Tofu, I'm Not Scared of You!

My camera has no batteries because it evidently takes a LOT of power to take 30 pictures.

Since I'm going to the beach this weekend and Iowa for the Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum, I wanted to use up my produce. I purchased some portabellas on a whim this week, and I had some green beans. I needed some protein, though, so I decided to throw in some tofu, too.

I pan-fried the firm tofu I'd cubed in a light layer of olive oil spray. I actually didn't touch it, so it got nice and brown. But I didn't feel like browning all four sides so I browned 2 sides and threw in the green beans with some red wine vinegar. When those were almost done, I added strips of the shroom. Meanwhile, I cooked some couscous and topped it with the veggies. A pretty easy and tasty dish. I had no onions so next time I'll make it like I usually do my caramalizing some onions first. Yum.

Save the Vegetables! Soup

Evidently I overpurchased on veggies last week, which means that I didn't need to buy much this week, but I had to come up with a way to use them up because the thought of throwing out food makes me want to cry. So I did what I love to do- threw it all in a pot to make a soup.



On hand:

1 medium onion

6 cloves garlic (I had to buy a giant pack of garlic becuase I needed it one day and the only nearby place tht had it sold it in 6 bulb packages)

3 large yellow squashes

4 plum tomatoes

4 cups of green beans

1 medium head of cauliflower

1 cup frozen corn



1 can light kidney beans



.5 cup barley (my favorite grain)

.25 cup each quinoa and bulgur



Simply seasoned with seasalt and pepper. If it was topped with avocado, it would contain all essential food groups! It's a nice summery soup and should feed me the rest of the week- it made 5 gigantic servings.

Still Around...Barely

I haven't posted in 3 weeks because I've either been too busy training to cook anything creative or out of town. As a result, I've now gotten sick. So today I decided to make soup- and lots of it. My freezer is now full for those long days when training takes up too much time...*Sigh*

I sauteed 2 medium onions and 4 cloves of garlic until transparent. I diced some tomatoes and threw them in the pot along with some water. I let them boil for 15 minutes or so and added 4 cups of yellow squash, one giant can of kidney beans (it held 9 servings), and an entire package of organic wheat spaghetti. I was feeling uncreative because my brain was shut off so I only seasoned it with salt and pepper, but in the end it was a good decision. It cooked until everything was done, and then I scooped it into 8 containers (about 375 calories a piece).

It hit the spot and was just what the doctor ordered. I'm glad I made heaps and heaps of it because it's something I won't mind eating over and over again. Good job, self. Maybe next time I'll use a nice veggie broth for more flavor.

(It is soupier than the picture leads you to believe.)

My Tastiest Creation Yet

I love sweet potatoes. They are a great lunch- I often just pop one in the microwave at work for 9 minutes and eat it plain for lunch. When I went to California, I cooked some sweet poatatoes and cut them up to take with me on the plane. Sweet potato fries are also a delight.

So for brunch today I decided to use up my last sweet potato. I put it in a 400 degree oven and let that baby bake for what seemed like forever. While it was baking, I cooked 2 very tiny onions and 3 cloves of garlic in some leftover sauvignon blanc from Friday night that sadly did not get consumed. I cooked them until they were pretty brown, deglzing the pan with the wine a few times. While I was waiting for the potato to be done, I also made .25cup of whole wheat couscous with a generous amount of dried Italian herbs.

When the sweet potato was done, I (amazingly) scooped out all the potato and mixed with the wined onions/garlic and mashed it up. I also added 1TB Earth Balance Soy Butter to the couscous and let it melt a little bit from the general kitchen heat. I topped the potato with the couscous, applying with a spoon and using my hand to smush it down. I then put it back in the oven to broil and get the top nice and toasty.

It was heavenly! And it looked pretty! The sweet onions/garlic went so well with the caramalized sugars from the sweet potato, and the herbed topping was so good. The best part was getting a little of the couscous, some sweet potato, and the crispy skin. It might have been a smidge better with some salt, but that's not really an option until I go to the grocery later. Simply amazing.

Balsamic Creation

I've been intrigued lately by balsamic vinegar and decided to bite the bullet and purchase some during my last shopping spree. As usual, I had some items to get rid of in my fridge- asparagus, snow peas, and spinach. While I originally thought I'd use the wok to stir fry all the veggies with some balsamic vinegar, I also wanted to make some polenta. I didn't feel like making it and waiting for it to congeal, so thought I'd bake the veggies with polenta on top.

I made three servings of dinner (about 400 calories)- 3 cups snowpeas, 27 stalks of asparagus, and 5 cups of fresh spinach mixed with balsamic vinegar and pepper (the grocery didn't have sea salt, so now I get to go to the organic grocery and probably snag some more Better than Cream Cheese and other goodies). Meanwhile, I sauteed 6 large gloves of garlic in olive oil spray and added 5.25 cups of water when the garlic browned. On the side I mixed 1.5 cups cornmeal (my weird baking mix) with 1.5 cups cold water. Once it boiled, I added the cornmeal and stirred for 10 minutes or so until creamy. I then poured it on top of the veggies and popped it into the 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

So how was it? I'd say average...It needed something else...probably salt. I'd love to add some mushrooms and maybe veggie broth to it.

Herbed Onion Beer Bread

I realized that I spend entirely too much time inside cooking. But that's ok.

For dinner I made one of my favorites- roasted Brussels sprouts (add some olive oil and put in a 375-400 degree oven until brown and toasty and sprinkled with the last remaining morsels of salt I could find in my kitchen). I also decided to use up that one bottle of Anchor Porter that's been in my fridge for...about 5 months now. What a better way than making beer bread?

I added 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup white flour, lots of Italian dried spices (basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary), 1/3 large onion chopped/minced, a touch of sugar, and a touch of baking powder. I put it in the bread pan and baked on 375 for about 50 or 55 minutes. When I first took it out of the oven after 45 minutes, I got scared it wasn't done in the middle since I made that mistake once, so I let it go a little bit longer.

After waiting an agonizing 10 mintues for it to cool on the rack, I cut it into thirds. One third is about 450 calories, and since I did a lot of hiking today with the dog, I felt it was worth it. I topped 2 slices with some Earth Balance Soy Butter and dipped the other two in olive oil, only because I was watching something on food on TV today and they mentioned that you eat less if you eat bread with olive oil than with butter. And olive oil is amazing.

The last time I made this bread, I forgot the herbs, salt, sugar, and onion. Oops. But I ate it anyway. This time, I forgot to add some salt, partly because I have none. This time it came out much better. I wish I'd added more onions, but it's probably sufficient for more people. I also could use more herbs, but again, it's probably about right for most. There is a fantastic crust on the top and bottom of the bread. It's really easy to make and quite tasty.

Now I just need to put it away before I eat the entire loaf...

Wannabe Pizza

I wanted to make another amazing pizza, but I didn't want all the calories. So I improvised. I made some polenta, let it congeal, then cut it into 9 squares. Baked on 400 for 30-40 minutes until brown. Meanwhile, in the blender I added 1 cup dark red kidney beans, lots of Italian spices, a touch of water, a TB or so of tomato paste, and blended until smooth. I added 1/3 large onion I'd just sauteed at the end.

Once the polenta squares were done, I smothered on my bean sauce and topped each pizza with a pepperoni. Not as good as the real pizza, but a nice little meal. Might be a good appetizer dish. A little Better Than Cream Cheese might have been nice, as well as some red pepper flakes. But I ran out of the former and just totally forgot the latter. *Sigh*

Shepherd's Pie...sort of

I needed to use up a few things in the fridge, one item being cauliflower. Since I'm now obsessed with "mashed cauliflower," I thought I'd have to incorporate that into a meal somehow. Well, when I think of mashed potatoes, I think of Shepherd's Pie, even though I've only had it once. In undergrad, the ex made one with a meatloaf type of bottom, corn, and mashed potatoes on top. So that's what I think of when I think of Shepherd's Pie. However, I wasn't 100% sure that my definition of SP was acccurate, so I wikipedia'd it and apparently the version I had is the American version, the real version being some sort of meat and veggies in gravy with mashed potatoes on top. This is where I began.

This meal was a real multi-tasker, especially since I had 2 loads of laundry going downstairs, too. I started with about .8 cups of lentils (400 calories) since the bag was empty. Once those were boiling, I got out the frying pan, sprayed it with olive oil cooking spray, and added one giant onion. On yet another burner, I steamed 1/2 med-large head of cauliflower (100 cal.). Meanwhile I got 2/3cup whole grain couscous going on the side.

When the onion started to brown, I added garlic. Then I thought it might burn so I deglazed (my new favorite thing) the pan with some white wine...twice. Fine.

I put about half the onions/garlic in the blender with the cauliflower, salt and pepper, a splash of soy milk, and some dried rosemary (which I love).

To the rest of the onions/garlic I added some red wine vinegar. Then I quasi drained the lentils to get most of the water out and added them to the pan and added the couscous. I used couscous because, first and foremost, I needed more grains for the day and that was an easy way to sneak them in. I also used them to give it a little more volume.

So, once all that was mixed with a little salt, I mushed it down into a round Pyrex pie dish, topped with steamed Brussels sprouts, and covered in a nice, creamy layer of mashed cauliflower. Popped that baby in a 350 degree oven while I took the dog out (15 minutes?) and then cranked up the broiler to get the top a little brown.

It came out beautifully! Each layer on its own tasted amazing, and together it tasted even better! I have 3 giant servings (400 calories each), which means lunch tomorrow and maybe one slice for the freezer. The laundry, however, wasn't as much fun since the dryer door somehow opened so my clothes probably sat there for 30 minutes not actually drying.

Next time I'll use less couscous, add a lot mushrooms, use some type of broth, and make an entire head of cauliflower.

Stuff It!

I never had stuffing that didn't come in a box. That's only sort of true- my mom makes cornbread dressing every year for the holidays, but I don't consider it stuffing since there are things like eggs and...gizzards in it. So other than my mother's concoction, I never had homemade stuffing. Until this past Thanksgiving when I decided to make stuffing balls for my parents. And then I fell in love with stuffing, the real stuff (no pun intended).

It's so easy to make. I don't mind cooked celery in food, but every time I have raw celery I feel compelled to eat it and then it makes me want to vomit because I hate the taste. And I never have celery "just sitting around," so I rarely think to make stuffing. But I'm always looking for the opportunity.

I had some left over yellow and green bell pepper from the Superbowl Party. Don't judge me on how long I keep my food...if it looks ok and smells ok, I eat it. I learned it from my dad who would always say, "You know, we didn't have expiration dates when I was growing up." Why follow an artibtrary date on something when you could use your senses to determine if it's still good...but I digress.

So, I satueed a giant red onion (75 calories) , 75% of each bell pepper (the other 25%'s went to the quiche's)(60 calories), and 6 cloves of garlic (20 calories) in 2 TB of Earth Balance Vegan margarine (200 calories). When it got clear but not brown, I took it off the heat and added 1.5 teaspoons of poultry seasoning (I held myself back from 2-2.5 teaspoons, which, looking back, I should have gone with) and some black pepper. I'd left out 12 pieces of bread overnight to get stale. Ok, 13 pieces, but I had to put a few of them in the oven to speed up the drying process and one sat on the bottom shelf a tad bit too long. So, I ripped up my 12 pieces of whole wheat bread (480 calories, but I buy strangely low-cal bread) into a giant bowl, added the onions, and moistened with 1.25 cups of unsweetened soy milk (80 calories) because I had no broth on hand. Mixed with my hands until the bread was no longer crunchy and placed in a 2 qt round Pyrex baking dish. 40 minutes with lid on 350ish and then another 3-5 under the broiler without lid to get the top nice and crispy. I took it out of the oven and it looked like the bell peppers separated from each other- half the dish had chunks of yellow and the other half green. Interesting.

I think the entire dish was about 900-1000 calories and I ate half of it, even though I had to tear myself away from the rest.

It was wonderful...way better than the boxed crap. Next time I will definitely have mushroom broth sitting around to make it a little richer, but I was pleased with the soy milk. I might also try some type of nuts in it.

As Dora would say, Yum yum yum, delicioso!

My Favorite Meal

I recently came up with a recipe that is my absolute favorite thing ever. Chop up a large onion and sautee it in olive oil until the onion gets very clear and looks like you are about to burn it. Add some chopped garlic and brussels sprouts (greatest veggie ever) or green beans. When green beans are almost done, deglaze the pan with some red wine vinegar. Why did I have red wine vinegar? A friend willed it to me when she moved. I'd never used it before the first time I made this, and it was also my first time to deglaze a pan.

I made it last week and took it to work for lunch where no less than 3 people asked me what I'd made that smelled so good. My response, "Brussels sprouts!" Then I got a few weird looks. Just because your parents overcooked gross frozen sprouts so they tasted like crap doesn't mean they aren't absolutely delicious. You can roast them with olive oil, steam them and mash them with a little vegan butter, pan fry with onions/garlic, shred them, blend them into a soup...oh my god I have to stop.

Lately I've been trying to mix food groups instead of eating, oh, a giant plate of roasted brussels sprouts. So I made some whole wheat couscous that I had planned to add to the pan, but it was too full so I just threw it on the plate with the veggies on top. And ever since lunch a few weeks ago at Java Green, I've been obsessed with tempeh. I bought some awhile ago but let it sit in my fridge as I debated how to use it. Cubed it and tossed that right in a few minutes before the green beans.

It makes about 4 good-sized servings that are less than 400 calories a piece. (2 large onions, 9 cloves garlic, 1TB olive oil, 4 cups green beans, 8oz tempeh, 1 cup couscous)

Tofu Saturday

Jennilicious inspired me to buy tofu a few weeks ago and I was so pleased with the quiches that I decided to branch out. This morning I made scrambled silken tofu (1/2 the box) with green onions, cilantro, chilli powder, and turmeric. After a small mishap with 1/2 the bottle of chilli powder ending up in the pan, I plopped the mixture atop a nice warm piece of toast with Trader Jose's (Trader Joe's) habenero and lime salsa. Yum and only about 250 calories.

Since I still had a half a block of tofu and 2 tomatoes I needed to use today, I thought a creamy tomato basil soup would hit the spot on this freezing (well, below freezing) day. I blended the tomatoes and tofu, put it in a pot, and added salt, pepper, and dried basil. When I have soups, I like to dip bread into it, but today I decided to be a little different and use whole grain couscous. Instead of making the couscous first and then adding the soup, I put 1/3cup couscous in the bowl and topped with the soup and covered. Five long minutes later, I returned to the bowl slightly disappointed. I was hoping for a soupy mixture with couscous sitting on the bottom of the bowl. But, it all sort of mixed together. And the water from the tomato separated a little bit from the rest of the soup so I had to stir it all together again. Which is fine, it all tastes the same!

The soup came out a beautiful pink, and when topped with raw green onions, it looked amazing (if only my camera worked). It tastes even better than it looks. Next time I make it, I might thin it out some with unsweetened soy milk. And I meant to add some roasted garlic (6 cloves) to the blender, but I was famished and couldn't wait for the garlic to roast so I left it out. Only about 400 calories for a giant bowl.

Unrelated to tofu, I decided to make some pear chips. So I used my fancy slicer (otherwise known as a knife) to create somewhat even slices. But since I'm dumb, some of them ended up quite a bit thicker than the others. Oh well. I popped them in a 275ish degree oven and let them cook for an hour, maybe a little longer. I flipped them twice and moved the pan around when I put them back in. The last time I flipped them, I sprinkled cinnamon over them and added a total of .5TB of dark brown sugar to the tops. I let them cook until the brown sugar looked bubbley, then I put them on the rack to cool.

Amazingly I haven't scarfed them down yet, but that's because they were cooling while I was making my soup. I sampled one, though, and they are delightful.

Polenta! Glorious Polenta!

Being from Southern influence*, I grew up eating and liking grits. Being a health-conscious eater, however, I know that grits are not a whole grain so they are of little value to me. Good thing I stumbled upon Yankee Grits, aka polenta. It's so easy to make and absolutely delicious. I eat it at least once a week (I believe today makes the 3rd time I've had it this week), usually before heading out to door to trivia because it's fast, filling, and fantastic. The best part about it is that you can do whatever you want to it and it's always yummy.

*While I grew up in Texas, I don't define it as "The South," especially having spent a great deal of time in Atlanta and going to graduate school in Auburn, Alabama. My southern influence is attributable more to the fact that my dad is from Alabama and my mom from Georgia. Texas is, well, Texas.

The basic recipe is simple:
1-2 cups boiliing water
.5 cup cold water
.5 cup cornmeal

My cornmeal is actually cornmeal mix that has a bit of wheat flour added to it. I like this much better than regular cornmeal, but go with what you've got.

When I first started making polenta, I always went with the 2 cups of boiling water and it was great. One day I was an idiot and only put it 1 or 1.5 cups of water...and created an even better version that I would probably lick off the floor. 2 cups make a nice polenta with a slightly liquidy consistency (can't think of something to compare it to at this moment). 1.5 cups makes a thick, creamy mixture that is heavenly.

To make polenta, while water is boiling, mix cold water and cornmeal together in a bowl to get all the lumps out. Add to boiling water and stir like crazy until it looks tasty, 5 minutes? I like to turn the heat down to medium low just before adding the cornmeal so it doesn't stick to the bottom at much. It makes a large serving that has just 200 calories. That's it.

My favorite polenta is made by adding some (2?) cut up canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and 2/3 cup corn. I adore chipotle peppers and put them in pretty much anything. Watch out, though, they pack a punch. So you've added an extra 120ish calories- about 320 total for a filling meal. Last time I made it, I added dried dill, a big squirt of regular mustard, and a small spoonful of Gray Poupon, which I would never have except a friend willed it to me when she moved away. It was quite tasty. I've also made it by mixing in some dried Italian herbs. It's also good with black beans, cumin, and chili powder. The possiblities are endless and I love mixing it up.

If you let it cool, the polenta congeals and becomes sliceable. From what I gather, it's pretty common to slice it up and fry it. I suck at pan-frying, so a few times I have put it on a sprayed baking sheet (I use Olive Oil nock-off Pam) and cooked it on 400ish until it gets crispy, 30 minutes? I'm not sure on the time because I always get impacient and take it out before it gets really nice and golden on the outside. It tends to spread out, too, which scares me and I'm pretty sure I'm not doing it right.

Today I got a little whacky and sauteed 3 cloved of garlic (if I could bathe in it I would) in about .5teaspoon of olive oil. When it was brown I added the water. While that was going, I put some seeds rescued from my butternut squash 2 days before on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Well, first I tossed them with .5teaspoon of olive oil and a little salt. Ok, I added a lot of salt, but that's ok, I learned a lesson (that I seem to keep learning). The seeds cooked on 250ish for 15ish minutes until they were nice and crunchy. Then I tried to remove all the excess salt and dumped them into my steaming bowl of garlic polenta. Delicious.

I tried taking a photo, but before the seeds were out of the oven, the camera batteries died and I couldn't find anymore.