sliced pork with asparagus : heat the skillet and put oil in it, stir thin sliced pork with boiled asparagus, add Oyster sauce and Japanese soy sauce

Egg omelet : beat eggs and pour into skillet, while it is cooking, add kiriboshidaikon across the middle of the eggs, then roll it up

This is Today’s Obento!

Rice with seasonings

Yakisoba

Egg Omelet with Asparagus

Pork sausage

Stir fry beef with green beans

Zucchini

Yakisoba : cut vegetables(carrot, cabbage, green onion), fry that with sesame oil, add Yakisoba noodles and Yakisoba sauce, salt and pepper

Stir fry beef with green beans : fry thin beef and green beans, add Japanese soy sauce and sugar, sake

Egg omelet : beat eggs and pour into skillet, while it is cooking, add boiled asparagus across the middle of the eggs, then roll it up

This is Today’s Obento!

…My friiiennndddsss! Holla mi bloggie amigos and martes feliz. (YES Caitlin, I KNOW you LOVE my terrible spanglish !)

Big plans for everyone today/tonight? Sounds like everyone & their brother get tomorrow off of work?! Except for me of course! GUF. Ohh well. I just hope tomorrow doesn’t go as slowwwwwwwly as today has been going. It’s been a rough one, not gonna lie. I guess I just got spoiled by the light speed at which Monday traveled!

Speaking of Monday…

Lunch was consumed a la desk style and photographed a la broke down iPhone style. I know, you’re totally jealous.

Can I please make another plea for a new camera?! Anyone?! Tttttttttjjjjjjjjjj??

Ahem, anyways, that blurry mess is actually spinach topped with cukes, romas, bleu cheese, peppered turkey, CHIC peas, sprouts and green pepper. Said it before, I’ll say it again, I <3 SALAD!!!

Once I finished up at worky work I ran to the grocery store for a super fast run through to get the holiday essentials- TJ and I have big plans- 2 thanksgivings in ONE day! So, on the shopping list was appetizer supplies, materials for a dessert I hope I don’t bomb and a forklift to transport us home after 2 dinners. Sadly, they were fresh out of forklifts (and GARLIC!!! WTF).

PS I thought I would be avoiding crowds by going early afternoon on a Monday but holy MOLY people, the store was a MAD HOUSE. Like, drove around 5 minutes just waiting to get a parking spot, then waited another 30 min in the SELF CHECKOUT line! GAHHHH. C’mon, I have places to be, yo! Like at my boyfriend’s first official game of his 7th grade basketball season!

AWWWW! High scoring game, hey? Jk, jk this was early in the 1st period. I am happy to say TJ & his boys won 28-23! Go lil Lakers!

So to reward the coach for his hard work paying off, I whipped up his favorite stir fry dinner.

SPICY Szechuan Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with S & P and 1 tsp red cayenne pepper
1 bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 broccoli head, florets seperated & stalk sliced
1 carton of baby bellas, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can baby corn
1 can sliced water chestnuts

Sauce
2 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Sherry cooking wine
1 Tbsp bbq sauce
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper (less for less spicy!)
1 Tbsp minced ginger

1. Prep all your veggies. Preheat wok/nonstick pan to high. Toss cubed chicken in flour.

2. Add chicken to hot pan. Let sear for 2 minutes & flip. There is no easy way to get a good crust on your chicken- I found the best way is to add the chicken to the pan piece by piece and then flip individually as well. Once chicken is sufficiently golden, remove from pan. Make sauce by whisking all ingredients until combined; set aside.

3. Add onions, peppers & garlic. Stir fry 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant. Add broccoli & mushrooms. You may need to add 1-2 tbsp of water to keep things from sticking/ steam the broccoli. Cook veggies an additional 4-5 minutes. Add canned water chestnuts & baby corn. Toss to combine.

4. Make a well in the middle of the veggies & add the sauce. Let simmer 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Add chicken back to pan & combine with veggies & sauce. Remove from heat & let sit 2-3 minutes.

Not sure why that looks upside down. How is that even possible? Oh well.

Serve spicy chicken with teriyaki noodles (broken up whole wheat spaghetti, cooked, then tossed with teriyaki, garlic, ginger & green onions; topped with toasted sesame seeds). Garnish with crushed peanuts & sriracha, if it just ain’t hot enough.

Enjoy again for lunch the next day (and the next and the next and the next. Makes a TON!!)

And promise you’ll come back even if I have to keep taking crappy pics with my iPhone. Please?!

Muah.

Catch you all manana for a recap, since tonight I am breaking out a special recipe that the boyfriend MAY or MAY NOT hate.

EEEkkk wish us luck!

1 pack of Harusame (100g dried vermicelli)

1/2 lb carrot and celery kinpira

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp Japanese soy sauce

1/2 lb thin sliced pork

3-5 mushrooms

boil Harusame

when it is cooked, wash and cut long as 1 inch

heat the skillet and put sesame oil into it

stir pork

add boiled harusame

add mushrooms, carrot and celery kinpira

add fish sauce and Japanese soy sauce

serve it on the plate

I hope you enjoy!

click please

1 large carrot

1/2 bunch celery

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp sesame seeds

cut carrot very thin strips

cut celery same as carrot

heat the skillet and put sesame oil into it

stir carrot and celery

add Japanese soy sauce, sugar and sesame seeds

serve it on the plate

I hope you enjoy it!

click please

Some days it feels as though time is just dragging by and I count every minute just waiting for the day to be over. Then there are those days that you just dont feel as though there are enough hours in the day to get everything done.  I am currently having one of those days, although I do admit a lot of it is due to me just putting stuff off and wasting my time doing other things such as posting on here!

Anyhow back to the topic, I had an extremely busy day at work, from the moment I wake up I am just go go go, always something to be done or thought about, I made it home and made dinner which was a slight disappointment ( more on that later), I had loads of stuff to catch up with online, I still have stuff to do and I want to watch I`m a celeb on tv tonight so I need to get it done before then!

The reason I`m in such a rush is I have decided to apply to Uni for next year to do Radiography, so I`m in a major hurry to try and get my application form submitted. This means I have a personal statement to write and if there is one thing I am useless at, it is writing essays, so I`m in a total pickle. I also have to pick my choices and I am utterly clueless about all the Unis in England offering it and the towns they are in, I dont want to apply somewhere and then find out I hate the place.  I have been pondering this decision for a while and Im not sure its really what I want to do, I really dont want to go to Uni but at the end of the course it would be a job with a certain amount of job security, so I figured I may as well pop in an application while I think about it.

I`m  being tempted more and more every day by my eating disorder. Although I did cut out my supplement drinks and stopped trying to gain weight, I still followed a very rigid plan with a good intake to ensure that I didnt lose and also that I didnt screw up my metabolism. My ed now though is saying to me daily but your not trying to gain anymore so why bother forcing yourself to eat something higher in calories, you dont need to do that anymore, its ok to eat things lower.

Grrr, I can just never win, I terrified to gain weight and Im terrified to lose and I`m annoyed I`m maintaining at times. I worry constantly about feeling hungry, I am scared to feel hungry. This sounds bizarre coming from someone who is recovering from anorexia but its like when I feel hungry I dont know how to cope with that, I cant tell if I truly am hungry or if its an emotional thing.  So to stop myself feeling hungry I tend to fill up on lots of healthy options and now I am scared that I have got my body used to expecting always being fed these amounts and frequent meals. How will I ever manage to cope on maybe the same amount of calories but in less volume?

I think I get scared to if I`m hungry, I`ll turn to binging on nuts and stuff. Sometimes if I drop my intake out of guilt I`ll eat some nuts and then that ends up being alot and I feel guilty and the whole cycle goes on again. I`m always so fearful of that and I think thats partly why I am so rigid with my eating, I`m so scared of that happening.

Ugh, I dont know if any of that made sense. I guess what I`m really after is just wanting to get back to a normal relationship with food, how I ever get there I dont know. How do you ever stop counting? Balancing? Pre-planning? It sounds almost impossible!

So now for my disappointing dinner, I finally decided to try my pumpkin. I was a little lost as to what I should do with it. I tried tinned pumpkin once and wasnt impressed but this was a proper one. So I decided to chop it up, blast it in the microwave and then roast it in the oven. I then stir fried some chicken in sesame oil with a mixture of veggies and adding the pumpkin in at the end and covered all in soy sauce.

Hmm, well it looks pretty and colourful! Sounds quite tasty and everything was, I loved the mix of the veggies since I dont normally eat that sort of mixture: cabbage, sprouts, red onion, carrot, leeks etc. The problem was my pumpkin just tasted so, well bland?

I had it sitting in my kitchen for ages so maybe that had something to do with it but overall it tasted really bland. So if anyone has any tips or advice on pumpkins please pass them on!

The Word: It’s been awhile since we did a nice beef stirfry but we don’t have much time so today it was all about a nice easy stirfry with a storebought sauce.

The Yin and the Yang: Beef is definitely a warming meat but in this recipe we paired it with a good deal of cooling veggies to help achieve balance.

The Recipe:

• 1/4 cup PC Korean BBQ sauce (canadian product)
• 1 sirloin steak (any cut will do really, flank even)
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chinese cabbage, sliced
• 1/4 cup carrots, sliced
• 1/4 cup celery, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 tbl canola oil

1. Marinade the sateak with just a couple of tablespoons of the sauce for atleast 30 minutes. More is even better.
2. Slice the steak thinly.
3. Heat the oil in the pan on medium high. Add the steak, stir fry until cooked. About 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
4. Add the onion to the pan, stir fry until softened or carmelized your preference. Add celery, carrots and cabbage. Cook until softened.
5. Add the beansprouts, meat and remaining sauce. Toss until coated and heated through.

The Result: Very tasty. We brokedown and served this over sticky white rice. What a delicious treat! I could definitely see this with even more veggies added.

Before I talk about today, I have a quick confession to make. Did I mention that I ate this last night?

I may have had this small banana ice cream from Coldstone….with Reese’s, PB and chocolate mixed in. It all seems like a blur now, but they say confession is good for the soul

Today has been much healthier so far! Enjoyed a snack after my oatmeal lunch.

I had roasted a butternut squash and we got 5 packages of laughing cow cheese at Costco, so I thought I should get started on that.

For dinner we decided on a shrimp stir-fry, which was delicious despite the fact that I had to clean all the shrimp….gross.

Once that was done we mixed up some peanut sauce.

Just peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, rice vinegar, chili flakes, and some chicken broth to thin it out. It really came out great! I usually buy it at the store, but this was just as good. Definitely a perfect accompaniment to the shrimp

We precooked some buckwheat soba noodles. These are great in a stir-fry because they really soak up the sauce, and are also a healthy alternative to white rice noodles or white rice. We threw some onions, garlic, mushrooms and corn into the mix too!

The finished product before I inhaled it:

So good! I was starved. As you’ll notice I’m holding the bowl under a lamp. Our kitchen light went out last night It is a fluorescent bulb that we need to ask the management of the building to replace. Needless to say our kitchen is very dark! We had a romantic dinner

Sometimes I can’t believe how quickly the weekend goes! I always have a million things I want to do and somehow it’s Sunday and I feel like nothing got done. This week is going to be crazy with parties and Thanksgiving. I am going to try to get some workouts in and keep my eating under control!

Well, except on Thanksgiving, I heard that calories don’t count that day…..right??

The Word: I love cashews, actually there are several nuts that we love around here. It just makes sense that we should try making more dishes with nuts. Today is yet another one of those cold rainy fall days out here, seems like a good day to warm things up with some spice and nuts!

The Yin and the Yang: Nuts are a very neutral legume. It is believed that if you eat them on a regular basis that they are a good remedy for quenching excessive thirst. They are a great source of oleic acid which is that same heart healthy ingredient you find in olive oil. Some studies have also been suggesting that nuts can help prevent weight gain.

The Recipe:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 5 tbl soy sauce
• 3 tbl. sake
• 5 tbl canola oil
• 3 tbl minced garlic
• 1 tbl minced ginger
• 1 shallot thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. garlic chili sauce
• 1 tin sliced water chestnuts
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tbl brown sugar
• 2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbl flour
• 1 1/4 dry roasted cashews

1. Combine 2 tbl soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbl sake, 1 tbl canola oil, and ginger in a bowl.
2. Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch cubes and place in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinade for 30 minutes.
3. Heat wok and add half of the remaining oil. Add the chicken and cook until cubes are cooked. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
4. Combine chicken broth, remaining soy sauce, remaining sake, sugar, worcestershire sauce, and flour in a bowl.
5. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the scallions, remaining garlic, and garlic chili sauce and stirfry briefly, about 10 seconds. Add water chestnuts and stirfry on high for about 1 minute. Add the broth mixture and cook until thickened. Return the chicken to the pan and add the cashews. Toss to coat and heat. Serve.

The Result: Oh so lovely. This version created just a touch of spice. Next time I think I will add more garlic chili sauce. Cashews and chicken are such a tasty mix together.

Originally with chicken.

Ingredients:

• chicken cutlets, 1-1/4lbs total tofu, extra firm, pressed and sliced
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 6 heads baby bok choy (about 1 pound), quartered
• 1 jalapeno, preferably red, sliced (seeded for less heat if desired)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sesame seeds, 1/4 cup of the cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dip the tofu in the batter and shake off the excess. Note: I’d add jalapeno here for some heat.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown (8-10 minutes), flipping occasionally. Note: possibly substitute canola for sesame oil.
3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch.
4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and cook, turning, until just beginning to soften, about 1-2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and jalapeno and cook until the liquid has thickened slightly and the bok choy is tender, 3-4 minutes. Serve with the tofu.

From Real Simple, December 2009

Don’t get me wrong, I love tofu. In good Thai and Japanese restaurants, or when somebody skilled cooks it for me. Agedashi tofu is one of my favourite things in the world. And at our favourite Thai, the beloved Ploy, there are a couple of tofu dishes to die for – one stir-fried tofu with bean sprouts, and the other a divine larb tofu salad.

Tofu should be on our home menu more often as we are trying to cut down on meat for all the obvious and much-discussed reasons.

But when it comes to cooking with tofu, I am filled with anxiety. Which one, for starters? What is the difference between ’silken’ and ‘firm silken’ and ‘firm’, for example? Recipes tend to say ‘firm’  or ’soft’ but the shops seem to have zillions of different kinds. I am way too confused to master this stuff, and always expect it to fall apart, so have generally just steered clear.

However, yesterday I decided to feel the fear and do it anyway (which reminds me of stonesoup’s excellent post on that subject recently).

I decided to have a crack at a very delicious looking Karen Martini recipe that appeared in the Sunday rag a little while ago. But as hers had salted black beans and various other bits and bobs in it, and I couldn’t be bothered hauling myself to the Asian supermarket to get such things, I just bastardised our usual basil and chilli stirfry taught to me many years ago by our Asian gourmand friend Ricardo, the lunging latino.

The first thing I did was buy the wrong tofu. ‘Firm silken’ is not the same as ‘firm’, I discovered as soon as I unwrapped the former (pictured above, at rear). Lovely soft, wobbly stuff – but even getting it out of the packet made it start to crumble and collapse, and I had visions of a wokful of sloppy custard. So back to the grocer for a block of the hard stuff, easily chopped into pieces (foreground).

I dried and fried the tofu cubes first, then drained them on kitchen paper – then did the rest of the stirfry and then tossed the tofu back in at the end with the fish sauce and basil. The result? Pretty damn fine! So here is the befuddled recipe, which can obviously be mixed and matched and altered as you wish.

But before my next foray into tofuworld, I would love to hear from any aficionados who may be lurking here – I need your advice! Tips, tricks, which is best for what, other easy recipes, how to buy, store, etc. Come on: spill.

Pork & tofu stir fry with chilli & basil

• rice bran / peanut / vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• small knob ginger, julienned
• 1 block firm tofu, cut into 1.5cm cubes
• 150g pork mince
• 1/3 red capsicum, cut into sizable chunks
• handful green beans, halved
• 2 birdseye chillis with seeds, split lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, to taste
• 1/2 bunch basil
• steamed jasmine rice, to serve

1. Heat a little oil in wok or other pan to smoking point, then toss in garlic &  ginger for 10-20 seconds.
2. Add tofu cubes and fry for 2 minutes, turning so all sides are golden.
3. Remove wok from heat while you remove tofu pieces & leave to drain on kitchen paper.
4. Return to heat and add pork mince to pan, stir frying for a few minutes.
5. Remove pork and set aside. Either wipe out pan or continue with pork juices.
6. Add chilli, beans, capsicum and cook on high heat till just tender – a little water added to the pan can sometimes help cook more evenly.
7. Return pork and tofu to pan and stir to mix, keeping heat high
8. Add fish sauce & brown sugar, adjusting each to taste.
9. When you are happy with the seasoning, tear basil leaves from stalks and toss through.
10. Serve on a bed of fluffy rice.

I got hungry for a snack shortly after 4:00 this afternoon, which isn’t too bad. Way to go hummus! So I decided on some more! Unfortunately I gobbled it down so fast that I didn’t even have time for a photo, but just know that it was a whole lot of this:

And some of this:

On top of a sandwich thin. Yummmmmmmy!

I had planned on making a pizza for dinner, and make my own crust, and then I realized that I wouldn’t be able to put cheese on my pizza! That simply wouldn’t do, so I changed my plans halfway through [I actually ended up making the pizza in addition to tonight's dinner!] and made a tofu stir-fry instead!

This puppy was so delicious! I used frozen veggies because I had a ton of them in the freezer, plus a few fresh mushrooms. I used a sesame ginger dressing [vegan of course!] and a whole whack of silken tofu. Oh and hot sauce of course! Served over brown rice:

For dessert, I ate what I had been waiting for all day long: the bottom of the container of So Delicious coconut milk “ice cream”.

This stuff really is so delicious! I honestly can’t get enough of it! It’s a treat I don’t get very often [at $6.99 for this tiny 500g container, it's far too expensive to buy on a regular basis], but when I do, watch out! I’m a woman obsessed.

I had a lot of fun with Vegan-4-A-Day today. It was certainly interesting trying to figure out what I could and couldn’t eat [almost like a scavenger hunt with my own food!]. And while I know that I could definitely do it without much trouble on my part, I also know that I’m not super crazy about animal rights [I believe that they were created to be eaten], and that I could never go without yogurt and real cheese.

I have purchased Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and that will be my Christmas reading material, and I hope to be able to watch Food, Inc. very soon [if my schoolwork allows], so maybe those will have an impact on how I view my carnivorous lifestyle. If anything, though, I would probably go “halfway” and do the vegetarian thing instead of all the way vegan. Not only would it be difficult for me, but it also affects the way my family cooks when I’m around, and I know for a fact that my fiancé will not be going vegan anytime soon [unless he's forced to do so by a medical condition], and I don’t plan on cooking separate meals for each of us throughout our entire marriage. That’s just silly.

In the end, however, I do think that I will try and incorporate more vegan-friendly foods into my diet, and maybe I can be vegan-4-a-day more often! Maybe once a month? We could turn the 19th of every month into a vegan challenge! What do you think, Michelle & Katy?

I’m really excited to try this out today.  24 hours of eating vegan.  It took a little bit of planning (because Solomon is joining me!), but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m curious to see what I take away from this experience.  I’ve been pescetarian for about 6 months.  This is after dabbling in vegetarianism/pescetarianism for about a year and a half.

I have a tendency to inadvertently eat a lot of vegan meals.  When I first started considering vegetarianism, my go to food for everything was cheese.  A lot of new vegetarians overload on carbs, I overdid it on cheese.  Once I realized this, I cut back dramatically, and now use cheese very liberally.  I use a little on pizza, quesadillas or as a condiment.  I also don’t choose cheesy meals (like grilled cheese) TOO often.  Because I limit my cheese, and don’t eat a ton of yogurt, I find my meals become vegan by default quite often.

This is my first time ever blogging a day of eats.  I don’t think it’s for me, but here goes!

Breakfast

I started off with a delicious cup of pumpkin coffee (how I make this is coming tomorrow!) with some unsweetened almond milk.  I prefer regular milk in my coffee, and don’t use any sweetener for the most part.  This was OK, maybe a little on the thin side.  It’s OK though, because I want to try to learn to drink my coffee black.  Maybe this is a good stepping stone?

By the way, I love duckies!

I also had microwave oats with 1/2 banana, Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola, that Nature’s Path sent me to sample, a little crunchy Barney Butter, and some agave.  This wasn’t too different from a typical breakfast for me.  I usually find my oatmeal combinations are vegan, and this was a yummy one I’m sure to duplicate!  The granola gave a nice crunch (though I wish it had more pumpkin taste!) and the Barney Butter makes everything amazing.  I would have to say I had a great start to my vegan day!

My friend Robin (who lives in Israel and may be starting her own blog soon…hint!) and Solomon joined me for Vegan 4 A Day.  Here are their eats:

Robin: coffee with soy milk, rice cake with avocado

Solomon: oats with raisins, TJ’s organic Superfruit and crack cinnamon raisin swirl

For snack I had an apple.  I didn’t take a picture.  How do you guys remember to do that?  I’m impressed!

Lunch

Our original lunch plan was something I cooked in the slow cooker yesterday.  I had seen it on another blog recently and thought it looked great.  Unfortunately, neither of us liked it .  Solomon called me before I had my lunch and said “I don’t want to eat it just to eat it.”  That made me soooo proud of him.  Solomon’s attitude towards food has changed so much lately and he is becoming a much more healthy eater!  He ended up heading up to the student center for a salad.

I was hangry because I had just done an hour and a half of Dave Farmar yoga, so I wanted something fast and filling.  I was hesitant to make anything that would have a lot of leftovers, since I’m trying to use up things in our kitchen, and not have to shop more or have leftovers before we head out for Thanksgiving.  I figured a stir fry is a safe, quick bet!  I made a quick sweet and sour sauce.

I cooked some cubed tofu in a pan with pan and a little garlic, then threw in a ton of frozen veggies.

I let this cook over medium heat while I cooked some whole wheat pasta.  Right before the pasta was done, I threw the sauce on the tofu/veggie mixture, and added some cashews for a little crunch!

I was lazy and put the pasta and stir fry right into the bowl I made the sauce in.  Maybe lazy isn’t the right word.  I was being green!

Fantastic, FILLING lunch!  I would eat this again in a heartbeat!  I really prefer making my own sauces, and I love that it was so easy to make a quick, healthy vegan lunch!

Robin had a red pepper with EVOO and salt and pepper, and my nutty coleslaw!  See, Robs and I are connected even though we are oceans apart!  She’s been making this salad for a few years now, and loves it too

For afternoon snacks, I had an Arnold Sandwich Thin with hummus and an orange.

Dinner

Robin wasn’t able to do vegan the whole day because she had a Thanksgiving dinner (in Israel!) tonight.  I’ll get her thoughts on it later or tomorrow (it’s the middle of the night there now!)

Solomon and I had a fairly unexciting dinner.  We cooked some Dr. Praeger’s burgers, which we tend to eat a lot of anyway.  I threw on some hummus and schüg (amazing combination) and of course, BANANA PEPPERS!

I also baked some french fries using my mountain of potatoes.  I soak them in water and some salt for about an hour, drain them, then pat them dry, toss some EVOO, paprika, salt and pepper in there and spread them on a baking sheet.  I also like to sprinkle some cayenne and chili powder on top for a kick!  These bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Simple.

Final Thoughts

I really commend people who are vegans.  I think maintaining a lifestyle like this would require a lot of discipline.

I understand and appreciate the moral, environmental and ethical reasons for being vegan, but I do think I would miss a lot of things too much.  On the other hand, I haven’t had meat in over 6 months, and I have ZERO desire to have any now.  Perhaps eventually cravings for cheese and other dairy would stop, but right now I don’t plan to become vegan.  I think a lot of my reason would be that I would find it very hard to socialize and eat out, and I would feel like I am putting people out when I am at their homes.  I know being vegan is something people do for themselves, but I can’t shake that feeling.

While it wasn’t difficult to be vegan, it was a little harder than normal.  I had to be really careful to read labels of everything!  I think in the future, I might try to commit to vegan one day a week, just as a lot of people commit to eating meatless one day a week.  Going forward, we’ll see how this works for me!

Don’t forget to enter my Zevia giveaway!  6 winners and 5 ways to enter.  Not too shabby!  Winners will be picked tomorrow night!

It seems that Popchips is really popular and everyone wants to win the 24 pack case! I can see the reasons! If you have tried, I’m sure you liked it. If you haven’t tried, you MUST! Why? They’re just FANTASTIC! The best chips (technically they’re more like popcorns in term of the way it’s made) ever!

Wednesday was okay. Despite 7 hours of sleep, I woke up with headache. (I think aging is getting me faster than I thought! ) Worked 8 hours, took a nap, went to a seminar and did the new Dave Farmer’s podcast. I was preparing to have an unwind session of yoga and ended up all sweat! For no yogis is hard to believe that yoga makes you sweat! Well…. it really does! even for someone who almost never sweat except running!

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dividing line for rambling inspired by Allie

Breakfast: Egg featured again! (I think I can’t go vegan since I LOVE eggs . I made a grill sandwich with LC, poached egg, mushrooms and ketchup.

Big pot of teas and Pom arils help to relieve work stress

Lunch: I’ll call it whatever-throw-together stir fry. It has broccoli, lotus, sprouts and KIMCHI (the secret weapon to make everything tasty and spicy)

served with rice

it was 8PM when I finished yoga. No time to think and cook. So wonton for dinner again! (I have a 10 meals supply of them! so, you’ll see them often! )

the filling is made with chinese spinach, shitake, smoked tofu and shrimps. sooooo tasty!

Q1: Are you a yogi? If yes, what’s your favorite yoga style? If not, what prevents you to try it?

Q2: What kind of workout makes you sweat the most?

Don’t miss these:

Popchips giveaway

POM products contest

I am whole heartedly convinced that this recipe saved the diet for me.  As I wondered through trader joe’s for the second time on this diet, I found the Quinoa that everyone was talking about.  Its a whole grain that is gluten free and organic to booth.  Its in a box if that helps some of you searching it out in Trader Joe’s.  On the back of the box was the recipe below. 

Garlic, check.  Peppers, check.  Basil, CHECK!  even the damn olive oil!!!!!  All of it were ingredients that I could have.  Ran home I did to make this DELICIOUS recipe.  This is a staple in my diet and I can’t go a week without making it.  I’ve posted it below as it was on the box. . . .below that is my suggestions.  Its great the next day for lunch as well, so make enough for some leftovers.  The roomies love the smell it makes as well.  10 stars!

Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Quinoa, Peppers and Basil

This recipe comes from the box of Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa. 

1 cup Trader Joe’s Organic Quinoa prepared with chicken stock according to package directions
2 cups Trader Joe’s Chicken Broth
1 1/2 pounds Trader Joe’s Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders
4 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Garlic Flavored Olive Oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into one inch pieces. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add onions, peppers, and saute for one or two more minutes. Add garlic and saute until peppers become slightly limp, but still bright, about one to two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat. Add basil and quinoa. Toss until basil wilts and garnish with parmesan cheese. Serves four 

MY EDITS:

I make this with zuccinni and squash and its super yummy.  Here’s the steps how I make it:

1. Start the quinoa first and make it with organic free range chicken broth — it will be ready by the time the stir fry is done.
2. Cut everything first so you can put it all in the order that tastes best
3. sprinkle the chicken with garlic salt and sautee as described above in the olive oil
4. add chopped garlic next and sautee for a minute or so
5. next add the onions (I love red onions) until slightly limp
6. add the veggies (peppers or zuccinni and squash) cook until soft
7. add the basil while heat is still on and toss til wilted
8. turn off heat, salt and pepper to taste, toss the quinoa into the pan (olive oil in the pan soaks it up)

So yummy and it feels like cheating.  Enjoy!

Yep, that’s what I woke up to this morning.  Milhouse was not pleased.

It was just a little layer that melted by the time I got to work, but snow nonetheless.  It’s weird to think that it’s essentially winter now, and we’re getting married in spring, which will be next season change we see.  Eep!

This will be a quickie post.  I’m exhausted and feeling a bit icky and I have to pack for my trip, so I’m skipping the workout.  But dinner was a healthy stir fry!

• Extra lean round steak (about 8 ounces)
• Carrots (lots)
• Mushrooms (lots)
• Drizzle of olive oil to keep the pan non-sticky
• Garlic (lots)
• 2 T. teriyaki sauce
• 1 T. lemon juice
• Cashews (about 1/2 c.)
• Brown rice

The beauty of this is that I just throw everything but the rice in one pan, put it on medium heat, and let it go.  One dish, super easy and quick, and you can throw in pretty much any veggie you have on hand.

In other news, I love this stuff:

Frozen brown rice.  Stick the bag in the microwave for four minutes and you’re done!  I love this for busy nights when I am literally too tired and lazy to boil a cup of water.

Anyway, I’m off to pack.  I’ll be back tomorrow from lovely Chicago!

Yesterday was one of the best Mondays I’ve had in a while – November 16 is a very special day around here. Last year, it involved a 5k for the Special Olympics. Perhaps you remember this goofy video? It just so happens that this date is the anniversary of when Bobby and I first decided to become a “couple.” Granted, it was high school back then, so take that for what it’s worth But seriously, we’ve come a long way and six years have felt like six minutes.

The picture on the left is from homecoming our senior year of high school. The picture on the right is from Bobby’s brothers wedding during the summer before our junior year of college. Who knows what the next year will bring? It’s going to be a busy one, but I’m ready and excited

Happy Anniversary, Bobby!!

***

I was fortunate enough to come home to this last night:

He’s creative, ya gotta give him that I loved the orange roses - such a great color for fall! Plus a delicious fruit salad with all of my favorites: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes and a honeycrisp apple. I actually surprised him by coming home earlier than usual, but it looked amazing!

Gorgeous flowers and someone who is quite pleased with himself:

As if you’ve never seen what’s coming next before, we decided that the best way to celebrate would be to make our favorite “team” dinner. You know what that means…

Omelettes!

These omelettes had all the fresh fixins: chopped mushroom, tomato, onion and red pepper with wilted spinach and a 2 egg + 1 egg white combo. As usual, they hit the spot.

Success! I’d also like to point out that I ran — completely by coincidence — 1.16 miles in 11:16. Not my fastest time because I wasn’t going for speed but I was quite pleased with this time! I realized when I got off of the treadmill that I sound a lot like Kath I’m all about those lucky numbers, too! It’s no coincidence that we picked 10.16.10 as our wedding day.

***

Backing up a bit here, the work event I mentioned in my last post turned out to be a lot of fun. It was a beautiful location – the Art Institute – and Bobby’s co-workers are all very nice. We even found out that one of them worked with us over three years ago when we volunteered with autistic kids for the Special Olympics. Too cool!

For breakfast, I made a bowl of oats. But again, this was not just any bowl of oats.

Remember that secret peanut butter I found at the market? Here it is revealed!

Although I’ve tried nearly every other flavor, I never have been able to find Peanut Butter & Co.’s Mighty Maple variety — until now! This version totally lives up to the hype and tastes great over oatmeal. It’s sweeter and creamier than usual, which pairs perfectly with Coffee Cocoa

For some reason, I was more tired than usual yesterday morning. Call it a case of the Mondays, but I was definitely lacking in the energy department. I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to try something that promised to make me more…awake.

Angela is not messing around with these bars. This was, in a word, perfect! She infused the bar with organic dark roast coffee, among other great ingredients such as oats, natural peanut butter and coconut. I am officially a big fan and see a very successful future!

Can’t wait to try the other one!

Speaking of baked goodies, I attempted to create my own masterpiece in the kitchen on Sunday. Remember, I said attempted. I found a recipe for Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies and decided to try them out. As usual, my computer took the place of a typical cookbook.

These cookies had so much promise. They were easy to make and looked pretty going in…

They looked even prettier coming out. A little squished, to be sure, but ready to eat and enjoy…

I used chocolate chunks instead of chips because when it comes to chocolate, bigger is better After letting them cool on the rack, I picked one of the best looking ones to sample.

The result? Ehh…I think my problem was the sugar. I substituted organic white cane sugar instead of turbinado — are some of you cringing right now? — and it produced a very gritty, crumbly taste. They aren’t bad — Bobby is still willing to eat them, which is a huge plus — but I wasn’t as happy as I was hoping to be. I can handle baked breads, but still haven’t mastered the art of the cookie!

Until next time, my crumbly friend.

Good thing Sunday’s dinner made up for it!

We combined whole wheat macaroni and cheese (Annie’s) with two huge bags of stir-fry vegetables and broccoli. There was also a bit of edamame in there with teriyaki marinade as the sauce. The result was a flavor masterpiece — have you ever tried teriyaki with macaroni cheese? It may sound strange, but I thought they complemented each other quite well. Let’s call it…CHEESIYAKI?

Humbecue, cheesiyaki…I’m sensing a new dictionary section.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Abrazos,

Well, check another item off the to-do list! (giant checkmark motion)

We finally decided on a location for our rehearsal dinner and booked it.  Now, the reason that this has taken so long isn’t because we don’t agree on things, but because of the distance.  We live in Kansas City, and our wedding is in the Chicago area.  And going around to various restaurants to look at rooms was pretty low on our list of priorities on our last wedding planning trip.  But, time was ticking down and we realized we had to book SOMETHING for the rehearsal dinner.

Luckily, my lovely mother went around to a few of the places we’d looked into and gave us the lowdown.  I’m familiar with the restaurants in the area, but things have changed since I was in college many moons ago.   We knew we wanted a relatively laid-back vibe, since we’ll all be dressed up all day the next day, but still get great food.

So, after a bit of research we decided on Flat Top Grill.  Part of the appeal of this was that it’s a create-your-own stir fry place, so everyone will be able to eat what they like!  I hate going to dinners where you don’t have a choice about what you eat, so this way people can get exactly what they want, made to order.  They will also be getting something called “Triple Chocolate Storm” for dessert, too, which was literally the icing on the cake!

This is what the stir fry bar looks like:

(Image from Time Out Chicago)

Now I just have to find something to wear.  Hmm.  I’d like to be a big attention monger and wear white, but still be casual.  I’m thinking a nice eyelet or knit white sundress, maybe with a wrap…but where exactly does one find those in December?

What do you think makes a rehearsal dinner fun?

For whatever reason veggies usually get the shaft. Somehow it is difficult to make them attractive to people. Remember the commercial of a very fit, and sexy young lady devouring a very sloppy hamburger? Now imagine her eating a cauliflower or turnip. My point exactly. When most of us think of vegetables, it’s normally some type of a salad. Otherwise dealing with them its a hassle, but I am here to tell you otherwise.

We do groceries once a week. Mushrooms, onions, peppers, carrots, broccoli, celery almost always make the shopping list and that calls for a Stir Fry de Laser Mike. True fanatics of the dish cook their vegetables in stages to make sure all of them are cooked just so. I can appreciate that, but the process is very time consuming and probably one of the causes why people shy away from veggies and choose a greasy burger. Over the years I have worked out my version of this Asian delight, and for the goodness of mankind I will share it with you.

Chop all your veggies. Pour oil into your wok (a large frying pan would be just fine). Heat up a significant amount of oil (it’s a stir fry). Finely chopped ginger goes first for about a minute. Add rest of the veggies (here is the trick… no not really, stir fry is the trick) and continuously turn them. This will help all the veggies to fry evenly. Notice we have not added anything to the vegetables yet. The final two minutes are pivotal to the dish. You will flavor the veggies with some sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, fresh garlic (whole bunch if you can handle it), pepper and a splash of vinegar. Toss it together few more times, taste and adjust if necessary. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds to finish the dish. Hopefully you did not forget about the sticky rice. And If you must have the meat, throw in some chicken . Yum