Flirting with Tofu

My Blog Has Moved

2011-09-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I have decided to change my blog over to wordpress....I am not deleting this blog but all my current and future post wil be at:

http://www.flirtingwithtofu.com/

See you there! ;)

Breakfast of Champions

2011-08-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,
Well I have to say that I didn’t really eat dinner last night, so I don’t have anything to blog about there, but I did just eat a great bowl of yogurt and Granola. When I went down to Bellingham to Trader Joe's we also stopped at this little public market organic store. Overall the prices were quite expensive but at the back of the store they had a section called "Barganica" where the prices were much better and that’s where I found this new "Erin Baker's Homestyle Granola". It’s quite yummy, I got oatmeal raisin and it had this yummy pumpkin pie spice in it which is very fitting since fall is right around the corner! By the way it’s me and my husband’s 3 year wedding anniversary today, how time flies!

Surprise Dinner Guests

2011-08-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Last night was just going to be another sleepy Monday night when I got home from work my friend called me and we decided to have a little wine and dinner at my place...yay for impromptu dinner parties!! Her and her friend visiting from Dublin had to make the trek in from Vancouver to Coquitlam which is a good 45 min, so me and my sister got right to work on what to make. She said she likes quinoa so I decided to make, a big salad, quinoa and this new crispy tofu recipe I found on Martha Stewarts whole living website. I took a photo of the beautiful salad my sister made, but forgot to take a picture of the rest of the food...ooops. It was very tasty, I have never tried to make tofu like this before and I quite liked it. The salad had everything but the kitchen sinks in it: butter lettuce, avocado, craisins, mandarin, orange slices, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sprouts, cucumber, tomato and feta cheese.

Spicy Crispy Tofu Recipe

Serves 4

1 package regular tofu, firm or extra-firm, drained
1/3 cup spicy Asian chile sauce , plus 1/2 teaspoon for dressing
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1 cup panko
3 tablespoons canola oil
Directions
1.Cut the tofu in half horizontally (slicing parallel to work surface). Keep the tofu stacked; cut crosswise in half to make 4 rectangles. Cut each rectangle into 2 triangles. Press).

2.In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce, orange zest, orange juice, and olive oil. Season the mixture with salt to taste. Set aside.

3.Pour the remaining 1/3 cup chile sauce into a shallow bowl. Place the panko in a separate shallow bowl. Piece by piece, gently coat the tofu in the chile sauce and then the panko, patting it on each piece to coat.

4.In a large, nonstick skillet, heat half the canola oil over medium heat. Gently place half the tofu in skillet. Pan-fry the tofu, turning once, until outsides are crisp and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Repeat the process with remaining oil and tofu.

Fall Fashion

2011-08-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

So the last few Mondays have not been very sunny...at strangley enough I am ok with that...It is making me get excited for my new fall wardrobe!! I have been shopping a bit...ok alot and have got some great looks for the fall. I love it when the weather gets crisp and a bit cooler.....but please dont start raining till..well Jan?? lol here is a link to this cool new site where you can make these photo collages

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2 Quick and Easy Dinners

2011-08-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Asparagus and Egg Open Faced Sandwich
On Monday night I was basically cooking for one, since my son doest like my food choices yet! I was already making him scrambled eggs and I found this easy dinner idea on another blog so I thought I would give it a whirl. Basically it’s just one piece of bread toasted with cheese melted on it, I used mozzarella, 6 or 7 pieces of asparagus sautéed in a pan with some olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder and 2 eggs cooked in a pan as runny as you like them. Voila dinner!

Eggplant, Portobello Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich

Last night I also tweaked another bloggers recipe and made this very tasty filling sandwich. I grilled the eggplant and Portobello mushroom on my George Foreman Grill and I toasted both pieces of bread with pesto and mozzarella cheese and then placed the veggies in the middle with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, on the side I had 2 sliced beets! Easy and delicious.

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Yummy Salad

2011-08-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,
I must say I was impressed with myself to make such a healthy lunch on the weekend, since usually I am pretty lazy. I made this delicious salad with the cooked beets I picked up at Trader Joe's. The salad had: butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, feta, dried cranberries, sprouts, walnuts, and beets with organicville’s balsamic vinaigrette. mmmmmmmmmmm! I aslo had a fruit and vega smoothie.

Kombucha Wonder Drink

2011-08-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

So on Wednesday night me and my friend Aimee went down to Bellingham to make another trip to our favorite store, Trader Joe's!! We also made a stop at Costco to get some cases of coconut water, it seems to be quite a bit cheaper across the border, why is that?? I also was salivating over how cheap wine is at Costco, damn, too bad we couldn’t bring any back since we were not gone over 24 hours! Anyways I got lots of yummy treats and Trader Joes.....but my latest obsession is kombucha, I think I first heard about it in Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet. It takes a little getting used to and tastes a little like cider but now I love it, its soo yummy. I particularly like this flavor, green tea & lemon. My friend Aimee found a video on youtube and is trying to make her first batch....I think I might do the same since this kombucha stuff isn’t cheap........Have any of you tried to make your own kombucha??

Petite Lasagnas

2011-08-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

So one of my favorite blogs to read is called "Can you stay for Dinner"....I found this recipe on her blog and just had to try it! canyoustayfordinner I decided to make it last night. I really had no idea how wonton wrappers would taste in place of lasagna noodles...and to be honest they don’t taste similar at all but they don’t taste bad...just very very different. I usually make my lasagna with spinach and cottage cheese and a 3 cheese blend so it’s VERY Cheesy! This version uses homemade tomato sauce which I never use but it tasted very healthy! I substituted a few ingredients, I don’t eat ground turkey so I used veggie ground round and I have never used ricotta cheese in my lasagna so I went with my usual and used cottage cheese instead. Overall these little babies were very light and tasty and I felt like they had quite a few less calories which is not a bad thing for me!

Good Ol' Steel Cut Outs

2011-08-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

So since I went to Trader Joe's a month or so ago I have been making these quick cook steel cut outs in the morning at work. The thing is I do actually eat breakfast at home with my son but that is at 7am, usually its cereal or granola and yogurt, but by 9am I am soo hungry that I need more food....not sure if this is normal but I don’t eat a lot of protein so I guess that might be part of the problem! Anywho...I have brought my own mix of cinnamon and chia seeds, which I add to the oats as well as vanilla soy milk and honey.....quite tasty and healthy!

Rice Noodle, Shrimp and Veggie Stirfry

2011-08-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,

So I finally bit the bullet last night and concocted a healthy dinner worth a photo! lol :). I made a creamy coconut peanut sauce for the veggies and noodles, it was an adaptation of a recipe I found online but did not have all the ingredients. For the sauce I blended (in my bullet) 1/2 cup of light coconut milk, a couple of table spoons of peanut butter, some garlic, and a few tablespoons of soy sauce. I then sautéed my veggies in coconut oil........mmmmmmmmmm. I used zucchini, red pepper and the rest I have to admit were from a pre-cut bag including: snap peas, carrots and broccoli. After the veggies were mostly cooked I threw in a few shrimp for protein, I went heavy on the veggies and light on the shrimp. I cooked up some brown rice noodles, tossed it all together and sprinkled the dish with crushed peanuts! Yummy. I have the leftovers for my lunch today.

My Family

2011-08-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

So I know I have been a total slacker and havn't posted anything for a few weeks....I was on holiday last week and I went to visit my mum so she cooked for me and I didnt have time to take any photos, so there. I did however get the photos from our family photo shoot in the park and thought it might be nice to share one with you, so you can see how cute my family is.........I will try and get some healthy food up soon. :)

2 Salad Dinner

2011-07-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,
So I bet your thinking wow what a healthy girl eating 2 salads for dinner but the main reason is that I was a very bad girl and had McDonalds for lunch and was feeling very guilty about it! The first salad I made was an oldie but a goodie, I used mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sprouts, avacado, pine nuts and dried cranberries. I put over it organicville's tahini goddess dressing!

The Next salad I made I got the idea from a recipe my mom ripped out of a magazine but I changed it to my own version, lets call it Green Bean and Roasted Potatoe Salad. I cooked the potatoes in olive oil and rosemary in the over for about 40min, and I blanched the green beans for about 5 min. The dressing was just lemon juice, fresh dill, garlic, and olive oil. I cooled the green beans and potatoes off (it is supposed to be a cold salad). Then I tossed them all together in a bowl, to be honest this salad was tasty but I would use less dill next time and find a spice I like better to add another flavor layer.

Lastley, I have not put any pitures of the ones I love on this blog yet so here I go. Last night my son and his (our) Kitten were just chillin in the living room and it was so cute I had to take a photo. We just bought Preston this chair but Ollie the Kitten seems to have claimed it!!

Spinach & Strawberry Salad

2011-07-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

So last night was my wonderful sisters birthday....I didnt go too crazy but I did make us chicken burgers (cause there easy) and a yummy in my tummy spinch and strawberry salad! I only photographed the salad :) . I had this salad at my friends bbq a few weeks ago and her secret ingredient was grated provolone cheese...mmmmmmmmm cheese! I told you I can never be vegan. So here is what I put in the salad: fresh spinch, sliced stawberries, popyseed dressing (I used kraft), slivered or chopped almonds, grated provolone cheese. I also thought we should celebrate with some bubbly....So I got a bottle of the banrock station sparkling shiraz.........very tasty!

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

2011-07-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

So on Saterday night I made another one of my familys favorite dinners, baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta cheese. I got the recipe from one of my Martha Stewart magazines....and it is pretty darn ymmy, its super easy to make and is always a hit with dinner guests. I will post the recipe below. I have been making this recipe for a while now and I have tweeked a little to my liking....I dont use the mint, I don't use the peas and I put pesto and parmesean cheese on the orzo. Yummy!
http://www.marthastewart.com/

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 thinly sliced scallions
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh fresh mint, plus more for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack set in upper third. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add scallions, garlic, and oregano; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add tomatoes. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains in skillet, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add shrimp and mint to skillet. Stir to combine; transfer to an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quart) baking dish. Crumble feta over top.
Bake until liquid is bubbling, cheese is beginning to brown, and shrimp in center of dish are opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with Orzo and Green Beans, sprinkled with additional chopped mint.

Thursday Night Chicken lettuce wraps

2011-07-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well I must say that I have been slacking in both the making really healthy food department and in the blogging department....oopps. So last night I made one of my husband’s favorite meals, chicken lettuce wraps which I got the recipe from Rachel Ray when I was a stay at home mom and could watch daytime TV. (I miss those days!). Anyways I know there not vegan but they are yummy and pretty healthy so below is the recipe. http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3334 I also made one of the boxed grains I bought at the vegan store I went to a few weeks ago...I didn’t follow the recipe on the back, I just made it the basic way by boiling and simmering it in vegetable stock....I wasn’t sure what to put on it so I used Braggs' and nutritional yeast.....not sure it that was the best idea since it tasted mediocre.

This is the Granissmo made by GoGo Quinoa.........not sure if I am a fan yet, must try a different topping next time. It contains: organic black quinoa, brown rice, lentils, millet and amaranth.

This is what the finished product looked like :)

Satay Lettuce Wraps

1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/4 pounds thinly sliced pork or chicken cutlets or 1 1/2 pounds ground pork or chicken
Pepper
1/4 pound oyster, baby white or shitake mushrooms, chopped or thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped or thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, cut into thin matchsticks or finely chopped
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice or chicken stock
1/4 cup Tamari (dark soy sauce)
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce
1 small head iceberg lettuce, core removed and head quartered

Preparation

Using a food processor, finely chop the peanuts.
In a large skillet, heat the oil, two turns of the pan, over high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, about 5 minutes; season with pepper. Add the mushrooms, scallions, garlic and ginger; toss for 2 minutes. Push the ingredients to the side of the pan and add the peanut butter to the center to melt. Whisk in the apple juice, Tamari (eyeball it) and hot sauce. Stir in the peanuts.
Spoon the satay into a serving bowl or individual bowls. Serve the lettuce wedges alongside. Scoop the satay mixture into lettuce leaves to wrap up as you eat.

Satay Lettuce Wraps

Clif Bars for Breakfast :)

2011-07-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

So I already mentioned last week that I went to Trader Joe's, but what I didn't mention is that I got some Clif bars for $.99 each!! My new breakfast of champions is bowl of quick cook steel cut oats and a clif bar. Today I tried the carrot cake flavor...it was interesting...my favorite so far is the peanut butter crunch!!

Ohhhhhhhh Snap!

2011-07-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

I am so excited, I finally went across the border yesterday and got to go to Trader Joe's!! It was my very first time. I have heard people raving about it for the last 5 years and they now have one in Bellingham which is about an hour and a half away from me but I dont care! lol. I got lots of yummy stuff, I got some organic ketchup for only $2!! You say, what?? haha....these are the kind of things that get me excited. I got some steel cut oats and my favorite Snapea crisps, and a bunch of other ymmmy stuff.

My New favorite Oats, I like mine with honey, cinnamon and chia seeds.

These are the yummiest (is that a word?!) snack ever, they are so addictive! Here at IGA they cost about $4, but at Trader Joe's only $1.50! :)

Monday Night Dinner

2011-07-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

So I have been back from my trip for a week now and I thought it was time to make something healthy and blog worthy for dinner last night! I have had this goji berry quinoa salad in my pantry forever so I decided to give it a try. I also went through my fridge and used all the veggies that were on the verge of going bad for a stirfry and then I made a small salad and tried some tuscan "Gardein" chicken cutlets.

This is what the goji salad looked like before I cooked it, its made by Mitchell's Soup Co.

So here we have sauteed broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus with toasted sesame seeds and tahini goddess dressing. Next there is the quinoa goji berry salad, the gardein chicken cutlet and my sprout, tomato and feta salad. I was on the fence about the quinoa salad but the sprout salad was yummy!

Kombucha Tea

2011-07-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Bloggers,
Sorry I have not posted anything in a while, I was in Mexico being naughty eating Nacho's and drinking Pina Colada's! Yummy in my tummy. Anywho, my friend Aimee dragged me to this vegan store here in New Westminster today called Karmavore. It actally had some cool stuff but it was not cheap!! I decided to try some cold Kombucha tea and it made my tongue numb and I feel a little funny but its all good because here is a list of all the health belefits!!

Health Benefits of Kombucha Tea
One of the major health benefits of Kombucha tea is its detoxification properties. The tea is rich in bacterial acids and enzymes that the body produces and uses to cleanse and detoxify itself, thus helping reduce the stress on the pancreas and easing the load on ones liver. Kombucha tea is also rich in Glucaric acid which has been reported to help prevent certain cancers. In the realm of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this type of tea is labeled as the elixir of life and Tea of Immortality.
The detoxifying properties of Kombucha tea help ensure that the bodys systems will function properly and efficiently. Aside from Glucaric acid, Kombucha tea is also fortified with glucosamines. These are substances needed by the joints to stay strong and healthy. In particular, glucosamines help promote the production of hyaluronic acid which helps reduce arthritis-related pain and preserves the form and structure of cartilages. Hyaluronic acid also allows for the bodys connective tissues to bind more moisture, thereby maintaining healthy tissues, flexibility, and lubrication in the joints.
Kombucha tea contains acids that effectively calm the mind and body. Regularly drinking the tea will allow you to manage stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
Aside from strengthening the body and curing it from different illnesses, Kombucha tea has cosmetic effects as well. Many people have discovered that drinking the tea has helped them achieve tighter, firmer skin and an overall better complexion and skin tone. Some reports suggest that it helps to strengthen and restore hair as well. In general, more and more Kombucha tea drinkers are discovering its anti-aging properties. Doctors and other health practitioners have started to recommend this organic tea to patients.
Other Benefits of Kambucha:
Helps to reduce the effects of a hangover
Helps in speeding up the metabolism
It assists in constipation
Aids in acid reflux
It assists with: asthma, cough, and bronchitis, it also protects children from phlegm
It prevents muscular pains and aches
It helps with allergies
It has been proven that it is extremely helpful when it comes to cataracts and several other formations at the cornea
It purifies the gall bladder and prevents nervous stomach and colitis
It helps in lowering the cholesterol level and softens the veins
Aids with infectious diarrhea
It helps in proper digestion
Aids in weight loss

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was fathers day, and like so many since I have moved away from home, I did not spend it with my father. What!!?? Look he lives on a remote Island 5 hours away! So instead I celebrated my wonderful husband who is the father of my son. I made him whole wheat pancakes with fresh whip cream (another reason not to be a full vegan....mmmm whip cream) and berries. I must admit that the pancakes were from a mix but at least it was a healthy mix! Here is a photo’s before I devoured mine!

The Foundation

2011-06-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

So last night I met up with an old friend for a dinner date and we went to "The Foundation", which is a vegetarian restaurant on Main St. I had a few people recommend it and everyone said I must try the nachos. I had a bit of a hard time finding the place since I had never been before; the building is on a corner of the block with graffiti on it and it has a very inconspicuous sign. Once I was inside I found my friend and noticed that although the restaurant was not too clean or modern it was packed, it must be the food. We decided to split the famous utopian nachos and a quinoa and veggie dish which I can’t remember the name of but it was sweet and spicy .....maybe it was a coconut curry?? I was too busy stuffing my face with the nachos! This, my friends, is one of the reasons I can never be a full vegan! Once in a while I just have to break down and have some good old fashioned nachos or pizza with real cheese!

I was too busy inhaling my food to take any photos, so I stole this photo of the Nachos from another blogger who has eaten there! :)

Monday Nights Leftovers

2011-06-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

So either I am not eating food healthy enough to blog about or I just keep forgeting to take photos of my food....It's proabbly the first one! Although last night I did make a healthy meal and forget to take a photo..So I took a photo of the leftovers that I brought to work for lunch and photographed that. :) teehee. I made Korean style tofu and on brown rice, the recipe is from The Low-Carb Gourmet by Karen Barnaby. cook book Its a very easy recipe, its not vegan becasue it has eggs but it is vegetarian.

Korean-Style Tofu (my adaptation)

Serves 3

1 blocks firm tofu, drained
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tsp Red chilli Flakes
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. 2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 Egg
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a bowl combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chilli flakes and green onion. Cut the tofu into 6 thick slices. Whisk together the egg, salt and pepper and dip the tofu slices in the egg mixture, coating them. Heat vegtable oil in a pan over medium heat, add tofu and brown on each side for about 2-5 min. Plate on a bed of brown rice top with sauce. Enjoy!

Quinoa Rocket Salad

2011-06-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Bloggies
So I am really trying my darndest to eat super healthy this week since we leave for Mexico in less than 3 weeks!! I know I said I was going to Jamaica, but I jumped the gun a little and Mexico it is!! Yay. Anywho I have made a rocket salad befor but couldnt find the recipe so used the same base ingredients and made up the rest. In the Salad was cooked (and then Chilled) quinoa, arugula, avacado, cucumber, mandrin slices, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and organicvilles tahini miso vinigerette. I also made a side of mochi.

Wednsday Night Pub Food

2011-06-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

So last night was the first night of the stanley cup playoffs, Go Cunucks! Not that I watched the game (I know I'm bad but I was entertaining my son and new kitten) I tell you this becuase I used this as an excuse to make a very easy (not as healthy as it should be) meal for me and my 2 year old son since my husband and sister were not home. I made (by made I mean heated up in the oven) yam fries and Chick'n (a.k.a. Tofu) nuggets http://www.veggiepatch.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/289. Yummy, I even mixed together some vegenaise with garlic powder and cajun spice for dipping the yam fries! Preston (my son) loved them both, yay for me not having to make 2 dinners and I thought they must be healthier than the pub food my hubby was consuming! lol

Bulgar and Quinno "Neat Loaf"

2011-05-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I just felt like a home cooked meal, so I embarked on the rather large task of making this neat loaf, from the macro chef , it only took 1.5 hours! My mom was visiting so I enlisted her help since there are so many steps to the recipe. There are a lot of ingredients and I ran out of miso paste so I had to wing it a bit. I skipped the side beets and carrots since I did not want to do anymore work that night. My food certainly does not look as pretty as the macro chefs....probably for one I didn't puree the tofu so my mushroom gravy looks kinda gross, but it still tasted good. Once it was plated and I took my first bite I thought that it was ok tasting...I think when you spend a lot of time in the kitchen sometimes you don’t enjoy the food as much. I did have some left over’s yesterday and enjoyed it a lot more, but I can’t help but compare it to my moms nutloaf that I grew up on.........nutloaf takes my first choice for a comfort food like this.