Spicy Tofu Bento Bowl

Vegetarian Times Issue: November 1, 2009 p.37

This salad from October 2006 gives classic veg ingredients an Asian flair. Bento refers to bento boxes, the containers with separate compartments used for take-along lunches in Japan.

ingredient list

Serves 6

Spicy Tofu

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chile-garlic sauce
• 2 Tbs. dark sesame oil
• 14 oz. extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 5 green onions, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup nonfat yogurt
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice

Salad

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. chile-garlic sauce
• 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
• 4 1/2 cups mixed baby greens
• 2 carrots, peeled
• 1 cucumber, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. To make Spicy Tofu: Whisk together soy sauce, chile-garlic sauce, and sesame oil in bowl. Heat skillet over medium heat. Dip tofu in soy sauce mixture; cook 10 minutes, or until browned. Cool 10 minutes. Add green onions, yogurt, and lemon juice to remaining chile mixture. Toss with tofu.

2. To make Salad: Whisk together soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, and chile-garlic sauce in bowl. Mound rice in serving bowls. Top with greens. Shave carrot strips over top with vegetable peeler. Top with tofu, cucumber, and avocado. Sprinkle with sesame seeds; serve with soy sauce mixture.

Nutritional Information

Per :

Calories	297
Protein	12g
Total Fat	15.5g
Saturated Fat	2g
Carbs	30g
Choelsterol	0mg
Sodium	858mg
Fiber	6g
Sugar	3g

Pumpkin Parfaits with Oat Crunch

Vegetarian Times October 2009 p. 69

This recipe makes 1 cup of Oat Crunch, which is more than you'll need for the parfaits. Save the rest to serve with yogurt, fresh berries, or sorbet.

ingredient list

Serves 2

Oat Crunch

• 1/2 cup puffed rice cereal
• 1/4 cup gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant), such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• 2 Tbs. raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Mousse

• 3 Tbs. gluten-free tofu cream cheese, such as Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cream Cheese Alternative
• 1/2 cup sweetened pumpkin pie filling
• 6 oz. vanilla soy yogurt

Directions

To make Oat Crunch:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine puffed rice, oats, and pumpkin seeds in small bowl. Add maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and pinch of salt; stir well. Transfer ingredients to prepared baking sheet; spread into thin layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until light brown. Remove from oven; let cool. Break up Oat Crunch with fingers, and set aside.

To make Pumpkin Mousse:

1. Whisk tofu cream cheese in bowl until fluffy. Add pumpkin pie filling, and whisk until smooth. Chill.

2. Spoon 2 Tbs. yogurt into serving glasses. Top with one-quarter Pumpkin Mousse. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. Oat Crunch over each parfait. Repeat process with yogurt, Pumpkin Mousse, and Oat Crunch.

Nutritional Information

Per :

Calories	227
Protein	5g
Total Fat	8g
Saturated Fat	2g
Carbs	34g
Choelsterol	0mg
Sodium	261mg
Fiber	6g
Sugar	26g

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

Vegetarian Times Issue: October 1, 2009 p.63

This deliciously easy soup became an immediate favorite among VT staffers. It's even better the second day, after the spices have had more time to mingle.

ingredient list

Serves 2

• 2 cups red lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 1 qt. low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 large carrots, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions

1. Bring lentils, vegetable broth, and 4 cups water to a simmer in large pot. Skim away foam that rises to top. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add cilantro, curry powder, and cumin, and cook 20 minutes more, or until lentils are soft. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and stir in lemon juice.

Nutritional Information

Per :

Calories	283
Protein	19g
Total Fat	2g
Saturated Fat	1g
Carbs	50g
Choelsterol	0mg
Sodium	146mg
Fiber	13g
Sugar	7g

Chickpea Croquettes with Greek Salad Topping

Whole chickpeas give these sautéed croquettes a hearty texture.

ingredient list

Serves 4

Topping

• 1 cucumber, quartered and sliced (1 cup)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled low-fat vegan feta cheese, optional

Croquettes

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 4 green onions, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

Directions

To make Topping:

Toss together cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and oil in bowl. Gently stir in feta crumbles. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and set aside.

To make Croquettes:

1. Whisk together chickpea flour, cumin, chili powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup hot water. Stir in remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Scoop 4 ı/4-cup dollops of chickpea mixture into skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden.

3. Flip with spatula, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining chickpea mixture. Serve each Croquette topped with 1/4 cup Topping.

Nutritional Information

Per :

Calories	314
Protein	12g
Total Fat	11g
Saturated Fat	1g
Carbs	45g
Choelsterol	0mg
Sodium	534mg
Fiber	9g
Sugar	6g

Creating a Work/Life Balance

When life starts to spin out of control, it is time to take a step back to get our work/life balance in check. These useful tips inspired from this month's Body + Soul magazine will help you achieve peace and harmony in your life.

1. Find simple pleasures
Whether it is stocking up on produce at the farmer's market and creating a unique meal with a seasonal vegetable, wearing your pajamas all weekend long and busting out your paint set to create a beautiful masterpeice, or cuddling on the couch with a good book, it is important to find simple pleasures among your hectic life.

2. Steal Weekends
Instead of taking one week long vacation during the year, take mini-vacations throughout the year. This will allow you to spend quality time with significant others, family and friends more than once a year. Also, this helps you stay on top of your work and not have to dig through a week's worth of emails after you return from a vacation.

3. Schedule Spontaneity
Put personal time on your calendar by scheduling a Zumba workout, a lunch date with your best friend, boyfriend, or husband downtown during your lunch break, or plan to cook a spontaneous breakfast for your family midweek. Marking your calendar during this time as BUSY will allow you the freedom to be spontaneous.

4. Join a Group
Whether you join Team in Training to train for a marathon or triathlon, a professional/social organization to sharpen your professional skills, or a Meetup.com group to unite you with others who share your passion in ________, joining a group will allow you to make new friends and work with a team to reach a goal.

5. Create a "balance sheet"
Create a "balance sheet" of what is important in your life and refer to it at the end of the week. What do you need to tweak next week to insure your are balanced? Some things that you could include are:
- exercise & nutrition
- husband
- extended family
- friends
- community
- career
- dreams & goals
- home organization
- learning
- exploration

6. Just say no
When you are invited to an event, you don't always have to say yes. Before you accept an invitation ask yourself, "is this something I really want to do?" and "is this something I really need to do?"

7. Free your mind
45 minutes on the treadmill or swimming laps in the pool will clear your mind from the stress of the day. Treat yourself to this. You will thank yourself afterwards.

Baba Ganoush

From VegNews Recipe Club

Ooof! After all the super-sugary sweets of the holidays, something savory is just the thing to start off 2010. This simple, delicious baba ganoush makes the perfect post-workout snack, so it's especially good for all those newly minted gym rats. Served with fresh cut veggies or traditional pita, this dip will keep you happily munching all year. (OK, you'll have to make it more than once.)

Serves 4

What You Need:

2 large eggplants
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke several holes all over the eggplants and bake on a cookie sheet or shallow pan for 30 minutes, or until the skin is shriveled.
2. Remove eggplants from the oven and place in a large bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut off the stem tips and slice each eggplant in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh and transfer to another bowl. Discard the skin.
3. With a sharp knife, cut the eggplant into small pieces. It should be soft enough to become mushy as you cut it. Add the garlic, tahini, and lemon juice, and mix with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.

~*~*~ 2 0 1 0 ~*~*~

It was last year that I made my first set of 'manifestations' that I looked forward to at the start of 2009. I blogged about my goals in this post. After much dedication and determination I was able to meet every goal months before the end of the year. The secret is to make realistic goals, have a strong game plan, and give yourself enough time to reach all you set out to do. Also, I am not afraid to revise my goals and game plan to align with my life.

I am very much looking forward to 2010. This year brings about much change in my life. For starters I am getting married. I am the luckiest woman in the world to get to marry my best friend - a guy who shares the same goals, outlooks and world views as myself. Dave, my fiance, is a selfless giver and a hard worker. He will make an excellent husband and father. I'm so fortunate for him in my life and to grow young by his side.

Second, I will be moving from from Sarasota to Tampa. I am very sad to leave Sarasota and anxious about moving to a new town where I have to start fresh. I worry about creating my individuality in a place where I know no one but my fiance. I know I am safe there with my best friend by my side. I am hoping one day Dave and I will be able to come back to Sarasota. This town is everything I ever wished for in a city to live in, and both Dave and I love it here. The only problem is the job market, and since Dave works in Tampa it makes more sense to live there.

So 2010 is going to be a great year. Change, even while I try to resist it, is always very refreshing. With out any further ado....

Here are my 2010 goals:

1. Have an amazing first year of marriage
2. Be happy and healthy

2. Make new friends

4. Keep off the weight I lost in the past year
5. Further myself professionally

To achieve my goals, I will:
1. Be patient, a better listener, never go to bed upset, and work at expressing my feelings when they are hard to articulate.
I hope to be the best wife I can be and to do this I need to work on some of my faults. I need to be a better listener, be more patient, and express myself fully so I never go to bed upset.

2. Run a 5k
This will be my third IronGirl Clearwater event on April 10. Even though I have run the 10k the past two years, I'm looking forward to moving more towards sprint running since I feel long distances are too hard on my body. I look forward to starting to train for this race after my wedding on February 6th.
3. Compete in a triathlon
I am hoping to race in the Trek Women's Tri Series at Disney in September; however, the last time I check the date was TBD. I did this race last year, and you can read about the journey here.

4. Work out 5-6 times per week.
This really goes with out being said since I currently work out this often and have consistently for quite some time. I go in phases with my workout routine. Last two years I was into running (one marathon, two half-marathons, 10 mile races, 10ks, etc.). An injury took me off running for what has been nearly 8 months now. I then moved on to swimming to heal my foot of plantar fasciitis. I began working out with a trainer one time a week and starting swimming heavily again. Slowly I began working in spin classes and that is where I have been comfortable for the past few months with pool session in there 1-2X per week.
5. Eat healthy
I'd like to think this goes with out saying as I am a high raw-vegan eater, but there are times I get on peanut butter kicks or dark chocolate covered almonds kick or chocolate soy milk kicks that aren't healthy. I'm going to try to keep those at bay while I tranistion over to living with Dave and adjusting to our joining diets.
6. Join a Professional and/or Social Oganization
I will be joining the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Tampa Chapter. This will allow me to network with local people in my field and gain some professional development through seminars. I also will be joining with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Group in Tampa. Dave and I actually met through one, but now I will just be looking to meet new friends with similar interests where we can share stories about our times abroad. I also will be joining various Vegetarian/Vegan/Raw Food groups in the Tampa area. Both meetup.com and the VegTampaBay, have great groups available. This will allow me to meet new friends that share similar culinary options as I do.
7. Recipe of the Month Club
I'm not really sure what goal this falls under, but I might say "have an amazing first year of marriage." I like to cook, and it brings me great pride when Dave says to the dog, "do you know your mom is a great cook?" Furthermore, I have stacks of recipes from Vegetarian Times, blogs and emails that I need to try but never have time to. I really eat very simply - fresh salads, wraps, homemade soups, smoothies, and fresh fruit make up my diet. So making a "big" meal is reserved for Dave's birthday (he asks for Thai 'pad me' noodles, spring rolls, my amazing butternut squash-garlic-apple soup, and vegan chocolate mousse for dessert) or guests (we normally just grill because it is easier to satisfy meat eaters and me - the lone vegan!)
8. Weekly Weights
I have been working out with Michele Rose from SRQ Athletics, a personal trainer, each week for the past year. I have really seen improvements in my strength and muscle tone. I love our session every week and will sincerely miss her when I move to Tampa. I hope I can find an affordable personal trainer in Tampa or a group of women who I can train with. I want to continue to get buff.
9. Join a Master's Swim Team **
I'm hesitant to put this goal on here as I'm not sure it is something I am willing to achieve in 2010. Joining a Master's Swim Team has been in my head for quite some time. I briefly swam for University of Texas' Masters Swim Team in college, but I couldn't hang with the early workout times. The New Tampa YMCA's Masters Swim Team - Tampa Metro Masters Swimming - practices M-Th from 630-8. I need to see how the move goes and if I can commit to those times with a 20 minute commute on each end. Maybe I will find a team closer to our home or a group of people willing to practice at 6am at the Campo YMCA. *** I think this will be on a Maybe list and I will reassess when I move to Tampa next month.