What I Ate Wednesday (25)

Fact: Macrobiotic food is delicious.

Fact: Macrobiotic food is NOT boring.

Fact: What I Ate Wednesdays rock, thanks to Jenn.

Breakfast

Find all the ingredients you’ll need here with coupons from Amazon groceries.

Miso-Maple Millet Porridge

Add ½ cup beans or a serving of steamed tempeh for a protein boost. I stirred in 1 Tbs. of NutriBiotic brown rice protein powder. Of course, I also included 2 Tbs. ground flaxseed—healthy fats for optimal fuel!

Serves 1

Ingredients

¼ cup dry millet, soaked overnight in ¾ cup water

Pinch of salt (optional)

½ cup roasted squash purée (I used kabocha)

½ Tbs. miso

½ tsp. maple syrup

¼ tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, or walnuts, to serve

Chopped scallions and parsley, to serve

Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring the millet to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Turn off burner just before all the liquid is absorbed.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbs. water, miso, maple syrup, and soy sauce until miso is completely dissolved. Pour into the almost-cooked millet, accompanied by the squash purée, stirring well. Turn the burner on again, on medium-high heat (don’t bring to a boil, or else you’ll destroy the miso’s wonderful enzymes), and cook slowly for 1-2 more minutes, until desired consistency is achieved. Serve hot with nuts/seeds, scallions, parsley, and cracked pepper to taste.

Lunch

Rosemary Fried Rice

Feel free to toss in mushrooms, baby corn or corn kernels, snow peas, whatever veggies you want! Add sunflower seeds, cashews, or almonds for a boost of healthy fat and protein, too.

Serves 1 hearty appetite as a meal, 2 as a side

Ingredients

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 carrot, thinly coined

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

½ apple, chopped

1 cup leftover brown rice

2/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed

2 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 tsp. brown rice vinegar

1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried

1 scallion, chopped

1-2 Tbs. nutritional yeast

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional; just if you like a little heat!)

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet or wok and sauté garlic, carrot, and celery for 1-2 minutes. Add apple, rice, peas, soy sauce, and vinegar, stirring well, cooking another minute or so. Turn off heat, stir in remaining ingredients, and serve hot.

Dinner

No recipe here; just a pretty picture . . .

Clockwise from top: brown rice with parsley; stir-fry containing mixed mushrooms, bellpepper, corn, chickpeas, basil, arugula, nutmeg, paprika, and pumpkin seeds for garnish; braised daikon; seaweed salad.

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Sunday evening, I attended a Vegan Meetup in Omaha. The dining destination: Crystal Jade. I anticipated finally meeting some fellow vegans and, most of all, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, who, for whatever reason under the sun, currently lives in Omaha AND will be opening a restaurant there in the not-so-distant future! SQUEE!

I'm not a creeper . . . honestly. But I just had to prove that I met Isa (second from left)!

As for my culinary experience, well, here are some photos of the fare I sampled:

Curry pouches and vegan eggrolls. The former were just okay, but the latter were great!

Curry Noodle soup and Tom Yum soup.

Curry Tofu and Mongolian Mock Duck, both of which were pretty good. I was impressed with the seitan.

Chop Chae on the left. Magic 3 (Brussels sprouts and cabbage in a coconut sauce) and Lucky 7 (deep-fried tofu puffs, I think?).

These were my favourite two dishes--Peanut Butter Tofu (to die for!) and the Isa Noodle (which was also quite tasty).

The food was, overall, pretty good . . . but to be honest, I wouldn’t go there again. Why? Well, for one, I felt like I could pretty easily replicate all the dishes at home, for much, much cheaper than the buffet cost. Also, I was severely disappointed by the general lack of veggies. The meal was very heavy on the soy protein, salt, and refined carbohydrates. When will Asian restaurants begin offering brown rice alongside the white variety, seriously?!

On the drive home, my boyfriend and I discussed, in turn, what we’ve come to believe constitute the two distinct categories of vegans: the carbo-loading-Oreo-gorging-thinks-veggies-are-gross ones versus the quinoa-kombucha-chia-seed-&-kale-loving type. We most definitely belong to the latter group—which made us realize we’re really more macro-vegan than anything else, to be über accurate. What can I say, I love me my seaweed!

Taken with a Grain of Salt

Sodium is a powerful mineral, both in the kitchen and out. While of course I always limit my salt intake, I also recognize how critical salt is in really accentuating the flavours of the dish—you only need a pinch or half a teaspoon, not a handful, which is why salt is too often demonized. Yes, in excess, it can provoke a variety of harmful health conditions, but when used properly, salt is not only entirely benign, it is also very beneficial.

Asian cuisine is notorious for being much too salty, so while I adore it, I only visit restaurants every once in a while, because I know, afterward, I’ll be chugging water and frequenting the bathroom all night long. Sometimes, though, it’s definitely worth it. Last week, my boyfriend and I dined at my favourite Thai restaurant, and I must say, for it’s location in quasi-metropolis Iowa, this place is authentic and serves delicious food. Plus, it’s vegetarian/vegan friendly and is the only local Asian restaurant I know of that serves brown rice!

These are seriously the BEST fresh spring rolls I've ever had. The marinated tofu inside is incredible, as is the peanut sauce served alongside.

I ordered what I always order--Pad Eggplant with tofu. Delicious! The eggplant is always amazing. I also had a side of brown rice. I have recreated this dish at home, so I'll need to post that sometime.

My boyfriend also ordered his usual: Pumpkin-Coconut Curry with tofu, alongside brown rice. I haven't replicated this recipe yet . . . need to in the near future.

In order to satiate my Asian appetite without all the salt, I re-create many of my favourite dishes at home. This week, I was craving Chinese, namely Sweet & Sour Tofu.

Sweet, Sour, but Not-Too-Salty Tofu

Feel free to add any other veggies, such as water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc., to this stir-fry-esque dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the sauce:*

¼ cup reserved pineapple juice

3 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 Tbs. ketchup

2 Tbs. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 Tbs. brown rice syrup or brown sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. hot chili oil

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

A pinch of white pepper

Black pepper, as desired

*If you prefer a thicker sauce, add 2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder to the mix.

For the dish:

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs. minced ginger

1 18-oz. block extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 16-oz. can baby corn, drained and spears cut into 1-inch pieces

1 16-oz. can diced pineapple, juice reserved

1 head broccoli, florets separated into bite-size pieces

1 large red bellpepper, sliced

1 cup snow peas

2 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

Roasted, salted cashews, to serve

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbs. neutral oil (such as safflower) in a large skillet or wok. Sauté minced garlic and ginger for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add cubed tofu, and cook 2-3 minutes, or until cubes are just beginning to brown.
3. Add broccoli and bellpepper, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until both veggies are tender enough to be pierced by a fork. Add baby corn and snowpeas, and then, pour the sauce evenly over everything, stirring well to coat. Cook for another minute or so before finally adding pineapple pieces and scallions. Cook for 2 more minutes, until heated through. Serve garnished with cashews alongside steamed brown rice.

“A bright autumn moon . . .

In the shadow of

each grass

an insect chirping”

~ Buson

An Appetite for Asian

Perhaps I’ve mentioned this before, but when my mum was pregnant with me, she frequently ate Japanese food . . . and to this day, I am an Asian food aficionado, particularly where Japanese and Thai cuisines are concerned. Three weeks ago today, I embarked on a detox quest, and what better cuisine to cook whilst detoxing than Asian—the Japanese diet is attributed to be one of the healthiest diets in the world and is the foundation of macrobiotics, one staple of which is miso soup, which can act as a starter or, in my case, an entire meal in one big, blissful bowl.

Super Simple Miso-Soba Noodle Soup

Inspired by a recipe in The Kind Diet

Serves 1 hearty appetite, or 2-3 as a side

Ingredients

2 oz. soba noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

2 cups water

2-inch piece of kombu, finely snipped

3 oz. extra firm tofu, pressed, drained, and cubed

1 cup shredded bok choy

1 nori sheet, cut into 3-inch matchsticks

½ cup mushrooms, whole or sliced

1 tsp. grated gingerroot

2 tsp. miso paste (I used this)

1 scallion, chopped, to serve

Toasted sesame seeds, to serve

A drizzle of soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu, to serve

Directions

1. In a medium-sized pot, bring water and snipped kombu to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add tofu cubes, vegetables, ginger, and soba noodles.
2. Ladle a little of the warm water into a small bowl and whisk in miso, stirring until smooth. Transfer miso mixture back into the pot, stirring well. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, with chopped green onion, sesame seeds, and soy sauce as desired.

You can add pretty much any veggies you want--I used a couple slice of Heart of Gold squash for this bowl. And trust me, if you're eating this recipe all by yourself, you will want a BIG bowl!

With Asian on the brain, I started recalling favourite dishes from my childhood. At one particular Chinese restaurant, I always ordered the Moo Shu Pork—and to this day, I adore the unique flavour of hoisin sauce. A lot of storebought hoisin sauces, however, are not the healthiest. Then, I discovered an organic option from Premier Japan, and I couldn’t wait to test it, which I did on Wednesday, and I was quite pleased indeed.

Moo Shu Tofu Wrap

Serves 1

Ingredients

For the tofu:

3 oz. extra firm tofu, pressed and drained

1 Tbs. orange juice

1 tsp. rice vinegar

½ tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

¼ tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

Cracked black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. grated gingerroot

1 cup bok choy or napa cabbage, shredded

½ cup mushroom pieces

½ tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 small carrot, shredded

1-2 Tbs. hoisin sauce

1 large whole grain tortilla

1 scallion, chopped

Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To prepare the tofu, mix together the juice, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, spice, and pepper. Put tofu into a flat-bottomed container, and pour marinade over it. Allow it to marinate at least 1 hour, flipping halfway through.
2. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place tofu on a greased baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes. Flip, brush with any extra marinade, and cook for another 10-15 minutes before removing from heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sautée garlic, ginger, bok choy, and mushrooms, adding a drizzle of soy sauce as necessary. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until veggies are just tender, not too mushy. Remove from heat.
4. To assemble, spread hoisin sauce on the tortilla. Layer cooked veggies and shredded carrot on one half of the tortilla. Top with cooked tofu (halved lengthwise), chopped scallions, and pepper. Serve warm or cold, with extra hoisin sauce for dipping if desired.

Here's how I arranged mine.

NOTE: I used a sprouted grain Ezekiel wrap from Food for Life.

What I Ate Wednesday (7): Detox, Day 6

Well, six days into my detox, I’m feeling quite well indeed. My tummy hasn’t been torturing me at night, and my sugar cravings are nearly non-existent.

So, what exactly have I been eating on my detox quest? Well, let’s find out, shall we? Featuring my seventh What I Ate Wednesday, courtesy of Jenn.

Breakfast

One of my favourite breakfasts this time of year: Pumpkin Pie Oats! And the pumpkin wasn’t even from a can—I roasted it myself!

Mid-Morning Snack

When I visited Whole Foods last Friday, I indulged in a loaf of sourdough bread. It’s not whole grain, granted, but it’s fermented . . . and delicious! Even more so with a little homemade vegan pesto.

Lunch

I was craving Asian food, and this was what resulted:

A sort of "deconstructed" sushi bowl (recipe follows), alongside a braised daikon radish, and a pear.

Fruity Fusion “Deconstructed Sushi” Salad

This is sort of like lazy maki—no rolling necessary. A bit inspired by this recipe.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup shredded red cabbage

½ nori sheet, cut into strips

½ cup shelled edamame

½ pear, chopped

1 Tbs. chopped cilantro

For the Dressing

1 tsp. brown rice vinegar

1 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 tsp. sesame oil

½ tsp. brown rice syrup (optional)

1 tsp. each minced ginger & garlic

Pepper, to taste

¼ cup dried shortgrain brown rice, cooked and cooled

Chopped walnuts, to serve

Pickled ginger, to serve

Directions

Combine dressing ingredients, and set aside. Toss together cabbage, nori strips, edamame, pear, and cilantro with dressing. Serve on top of rice, garnished with walnuts and served with pickled ginger.

You could also add some shredded carrots, chopped cucumber, red bellpepper, sweet potato, or even kabocha squash.

Afternoon Snack

Finally got around to trying a Blueberry Muffin Larabar. It was okay—not my favourite flavour, though.

Dinner

Whereas lunch was Asian-themed, dinner was delightfully Mediterranean.

An abundant spinach, roma tomato, cucumber, and parsley salad with hummus, whole wheat couscous, and a couple stuffed grapeleaves, otherwise known as "dolmas".

Dessert

Detox shouldn’t exclude occasional desserts . . . if they’re healthy, of course, and especially if they include HOMEMADE, low sugar vanilla soy yoghurt. Yes, my first attempt at making my own yoghurt went fabulously, thanks to this lovely machine. I will be posting a tutorial and recipe soon, I promise!

Homemade vanilla soy yoghurt, a little homemade granola, some pistachios & raspberries, and a chopped dried fig. Dried figs are sort of my weakness. <3

What I Ate Wednesday (6)

Where October is my favourite month of the year, Wednesday is now my favourite day of the week, thanks to Jenn.

Breakfast

As of late, my tummy and I haven’t been the best of pals, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, my hunger has been crazy as of late—in the last week, I’ve awoken in the middle of the night or way too early in the morning STARVING, and boy, there are few things more irritating than that, especially when one’s sleep patterns are disrupted as a result. And why has my appetite skyrocketed? Easy: exercise. The feeling of blah I mentioned I was feeling at the end of September motivated me to seek out a re-inspired life again, starting with daily cardio exercise (with a couple rest days, of course)—hoorah for endorphins! However, I carelessly didn’t replace the calories I burned (since I’m not trying to lose weight), and my already fast metabolism obviously accelerated even more. Solution: more food.

Secondly, I’ve been having strange tummy troubles: bloating, painful and excessive internal gas, and frequent trips to the bathroom (sorry if that’s TMI). I’m not quite sure what it is, why I’m having it, or if it is something to worry about. IBS? Gluten intolerance? Too many beans? Too much bread? So, today, I tried avoiding bread altogether, and as I post this, I’m feeling pretty normal—much, much better than I have for the last several evenings, since the symptoms arise in late afternoon and continue more or less until bedtime. I’m also trying to eat a bit less at night, too, since my digestion tends to struggle. Hence: bigger breakfasts.

1/4 cup steel-cut oats + 1/4 cup rolled oats, soymilk, ground flaxseed, 1/2 peach, 2 chopped dried dates, chopped walnuts

As for my stomach issues, is it possibly gluten? Or just a bread overdose compared to whole grains? I’d been eating a lot more bread lately, for convenience’s sake. For the time being (at least until Monday), I’m swearing off bread to see what happens . . . I certainly hope I’m not gluten-intolerant, though. I like seitan far too much.

Morning Snack

One of my favourite childhood snacks: celery dipped in peanut butter. My grandpa often made these for me when I visited my grandma and him.

It was followed shortly after by some morning reading and a steaming mug of delicious Caramel Vanilla tea (sadly, a discontinued holiday flavour) from The Republic of Tea.

You may know that I love Yoga, but did you know that I'm an English major?

Lunch

I’m really savouring autumn flavours—which inspired today’s lunch, a personal pizza with a polenta crust.

Polenta Personal Pizza Crust

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/3 cup dry polenta

2/3 cup water

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F. Combine polenta, water, salt, and pepper in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat, and cook according to package directions until polenta begins pulling away from the sides of the pot and thickens.
2.  Spoon polenta onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil or lined with parchment paper, and press down evenly with the back of the spoon, spreading into a circle about ¼-inch thick. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes before adding toppings of choice, then baking another 15-20 minutes until crust is quite crispy on the edges. Serve piping hot!

This crust was topped with hummus (for the sauce), sweet potato, parsnips, green bell peppers, apples, caramelized onions, and parsley. Obviously, you can add whatever toppings you like--that's the beauty of pizza!

I also ate the other half of the apple and 2 squares of Chocolove’s amazing Extra Strong Dark 77% Cocoa bar.

Afternoon Snack

Some lentil-walnut pate (yes, I know I still haven't posted the recipe!), some roasted carrots, and some green bellpepper slices. I didn't actually eat the pear until after dinner.

Dinner

After 30 minutes on the elliptical, my appetite was nowhere to be found—that’s the irony of exercise. It initially suppresses hunger, only to make it surge later. Nevertheless, I made myself eat dinner, in order to repair my muscles and prevent excessive hunger later this evening or during the night.

An Asian-style bento bowl with millet as the base, roasted carrots, seaweed salad, roasted portobello mushrooms, ginger-garlic bok choy, shelled edamame, and goji berries & sesame seeds for garnish.

What I Miss Monday 2

This week I’ve been missing . . .

Japanese cuisine

I’ve been avidly eating Japanese food since before I was born—yes, when my Mum was pregnant with me, she frequented a Japanese restaurant in Omaha that would later become my favourite childhood restaurant. It’s weird to think about it, but literally, my fetus thrived on miso soup, seaweed, tempura, teriyaki, California roll, and sushi.

Now, where curry excites me and warms my insides, Japanese calms and cools me down. It’s been quite warm here as of late, and in turn, I haven’t really wanted to eat anything cooked, so I’ve been eating a lot of salads, including . . .

Super Simple Japanese Seaweed Salad

I splurged on a package of mixed sea vegetables because, well, they’re delicious and nutritious, and my body was really craving their cooling energy.

Back home, I usually reconstitute dried seaweed because it's much cheaper. Seaweed is expensive--hence, an occaisional treat. This WAY-TOO-TINY package contained dulse, nori, and sea lettuce.

Ingredients

Serves 1-2

1 cup pre-prepared or rehydrated seaweed

¾ cup cucumber, thinly coined then cut into strips

1 Tbs. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1/2 Tbs. brown rice vinegar

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

Toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Essentially, combine all ingredients and garnish with roasted sesame seeds when ready to serve.

Eaten with chopsticks, of course!

Seaweed is a MAJOR superfood packed with phytochemicals. I make it whenever I feel:

1)   that I haven’t eaten enough vegetables lately. And yes, even as a vegan, I sometimes don’t get my daily recommendations for produce—like last Monday, dinnertime rolled around, and I was rather horrified when I realized I’d only consumed 3 servings of veggies that day, when I usually aim for 7-9!

2)   that my body needs a detox. For example, a couple of days ago, I ate a few too many dried dates, which I absolutely adore, but whose sugars my body sometimes cannot handle, especially when I eat 2 servings in one sitting. I literally crashed on my bed for an hour afterward and sort of napped until the sugar high wore off. Lesson learned, detox the next day.

3)   that I am “internally imbalanced” and require the salty Yang of sea vegetables to recenter myself. I’m a huge proponent of Macrobiotics, a diet philosophy based on Zen that explores the balance of Yin and Yang in food. It’s really quite intriguing, and I will inevitably discuss it more in-depth in future posts, but for now, if you’re interested, you can learn more about it here.

4)   whenever I make homemade vegan nori rolls! Oh, I miss my kitchen!

Despite not really wanting warm foods, I did make a delicious stir-fry last week, and while not necessarily Japanese, it can perhaps qualify as “Asian fusion,” blending elements of Chinese and Thai cuisine. Multiple sources inspired this particular—an old, old, old Jane Fonda recipe, this recipe, and this recipe. Essentially, you can add any vegetables you want; had I the resources, I would also have included snow peas, shiitake or straw mushrooms, and, most importantly, baby corn!

Asian Apricot-Almond Stir-Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 16-oz block extra-firm tofu, pressed & drained*

2 medium eggplants, coarsely chopped

½ lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed

½ cup chopped scallions, green & white segments

8 dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1-2 Tbs. freshly minced garlic

1 Tbs. olive oil

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves

2-3 Tbs. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

2 Tbs. brown rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Cracked black pepper & red pepper flakes to taste

Roasted almonds & toasted sesame seeds, to serve

Directions

*First off, if you’ve never cooked with tofu, here’s a little crash course for you, Tofu 101. There are 3 main types of tofu textures—extra-firm, firm, and silken. Silken is best used for smoothies, desserts, and vegan omelets. Firm works very well for tofu scrambles. And extra-firm, well, is perfect for essentially everything else since it doesn’t crumble as easily. In order to ensure the firmest texture possible, you must first “drain” the tofu. How? Easy. Place the block of tofu between two plates and put something heavy (for example, some ridiculously large college textbooks, which, from personal experience, work very well!) on the top plate. Wait 30 minutes to 1 hour before removing the weight and dumping the pool of water that has congregated on the bottom plate into the sink.

Now, you’re all ready to wok and roll!

1. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add garlic and scallions, and sauté until slightly translucent. Add eggplant, green beans, and ¼ cup water or vegetable broth, steaming the vegetables until the green beans become tender.
2. Add tofu, dried apricots, soy sauce, and vinegar, stirring frequently for another 1-2 minutes. Add basil leaves, and cook until just wilted. If you’d like a bit of spiciness, sprinkle ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes into the mix and stir well to combine.
3. Serve garnished with roasted almonds and toasted sesame seeds and accompanied by brown rice.

Seriously, if I could get away with it, I'd eat with chopsticks ALL THE TIME.

Sea Vegetable