Tofu Taco Salad

When i menu plan, i make two recipes at a time. One for lunch, and one for dinner. I choose a lighter option for lunch because heavy stuff at 1pm makes me sleepy… which i tend to forget when i order sushi at lunchtime…oops.

I was thinking of a salad since the weather is getting nicer. And when i thought deeper about the type of salad i wanted i remembered one of the first salad recipes that I was MADLY in love with. I made it as summer was ending…

The Turkey Taco Salad.

But i didnt want to make the same exact thing- so I thought I would add tofu instead of ground turkey.

And BONUS: tofu is way cheaper than organic free range turkey! (hey, sometimes we can’t afford it! No shame in it!)

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of extra firm tofu (diced)
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of water
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup of sweet corn kernels
1 cup of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tablespoons cilantro
5 cups of fresh baby spinach
1 Medium tomato, sliced
OPTIONAL: shredded cheddar and sour cream

After I drained my tofu, i diced it into bite size pieces and sprinkled with the taco seasoning. I set it aside and sautéed the onion and garlic in a little bit of olive oil. I sautéed it over medium heat till the onions became transparent, about 5-7 minutes.

I then added the seasoned tofu and water. Stir gently in the pan for a minute or two. Its tofu, its already “cooked”.

Next add in the corn and black beans.

Stir to heat through and add salt and pepper, if needed. I sprinkled with cilantro.

Now, while your tofu is still warm, place one cup of the hot stuff on a bed of fresh spinach. Add tomatoes, sour cream, jack cheese or whatever you like on your salads.

I neglected to take a photo of the tofu taco salad, but i dug up this gorgeous photo of the turkey taco salad. To be honest, the tofu taco salad was good, but not AS GOOD as the turkey. The turkey provided a little more texture and flavor. I think its worth the splurge to buy the turkey and make the salad the way it was intended to be eaten.

But hey, You’ll never know unless you try! Happy Eating!

Veggie Tofu Soup

Blech.

Happy Friday.

This is probably the best snow storm NY has ever had… all 5 inches of it. The change of weather is definitely getting the best of my sinuses. As I sit here in my bedroom with the lowest light setting possible, i am contemplating donning sunglasses or just going back to bed to wait for the imitrex to take effect.

Migraines suck. As do sinus headaches.

When i feel this way, i want one thing and one thing only: SOUP. Its the end of the week so groceries on hand are scarce. I had a block of tofu in the fridge and some random veggies… and tofu-veggie soup was born.

Ingredients: 1 lb of tofu, 1 carrot (sliced or diced), 2 cups of sliced mushrooms, 3 scallions, 8 cups chicken stock, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes.

My make shift tofu press: two plates, a large pot, and a 2 lb bottle of corn syrup. I let it sit on the counter to drain for about an hour. To keep the tofu’s texture, sort of, i decided to bake it.

I diced the tofu into one inch cubes, sprayed it with a tsp of olive oil and baked at 350* for 20 minutes. I love the way tofu looks and tastes (texturally) when its baked.

Next, i heated 8 cups of low sodium chicken stock and added a package of sliced mushrooms, 3 scallions (chopped), and sliced carrots. When the veggies started to get tender, i added the tofu, some chinese chili powder, and garlic.

I poured it into a bowl and added a few spoons of leftover white rice. I guess its a pantry soup…since its made with whatever was available.

Thats the beauty of soups- so versatile.

Before i go back to bed wanted to share this awesome photo i took two nights ago while walking to Penn Station:

Spooky eh?

…and then sometime this week, i had a moment of weakness. I DESPERATELY waddnted pumpkin pie. I dont know why. But I did. I kept looking in my fridge willing something to satisfy my craving when i was staring at the can of whipped cream that someone brought over on New Years eve… and thought about Paula Deen.

I have a point i promise.

Right before Christmas, on one of Paula’s holiday episodes she made a pumpkin chiffon that had whipped cream and pumpkin puree.. so i went with it.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

1 cup of whipped cream, 1 cup of pumpkin puree, 2 splendas, and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.

I stirred ferociously and had a pumpkin dessert that quieted the screaming pumpkin pie desire.

And probably a much better option than actual pumpkin pie.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Challenge No. 2: Thai Red Coconut Curry

If you can read this, that means I have advanced to the next round in Project Food Blog. I am half shocked and half excited. Just want you all to know that I am SO INCREDIBLY thankful for your votes (and your future votes) that got me through the next round.

When I originally entered I had no idea that once the finalists were announced that there was a very short window of opportunity to create the masterpiece for the next challenge. You see, I thought I had till Monday and actually have something amazing cooked up for tomorrow but I won’t be in time to post it. So once i realized this, i began to panic.

“What am I going to do?”

“I’m not ready!”

“I’m letting my people down!”

And that’s when I remembered what i made for lunch last week: Palak Paneer. No, my challenge piece is not on palak paneer…but when i doctored up a batch of pre-made palak paneer with some fresh spinach, some of my friends were all “You didn’t make it from Scratch???” And my train of thought brought me through india to curry… my fave….but then i thought of my favorite thai dish as i was staring at a thai menu.

Thai. Red. Coconut. Curry.

A Thai dish.

One of my favorite Thai dishes (aside from Pad See Ew) and what better thing to recreate in my kitchen than something i love!

And my 2nd challenge entry was born.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp peanut oil, 6 tri color baby bell peppers (julienned), 1 Onion (sliced), 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 3 teaspoons Thai Red Curry Paste,  3/4 cup coconut milk, 3/4 cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 yellow squash (thinly sliced), 2 Tablespoons flour(+2 Tablespoons of water), 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 block of extra firm tofu (drained and sliced)

thinly slice and julienne your onion and peppers. I chose tri color baby bell peppers for the color. But a regular size bell pepper will do just fine. I also used a garlic press to mince my garlic…Didnt want to chop any more since the onion made me cry. *sniff*

Heat your peanut oil in a large sauté pan and sauté the peppers and onion for 5-7 minutes. Add the curry paste and garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Then add the coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the yellow squash, cover and lower heat to simmer for 12 – 15 minutes. (my apologies for lack of photos during this process.. everything happened kinda fast )

I was going to use this opportunity to add some chicken but thought tofu would be better. I love the texture of tofu in curry and i love how tofu soaks up the curry.

At this time, prep your tofu by draining it between two tea towels or some paper towels to rid the tofu of excess moisture.

Slice the way you like

Whisk flour and water together and add to the curry that is simmering. Then add the tofu, cover and let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve over a bed of jasmine rice…or white rice if you don’t have jasmine.

          

What i love most about Red Coconut Curry is the smokiness and sweetness of the sauce paired with the warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you eat comfort food.  Now that the weather is getting cooler, its a great time to make something like this. A classic Thai comfort dish!

Enjoy!

I am enjoying a bowlful as we speak… best if you start making this asap…

Express

So the consensus is that ya’ll enjoy yourself some burgers but i think more of you were annoyed about the cheese- lol. And that means you are all cheese lovers after my own cheese loving heart and that if we lived together you would never touch my cheese…But really Great ideas for the burgers! I’m glad you all shared and I’m making note to add some avocados to my burgers and maybe even some spicy mustard and mayo! Great Ideas!
Im getting a little tired of my yogurt oats in the morning (blasphemy!) and decided that since i had a few more minutes i decided to make some eggs. this would have cost $2.50 from the cart… i got it for fweee (thats free in baby talk). it was good. and really filling. Its nice to change up your routines- it gives you something to look forward to!

Too bad you couldnt see how i tore this baby up. It was awesome. And probably the best scrambled eggs i have made to date. (there is a wrong way to scramble and egg!)

Lunch was a little on the lighter side. I found a spray version of a ranch dressing (awful- dont ever buy it) and made the mistake of spraying my salad with it… I will take the full fat version of my beloved ranch dressing because a little goes a LONG way! and While i was [impulse] shopping at lunch time i picked up some rice cakes and made sort of like rice cake crotons crumbled on my ensalada… pretty good too.

When i got home to prepare my suppah, there was someone sleeping in my bed.

Lazy girl.

I was rather hungry and decided to make somewhat of an express dinner… (note to self: start prepping dinner the night before!)

pressed some tofu and set it to bake while i made an accompanying side dish

i wanted some comfort…

but i made it healthy[ish] with some broc! and no dirtying another pot! just throw that broc on op of your pasta. when its done, strain and toss back in the pot and mix the powdered cheese… and try not to wish it was velveeta.

i let it set for a min while the tofu was still baking.. but dammit that tofu is taking forever!!!

But at least it was hot, i poured some terriyaki sauce on top and satisfied my hunger.

And it didn’t stop there. as I was washing dishes i made a quick batch of cuppycakes for a friend. ANd yes I added pudding to the mix for a moist and yummy cupcake!

When these babies were cool i removed the centers

and filled them with fluffy white frosting.

then replaced the tops and covered in chocolate frosting. For more step by step instructions you can see the last post i made these cupcakes here. I was HOT and tired so at some point i abandoned my camera. forgive me.

The end resulted in fluffy, yet moist, delicious cupcakes ever… and the birthday girl was greatful and those who were lucky enough to taste were impressed by the filling… for those that want to recreate i learned a new time saving trick! Remove the center of the cupcake with an apple corer!!! GENIUS!

For my TOFU eaters out there: Whats the Best way to Brown the tofu for that delicious crispy brown coating? (i really hope its not FRYING them! eeep!)I tried pan searing it but ended up losing the first layer of the tofu to the pan

And CUPCAKERS: Whats your Ultimate Cupcake? For me, its the capuccino cupcake from Crumbs.

Make me some Dinner!

Well i hope that everyone enjoyed the story from Friday. I was a little hesitant about posting it but I do hope you guys enjoyed it.
I had a great weekend with my friend Karen and my mom. We had a girls day and went to see Eclipse followed by margaritas and giggles about a certain wolf we wouldnt mind spending some time with. I’m team edward by the way… but I couldn’t help swooning every now and then during the film. Im ready to get more Twilight in my system. Time to reread the books! and I saw the previews for the next and final installments of Harry Potter… can I say I got a little teary eyed?
Berries. Berries on sale! I still havent made a complete shopping trip and my creativity is wanning in the kitchen… but berries and breakfast are an obvious!
especially once i take said berries that have been marinating in a litle splenda action and toss them into some yogurt and oatbran

for a disgusting yet delicious yogurt mess. Not to mention the itty bitty nonfat blueberry muffin that i threw in there to make it taste like a trifle. YUM. I also enjoyed the looks of horror on everyones faces as i sat there eating what someone brilliantly named: Guts.

No guts, No glory.

Then someone brought in some yummy coffee flavored wafers from China and they were only 30 cals each so i said what the hell? they were crispy, flaky, and airy. The coffee flavor was more like a dark chocolate flavor but wouldn’t you know it, i was drinking my coffee as I was munching- quite yummy!

Around lunch I drew some inspiration from the block of tofu in my fridge, a frozen package of vegetables in garlic sauce and a tub of grits in my cabinet.

The results? tasty. Grits were jazzed up with the garlicky sauce from the veggies and hte tofu was added for protein (and to get rid of it once and for all!). i enjoyed this but there was someting quite BORING about it. Give me a salad any day of the week!

Patti sent me a text asking if i had dinner plans. My dinner plans were to make a grilled cheese, cuddle with mickey and a beer and watch whatever reality tv trash that was on. So i replied “no plans yet, why?”

“cookin you dinner. Be here at 7″

Helllll yeah!

“YOu better not post that pic on your blog”

Me? humilate people? why would i do that?

Chef Patti.

Very juicy and flavorful chicken cutlet parmesean with a slice of Texas toast. Patti is a genius. She grills her texas toast and it has a delightful crispy surface and tender garlicky bread on the inside. I was so happy to come home to something other than a grilled cheese or bowl of oatmeal. and just when i was rubbin my belly and enjoying the sensation that comes with a homecooked meal and no cleaning dishes after, this lovely box was placed in front of me.

Leftovers from a party the night before. I went for the chocolate mousse cup in the upper left hand corner and managed to take a few bites before I declared “IM FULL!”

She told me to bring some home for my roomie, so i did. I put my mousse away in the fridge when we got home and madea mental note to attack it the following day for dessert part two; and didnt even think of putting a label on it. Roomie must have been overzealous because when i returned home, my half eaten- half licked dessert was gone as well as the other pieces from the box… i later confirmed that he ate it… even with my teeth marks still on it.

Roomates!

If i showed up at your place with my ice cream maker in tow and told you to create your very own flavor of ice cream, what would it be? What would inspire you? and can i put some vodka in it?

Let Downs Left and Right

I would have posted sooner but someone placed 5 dozen (thats a lot) freshly baked cinnamon rolls near my desk. Its always on a day when I am dead serious about staying within my range… and then the temptation in the form of warm baked cinnamon rolls sits in front of me.
I took a 1/4 of one.
Probably still 300 cals worth of cinnamony sin.
DAMMIT.
I got ready for a delicious cup of traders joes greek yogurt and to my horror disocovered a funky gelatnous ring in the center of my yogurt… the date was fresh… and i was grossed out. CHUCKED! I went into the office fridge and found a chobani that was given to me last week… i cautiously opened it and gave it a stir… it was still good. whew. i threw in some oat bran. fresh bloobs and crumbled a 100 cal blueberry muffin.
I snapped a crappy shot of this and started to dig in. I got some really grossed out looks but it tasted a lot like a trifle. It was heavenly!
Speaking of heavenly, I had made a buffalo “chicken” salad for lunch and my fellow diva called and said “We need a drink, Mo”. And i looked at my salad. I looked out the window. Looked at the salad. Looked out the window…
“okay, i will meet you at the pub in 5″
The pub won. Not just for the ice cold beer with lunch but for this beauty: Matt, the bar owner always rolls his eyes when I order, jokingly of course, because this meal in his mind is a “healthy girly meal”. And really the only thing healthy is that i ask for salad instead of fries. My friends ordered loaded tater tots and double stuffed baked potatoes…i ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with chipotle mayo, fresh spinach and some provologne cheese. The spinach florentine sandwich. I dont know if it was karma or the fact that the kitchen was so busy but the end result was that my sandwich wasnt what i was hoping for it to be. It was on the bland side (blasphemy!) but the side salad? PERFECTION!
the reality of my disappointing sandwich inspired me to go home and make some fake take out. Lo Mein.
I couldn’t find my chicken seasonings and decided to wing it. (hahaha-wing, chicken- get it?) I diced up some lite tofu and a ginormous zucchini. I sauteed them both in some sesame oil and garlic for a few mins and then tossed in some thoroughly rinsed tofu shirataki noodles.

I added some soy sauce, ponzu sauce, onion, garlic, and some other randoms that i thought would make this taste good.

It wasnt TERRIBLE but it really needed that chicken seasoning to bump up the flavors and steer clear of the SOY SAUCE flavor. lol. I still enjoyed it but my other lo meins have been much much more successful.

How has having a craving for something let you down?

I was once craving crispy fries from Pomme Frites and the order i took to go was completely soggified. GAG

Do you think your PARENTS should use Facebook, and if so Should they be friends with you and your friends?

I say maybe. Parents should take a Facebook tutorial and study a List of Dos And Donts. This should be something for Melissas Three Things Thursday!

Taco Fail

This is my SEVENTH, yes SEVENTH, Attempt to upload photos. It finally worked. I’m telling you this blogger network is really starting to get on my nerves! ugh!
Recently, I received an email from mom about the consumption of fruit. It basically said to obtain the optimum benefits of fruit, one should consume fruit on an empty stomach. I always research these emails because so many people are eaily influenced by these chain emails that make no damn sense! Im sure you all love the Nigeria emails and Microsoft emails as much as i do!
But i will put to bed that it doesnt matter when you eat your fruits. Just eat them and enjoy them! And with summer so near you can enjoy these beauties:
I love kiwi and strawberries together! MMM! and i sprinkled with some SPLENDA.
While impulse shopping I picked up some random things and this soft taco dinner kit was on sale for $1.49 (dont worry- it wasnt expired) and i thought i would entertain the idea of making some soft tacos for dinner.

I had some ground chicken in the freezer and defrosted it. It looked a little scary but then again so does ALL ground meat. Then I started to cook it.

Gross fest. this chicken was NOT good. And it smelled weird. Chucked that sucker right in the trash. And considered scrapping my taco idea…

till i spied some light tofu in the fridge. I sliced it up and pressed out the excess liquid. Diced it up and set it to a new and screaming hot saute pan.

I added 1/4 packet of taco seasoning and some water and heated the tofu through. The tofu didnt do a great job of absorbin the seasoning.

Made a neat pile of mexican cheese blend, spring greens, tofu and taco sauce. Serving size suggested 4 tacos each… but that seemed like a lot!

So i packed them with more tofu and greens.

FYI: its really odd having to photograph this soft taco. Structurally its not capable of being photogenic without being held together.

I took a big bite. It was okay. Not so much the tofu’s fault as it was the taco kits fault. The taco seasoning tasted of powdered cheese… the kind you find heavily dusted on popcorn. Dont get me wrong, i love fake cheesy dusted popcorn as much as the next guy but as a seasoning for tacos? Hell no! next time i make my own seasoning! And the tortilla as really DRY! The date on the kit was good for another 6 months but i just think that things like this should not be boxed together for the sake of some lazy dude that only wants to assemble and swallow a taco.

I also know that even the next day when i made these tacos with shredded chicken taht they still tasted awful… and dont even get me started on what they called “taco sauce”. I’d rather go to taco bell and get the runs.

So make Your own Taco at home kits: FAIL!

How about a taco bake instead???

Ever been disappointed by a Dinner Kit? DISH!

Udon

A few months ago, I was on a serious Udon Kick. Like everyday for a week I had some variation of Udon. At some point I got a little sick of it… and who wouldn’t- you can get really sick of things when you have it everyday.
I have been staring at this list for months. Its stuck on the wall near my refrigerator. Its a reminder that I made Udon so much that I had the list of ingredients ready to go for whenever. After checking out what was available in my fridge for din din (slim pickings), the only thing in there that was healthy and plentiful were blocks of tofu. And looking at my list, then my tofu, then my list again and seeing in the crisper a fresh bunch of scallions I decided…

We are having Udon for dinner kiddos! Its easy. Its quick. Its freakin delish! (and Oh Em Gee how i love noodles!)

I found some broccoli that was nearing its death and tossed it into the broth while i let the dashi and mirin and soy do their thing.

Grabbed a huge block of tofu and sliced it into big healthy chunks.

I tossed in the tofu and let the soup simmer for 20 mins. When it was almost done, I added a bunch of scallions for an oniony kick.

and prepped my udon noodles while the soup simmered. Its best to make the noodles right as the stock is finishing… its too tempting to have a bowl of noodles staring at you. I should know. I kept “tasting” the noodles… oh noodles! I love them!

Pour broth and some broc and tofu in the bowl and garnish with some chili powder and fresh scallions. eat! enjoy!

And because you made 8 cups of soup, have some leftovers:

Leftovers.

Leftovers with the addition of mushrooms! MMMM.

That surely satisfied my Udon Craving… dont think there will be one for a while. Udon 3 days in a row is enough.

I’m Baaack!

I am back in my office! What a glorious day too! If the desk wasnt so dusty I might have kissed it… Note to self, clean desk, then kiss it! Camera is here, camera cord is here, and sipping from my smoke free coffee traveler.
We’ve got a bit of catching up to do. Last I spoke to you, i was telling you about my friend who went to China. On his Official last day at work I came in with a yummy brekkie.
Chobani with honey and a heapin spoonful of granola. I normally get the 0% Fage but the 2% was on sale. Oh man, was this good! I always have been a fan of greek yogurt but I never experienced bliss like this before. Creamy and sweet… i will not lie- i licked the container. I could eat 3 servings of this stuff in one sitting! (but i never have)…

Then one of my coworkers brought in a devils food cake with a cream cheese frosting. The temptation was too great as I have a weakness for chocolate and the night before was dealing with the most vicous Brownie Craving that ever existed. I gave in and had a sliver of this baby. The cake was dense and chocolatey…i shaved off the frosting because i really wanted the chocolate…not the frosting.

Around lunch time I had a Dr. Zevia that was out of this world! I am such a soda junkie! really really good.

with some steamed chicken (gross) and steamed broc slaw with spaghetti sauce. Dudes, this was a crappy lunch. It took every ounce of will power in me not to dump this and run to the deli for a grilled chicken and avocado sanwich on texas toast (if im gonna go to the deli- im gonna do it up RIGHT)

Around snack time i finished the last of my special k thin crisps that I got from the Food Buzz Tastemaker Program.

These are really yummy! Wish I had more. ((((free stuff))))

Around dinner time I was craving tofu.

I had some marinating and was eager to see how it came out.

ooooooooooooo! I sliced these blocks up and grilled them over medium.

Served with Brown rice and Broccoli.

Overall, i didnt really care for the marinated tofu… the marinade kind of got lost in the tofu… is that weird? I ended up using a dipping sauce for the whole dish.

It was a bland day. And with eating all this subpar food, its no wonder that I went to 5 Burro cafe the next day and drank 2 raspberry margaritas, 3 lobster tacos, rice, beans, and a tray of chips with pico de gallo… OH MY TUMMY!

I Seem to have lost my MoJo

I’m in a Funk.
I can’t get right.
I’ve gained 2 lbs since getting sick a month ago. I am still coughing. I am emotionally and physically exhausted. I was soaring a week ago but it seems that I can’t even fake being happy and energetic the past few days… and its affecting everything. I need to work out. I need to feel those endorphins. I need to stop coughing. I need to stop bitching. I need a new hobby.
I’ve even gone so far as to attempt to join a dating service. So when I went to sign up the price tag killed me! Normally the price isnt a big deal but I think the Universe is telling me I need to go on a dating detox. I need to find my MoJo again and be happy and energetic with every fiber of my heart, mind, body, and soul. Faking it just wont cut it.
We’ve all been there. How do YOU pull yourself out of a funk?
This funk has been affecting my eating habits. Nothing sounds like its gonna taste good. Nothing sounds like its worth making… I grabbed some of my new Low fat Granola and paired it with some “boston cream pie” yogurt from Weight watchers.

The Granola was amazing. Perfectly sweet and an awesome nutrition label (90 cals for 3/4 of a cup!) but the yogurt- not so great. I’m happy that the granola was so yummy otherwise, this would have been a complete disaster…

But don’t worry- Lunch was a complete disaster. LOL. I made some broccoli slaw and some dumplings since I was in the mood for dumplings… the slaw came out nice and I smushed a laughing cow into it for an “alfredo” but the dumplings were gross. Which is sad because i typically enjoy this particular brand of dumplings.
So since broccoli slaw alone wasn’t gonna do it, I made AMYS Brown Rice and Vegetable Bowl. This particular one is REALLY good. Extremly flavorful and not so bad calorie wise. texturally- MUSH. But whatever.

I decided to prepare for my week ahead and prep some tofu.

Marinated it in Ponzu sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, touch of brown sugar, touch of ginger, and a sprinkle of rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes.

For dinner, i took yet another dish out of the freezer. Some Indian leftovers.

I had some leftover rice, a veggie kebab and decided to steam some cauliflower to go along with it. When I was in search of an additional condiment I came accross some Indian Fare from Trader Joes that I thought would complete this impromptu dinner. It was comforting.

I realize what I need right about now is a day in my kitchen where I can start something, finish it and have it come out exactly the way I want it to. And then have an angel come over and clean the kitchen while I sit and enjoy my creation.

I was really looking forward to dessert. An oreos n cream that was in my freezer. it might have melted a little too much before I put it in my freezer… and the entire thing was icy and flavorless. If it hadnt been already 8pm, i would have taken an frosty walk to Forest Hills for TLC fix…

Please forgive this very dumpy post. I hope to get my MoJo back very soon!

(i should note that the first two letters of my first and middle name are Mo and Jo…)