Weekly Cooking Ritual

All of November I did not eat any sugar, processed foods or alcohol, and then in December I ate whatever for my birthday and the holidays. I had an eye opening experience since I felt way better while eating healthy. Of course this should not be surprising, but the amount of difference I felt was.

Currently I am trying to get back into eating really healthy like I did in November, but it is not an easy task. Sugar seems to be in everything, convenience food often involves processed foods, and I like to get drinks with my friends. I have also become addicted to these unhealthy foods, just like most people have, even if they don’t want to admit it.

Now is a time to remind myself of the flavors and benefits of wholesome foods. It is easy to get in a rut and just rely on certain foods that you know are tasty, but may not be the healthiest option. Vegetables, whole grains, beans, tofu, etc. has so much potential to create amazing meals, but sometimes you have to be a little creative.

A friend of mine is also staying away from sugars and processed foods for the next few months, so we started to get together once a week and prepare food. Last night was our third week together and everything we have made so far has been excellent.

Week 1:

Spaghetti squash with Tofu Ricotta (new love for squash!)
French Beans & Berries Salad using kale instead of spinach and tomatoes

Week 2:

Miso Vegetable Soup
Tofu Maple-Walnut Bake (recipe coming soon)
Wild Rice
Steamed Kale with lemon juice & tahini

Week 3:

Quinoa Protein Bars
Vegetable Whole Wheat Cassoulet

The Quinoa Protein Bars are a great option for a quick breakfast or snack. Sometimes I do not have time to cook up my oats in the morning (which I fill with fresh fruit, chia seeds and nuts so I don’t miss the sugar). These bars are a great alternative!

Quinoa Protein Bars

2 cups Quick Cooked Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Quinoa Grain
1/4 cup Flaxseeds Meal
3/4 cup Hemp Protein Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Shredded Coconut
1/2 cup Date Sugar
1/2 cup Oat Flour
1/4 cup Oil
2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Water
2 cups Berries

Cook dry quinoa according to directions. While this is cooking, combine oats, flax, protein powder, baking soda, date sugar, flour, walnuts, seeds, coconut and sea salt in a large bowl.

Once quinoa is cooked, add to the pan the oil, vanilla and water. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together. More water may be needed. Add the berries and mix to combine.

Spread mixture into greased 9 x 13-inch pan, pressing down with hands to fit into pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F. Allow to cool and cut into pieces. Makes 15 bars.

* Add spices, apples, raisins, cranberries, other seeds and nuts to mix up flavors to make variety of different types of bars.

A Tasty Brunch

The girl I have mentored for over 5 years just moved into her own place and is about to turn 18 and graduate high school. I can't believe how fast the time and gone and what an amazing young adult she has become. I asked her to come over for brunch so I can show her some alternative foods to prepare.

I often make myself a tofu scramble over the weekend. It is a great break from my usual green smoothies which I have every weekday morning. Tofu scrambles can be so versatile. You can add different vegetables and different add ins to make every scramble unique. When I am not adding salsa to my scrambles, I usually use Braggs liquid aminos instead of salt to give the scramble more moisture. With the tomatoes from the salsa in the scramble, salt does better.

I am somewhat particular with my scrambles. I would be very annoyed if I went to a restaurant and ordered a scramble and the tofu came cubed. This is simply not a scramble. So make sure to crumble up your tofu for cooking scrambles. This does not need to be disintegrated though, which I have also seen. Having large parts of tofu crumble works really well.

Here is what we had for breakfast and both enjoyed.

Seasoned Potatoes

3 cups Red Potatoes, cut bite-size

1 Tb Olive Oil

2 tsp Fresh Thyme

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Garlic granules

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread out onto a baking sheet at bake at 400 degrees. Bake 10 minutes, toss potatoes and bake another 10 minutes.

Tofu Scramble

1 lb Tofu

2 tsp Olive Oil

5 slices Tempeh Bacon

8 Mushrooms, sliced

1 small Zucchini, halfed and sliced

1 cup Onion, chopped

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Onion Granules

1/4 tsp Garlic Granules

1/3 cup Pineapple Salsa

2 - 4 Tb Nutritional Yeast

Saute the onion in the olive oil in a large pan. Once the onions are golden, add the mushrooms, zucchini and tempeh. Cook for a few minutes to get the vegetables soft. Crumble up the tofu into the frying pan and cook for a few minutes. Use tofu that is meant for frying, but on the softer side. Add the spices, salsa and nutritional yeast. Heat until everything is warm. Serve with potatoes and toast if desired.