Hoppin' John

Happy New Year!  I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to wrapping up 2014 -- the past year was filled with incredible, unexpected stress, pain, loss, grief, transition, and finally healing for me, but still ... it really was a pretty long, difficult year.  Beginning at the end of November, all I felt like doing was fast-forwarding through the holidays and beginning anew.

(Don't get me wrong ... my year wasn't all bad.  I took trips to Seattle, Stillwater, Boston, and Duluth, attended a brilliant training for work that inspired me to take a very challenging professional development class this fall, enjoyed every crumb of the inaugural Twin Cities Donut Crawl, reconnected with some old friends and strengthened other friendships, made yoga a regular part of my self-care routine, pickled every vegetable in sight, started getting regular pedicures and flossing, lost 17 pounds, found a therapist, started "Muffin Mondays" at work, moved into an apartment that has ended up being a really good fit for my life right now, learned how to knit, watched all 9 seasons of both "How I Met Your  Mother" and "That 70s Show" (and had a lot of laughs, thanks to those well-written shows,) enjoyed many live theatre productions, and sang weekly with my church choir. There was plenty of good ... just coupled with whopper stress.)

So, here we are!  A fresh start, clean slate, blank page, new beginning.  I felt almost required to make a big pot of Hoppin' John today, as it is supposed to bring me a prosperous year filled with luck.  And after the year I've had, I figure, I can take all the luck I can get.

Hoppin' John is traditionally made with bacon or ham hock; while not necessarily vegetarian-friendly at first glance, it is basically a humble, nutritious, thrifty meal of beans and rice.  Swap out that bacon for some diced tomatoes and a canned chipotle chile in adobo, and there you have it.  A steaming bowl of vegetarian luck and prosperity -- and a healthy dose of protein, fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients, too!

Hoppin' John

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 c finely-chopped onion

1 c finely-chopped celery

1 c finely-chopped bell pepper (red, green, or a mix)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika (you could try smoked if you want extra smoky flavor ... I chose sweet today)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (or 2 c cooked black-eyed peas)

3/4 c long-grain brown rice
2 c low-sodium vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted diced tomatoes, if you're feelin' fancy)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the spices are lightly toasted.
2. Add the chipotle chile in adobo, black-eyed peas, rice, broth, and tomatoes to the pot.  Bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat to a simmer, (use a heat diffuser if you have one,) cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour.  If you have time, remove the pot from the heat and allow the rice to continue steaming for another 10 minutes or so.  Remove the chile and bay leaf.  Serve as-is, or with greens, or cornbread ... or both!

I had a client state during parenting group Tuesday evening that he is wishing for a "drama-free" 2015 ... and I couldn't help but concur.  :)  To a drama-free 2015!

400-calorie dinners (vii)

Two more 400-calorie dinners we've enjoyed this week . . . 

Stir Fry:

So far, the "tricks" I've discovered to making a delicious, 400-calorie stir fry are these:

1. Use only a little oil (or cooking spray) to brown your tofu and cook up your veggies
(Let's face it . . . most stir-fries can end up a little greasy, can't they?)

2. Keep an eye on your rice portion
(I find 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup is plenty for me.)

3. Make your own sauce!
(Most commercial stir-fry sauces are loaded with salt and sugar, and probably some GMOs or other not-too-desirable ingredients.)
Here's my default stir-fry sauce recipe, in case you're curious:
2 tbsp low-sodium tamari
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
Combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Add the sauce just as your veggies finish cooking, and boil/cook the stir fry until the sauce thickens and clears.  (This should just take a minute or two.)

Biryani:

I followed the recipe for "Neelam's Festive Rice Pilaf," from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, nearly as written, making a few substitutions based on what I had on hand, (swapping in currants and dried apricots for the raisins and dried blueberries, and edamame for the frozen peas.)  I also gussied up some fat-free Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt, plenty of minced fresh ginger, chopped mint, and minced cilantro, and served the yogurt with the rice, as the recipe suggested.  Delicious!  The rice is fantastic on its own, (I love the sweet-salty-spicy-savory balance,) but the yogurt really makes the dish.  (Plus, most of us can always use a bit more calcium and protein on a daily basis, right?)

What are your favorite stir-fry ingredients?  I have a tendency to overload my stir-fries (and curries) with every vegetable under the sun, but really showed restraint this week.  :)  I loved the simplicity of using just red onion, broccoli, and shiitake mushrooms!

400-calorie dinners (vi)

Full disclosure: I've kind of fallen off the calorie-counting bandwagon this past week.  Why?  Well, I've had a number of meals involving guests, (either at my house or out,) parties, and other fun things to attend, and calorie-counting is a little bit tedious in front of others.  :)  I've still been trying to eat healthfully and keep portions reasonable, I just haven't been weighing or measuring things.

However, I did manage two "properly" counted 400-calorie meals this past week:

Biscuits and Gravy:

Really, there's nothing even remotely healthy about this meal, except for a hefty protein dose -- fat and white flour smothered with more fat, white flour, and a bit o' tempeh.  :)  Just goes to show that even when counting calories, there's room for an occasional indulgence, right?  (Plus, this is one of John's all-time favorite breakfasts, and I had a package of tempeh in the freezer . . . hard to say no to that, right?)  I used the buttermilk biscuit recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook,  make a batch of "Tempeh Sausage Crumbles" from Vegan with a Vengeance, (using extra olive oil,) then finish the mess off with a sprinkling of all-purpose flour, and half vegetable broth/half milk.  Cook until thick, and breakfast is served!  This week, I happened to be out of regular milk, and subbed in buttermilk with excellent results.  (I did omit the lemon juice called for in the tempeh sausage crumbles, as I didn't want things to get too weirdly tangy, and John is also sensitive to sour tastes in food.)  John declared this my best batch of biscuits and gravy to date!  Woot!

Bibimbap:

Why on Earth has it never occurred to me to make bibimbap at home before?  Hands-down my favorite order at any Korean restaurant, ("no beef, tofu please!"), and a cinch to make at home.  3/4 cup brown rice tossed with 1 tsp each toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar, topped with shredded carrot, diced red onion, shelled edamame, tofu, nori, sesame seeds, a sunny-side-up egg, and a dribble of sriracha.  Heaven!  Protein-packed, too, which is guaranteed to keep me full well into the evening. A great use of whatever veggie odds and ends we have on hand, I can see this becoming a frequent repeat at our house, especially with beautiful, in-season summer produce!  (Plus, anything involving eggs is always a hit with John.)

Have you had Korean food before?  What's your favorite order?  (As an aside, the syrupy-starchy-sweet-potato bite is my favorite of those little side dish ban-chan salads!)

atop brown rice

Most weeks, I spend some time over the weekend prepping meals/ingredients for the coming week, and last weekend was no exception!  I ended up cooking up three cups (dry) of brown rice for our meals this week, and it wasn't even enough!  Ha!  We stuffed some of that rice into burritos, and had the following two meals:

"Mapo Tofu," from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant:

While this was a good, quick, easy to prepare weeknight stir-fry, (especially when I prepped all of the veggies and sauce ingredients ahead of time,) the flavor was a little . . . strange.  John exclaimed immediately how tangy the sauce was, and I tended to agree.  :(  Personally, I like my homemade stir-fry sauce better, so I guess we'll be sticking with that one!  However, this was a perfectly acceptable meal.

Coconut Curry:

I don't use a recipe for this meal -- just fry up some tempeh or tofu, add veggies, a couple tablespoons curry paste, a tablespoon each sugar and tamari, and add a can of coconut milk.  Rich, flavorful, and delicious!  This week, I used tempeh, sweet potato, red onion, and green beans.  I'm not always a huge fan of leftovers, but this meal improved with time -- bonus.  John wasn't sure about the sweet potato in a Thai-style curry, but I love it!

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I'm really thrilled about this three-day weekend, although it's raining this morning.  John and I have some errands to run, lots of gardening to do, and a camping trip to prepare for!!!  I can't WAIT to go camping!  What are you looking forward to this holiday weekend?

too spicy!

While John and I both enjoy spicy food, our systems handle it less well than they did when we were each younger.  Getting old is so much fun, isn't it?  ;)

So, if that doesn't qualify as an "overshare," I'll keep going with this post.  I made some deliciously healthy Caribbean Red Beans and Brown Rice for dinner the other night, with a side of greens:

I vaguely remember this dish being on the spicy side the last time I made it . . . but of course, it didn't occur to me to cut the amount of cayenne in half!  Shoot.  And then I added too many chili flakes to the kale.  How to save a meal that's too spicy?

1. Add guacamole.  Or sour cream.  Or both!

2. Freeze some of the leftovers, hoping storage dulls the capsaicin.

3. Take a cup of leftovers and puree with a cup of quick-cooking oats for nearly instant veggie burgers. (More on that technique later, as I haven't actually eaten those veggie burgers yet!)

4. Serve the leftover kale with black-eyed peas, over leftover Millet-Cheddar Polenta.

I suppose we'll look at this "too spicy" meal as a blessing in disguise -- I learned some new ways to think about leftovers!  I'm particularly excited about this quick-cooking oats veggie burger idea.  I'll letcha know how it turns out . . . just as soon as we try them!

make your own Chipotle

You, too, can make your own Chipotle at home.  Although not as speedy as the restaurant fare, it's definitely healthier -- I can control my portions better, and don't feel compelled to drink a gallon of water after my meal.  :)

(Notice that I still felt I "needed" an extra-large portion of guacamole.  Other components are more in check, though!)  :)

In my "burrito bowl at home" --
cilantro-lime rice (i.e., cook up some brown rice and add minced cilantro and the juice of one small lime)
black beans (from my freezer, although rinsed, canned beans would work just fine, too)
fajita veggies (a small red onion and two small green bell peppers, fried up in a freaking-scorching cast iron skillet, seasoned with a pinch of salt and a few dashes of chili powder)
shredded cheese (I bought the pre-shredded kind in the bag!  It's hot!  I'm lazy!)
pico de gallo (I can get a beautiful, local, fresh salsa at my co-op!)
shredded romaine (local!)
sour cream (local!)
guacamole (containing a ripe avocado, a squirt of lime juice, salt, garlic powder, and a dash of hot sauce)

Scoop the whole thing up with Whole Grain Milling Company tortilla chips, if you are so inclined.

rice and beans, beans and rice

Who doesn't like beans and rice?

Brown rice, black beans, corn, green onions, red bell pepper, queso fresco, salsa, and a little extra-virgin olive oil.  Tasty hot, room temperature, or cold; I generally make a vast quantity, as I never seem to get sick of this meal!

today in food

After an incredibly busy day yesterday, which involved spending WAY too much time in the car driving all over the metro for a variety of reasons, we made today a quiet day.  We did little besides cook, eat, and lounge, although we did get out for a walk this afternoon.  Here's today in food:

Breakfast:

Homemade buttermilk pancakes, topped with strawberries and syrup, with a side of maple-glazed breakfast sausages!

Lunch:

Homemade pizza, using up leftovers from the party last weekend, with a spinach, cucumber, and tomato salad on the side.  (P.S. LOVE "Goddess" dressing.  The only bottled dressing I buy.  Anyone have a good recipe for a homemade version?)

Afternoon baking project:

I can't think of anything better to do on a dreary Sunday afternoon besides lounge around watching Forrest Gump, while periodically stirring the granola -- can you?

Dinner:

Chili-Glazed Tofu Over Asparagus and Rice was a new recipe, and a good one!  I, of course, didn't follow the recipe as written . . . I pulled the asparagus component out of the rice pilaf, roasting it in the oven instead, and added red bell pepper and mushroom to the pilaf, per a suggestion someone made the comments section of the recipe.  Kept the glaze on the tofu the same, though, which was excellent!  I'll definitely make this again -- healthy and easy.

Off to finish the movie . . . !

lunch with leftovers

Sunday's lunch, that has translated into plenty of leftovers for my lunches this week:

Sweet and Savory Wild Rice Salad from the Kitchn is one of those all-star recipes that is flavorful, healthy, and almost shockingly easy. (Especially since I used all dried herbs this time around, as fresh herbs are not in season and ass-expensive these days.) I made several substitutions, as ever, but that's the beauty of this salad -- it is flexible enough to use whatever you have on hand. I was even able to use up the wild rice I've had on hand for freakin' ever!

one cannot live on eggs alone

I'm back! After a couple of long bus rides, (and a lot of nose-blowing . . . traveling with a massive head cold isn't much fun, let me tell you,) and some quality time spent with grandpa in the middle, it's good to be home. :)

John picked me up from the bus on Monday afternoon; by dinnertime, we were both massively hungry, but I was so sick and tired and cranky that I couldn't come up with anything that possibly resembled dinner. And I needed to hit the store . . . desperately. John's suggestion? "I'll make eggs."

There we go. Dinner/breakfast is served. :)

And, since one cannot live on eggs alone . . .

"French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme," from Veganomicon:

I stuck pretty tight to the recipe this time around, although I didn't use all French green lentils, as I wanted to use up the mixture of lentils I had on hand. So . . . the soup has a blend of green, brown, and red lentils -- and what an amazing soup this turned out to be! I also cut back on the salt a bit, as I thought it would probably be too salty as writ. (I think I was right, at least for my palate!)

I was due another baking project -- Apple-Molasses Spice Cake:

I cannot say enough good things about this cake . . . moist, flavorful, intensely-spiced, warm, and just plain cozy. A perfect "ordinary" dessert, in my opinion!

Last, rice bowls with peanut sauce:

This is one of those amazingly-tasty, super-healthy dinners that come together in seconds if all of the ingredients are prepped ahead of time. I cooked up a bunch of brown rice, fried up some tofu, prepped a bunch of veggies, and made a batch of peanut sauce from Vegan with a Vengeance. Ta-da! Pile it all in a bowl, re-warm (or not, if that's your thing,) and dig in. Mmmmmmm. Peanut sauce is the BEST.

nutrition be damned

As I'm sure you know if you've read my blog more than once, I tend to like healthy food -- certain vegetables make me jump for joy, (asparagus, artichokes, and broccoli all come to mind immediately,) I generally eat a largely vegan diet, love beans and whole grains, and don't eat too much sugar.

However, there are a few key foods out there that I REALLY don't care for.

Cauliflower? Ew. (Which is so weird, because I love all other brassicas.)

Carrots? No thank you! (Again, weird, as I love beets and parsnips.)

And possibly the weirdest? Lentils.

Now, red lentils are excluded from my lentil-hatred, for obvious reasons. :) However, brown lentils? Ugh. French green lentils? Hm. Every once in a while, I get a craving for lentil soup, but never seem to make my way through an entire pot, before I want to chuck the leftovers out the window.

What is it about lentils, you ask? To me, they just sort of taste like . . . dirt. Metallic and earthy. Not something I want to put in my mouth.

I've discovered over the years that the trick to getting myself to eat just about anything -- whether it be leftovers I'm tired of, a recipe that just didn't turn out quite right, or something that I'm just not partial to, (where did that huge jar of lentils come from, anyway? whose bright idea was it to buy so many tasty morsels of dirt flavor?), is to cover it in cheese. :)

Last night, I discovered that covering lentils in cheese AND stuffing them in a crepe works even better! :)

Nutrition be damned, I enjoyed my lentils!

THIS time. ;)

fried rice, Friday night

Best thing to do with leftover rice:

Garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper, green onion, shelled edamame, baby corn, water chestnuts, egg, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil all ended up in the wok tonight, along with plenty of short-grain brown rice.

Fried rice on a Friday night is a delicious way to start the weekend, if you ask me! :)

time for a new camera, I guess!

I think I've officially reached the point where it's time for me to buy a new camera. I love my Canon, but it's getting OLD. It's the only digital camera I've ever owned, and it's just not making the grade any longer! (And I'm finding photos taken with my phone have a weird greenish tinge to them -- why is that?)

Am I going to be able to afford an SLR, or will I settle on another point and shoot? Time to start price-comparing. I'm sure I'll just end up ordering something from Ritz Camera again, but it's not going to happen tomorrow, obviously. :) Let me know if you have a camera that you absolutely love -- I'd enjoy any input!

In the interim, enjoy some slightly blurry, low-quality food photos:

Sweet-and-Sour Tofu:

My, oh my, does this taste just like Chinese restaurant take-out! Super quick and super easy, to boot! Here's the recipe, courtesy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook:

Combine, and bring to a boil:
1/2 cup sugar (!!!! Yes, that's a lot! It's junk food!)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a Microplane

Combine, stir into sauce, and cook until thickened:
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water

Fold into sauce, and return to a boil:
1 package extra-firm tofu, cubed and browned
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges or large chunks
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
8 ounces canned pineapple chunks, drained well

(And yes, the tomato is take-out traditional, but a little strange, if you ask me. I might switch things up next time, using a red bell pepper and broccoli instead of the green bell and tomato. Might even improve the nutrition profile a little, right?)

Serve over brown rice, which will make you feel much better about the quantity of sugar you are about to consume. :)

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Dinner last night was a good, basic, homemade chili:

I think I've written about this ad nauseam in the past, but really, when it comes to chili, I like to keep things simple. Here's the recipe I made last night:

Saute in olive oil until soft:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
about 2 cups of minced white mushrooms
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce
a few pinches kosher salt to taste

Add to chili, bring to a boil, then simmer until you are ready to eat:
28 ounces diced tomatoes with liquid
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Crystal, since that's what I had on hand)
enough water just to cover

I ended up adding a little too much water to my chili last night, so I simmered the whole thing uncovered for a while, until it thickened to my liking. Shredded cheese, green onions, and sour cream are my favorite chili garnishes. What do you like to pile on top of your chili?

Chili is best served with cornbread, in my opinion:

I'm really starting to love Real Simple's recipe archives online -- I've found everything that I've tried to be reliable, reasonably healthy, and mostly focusing on whole, real foods -- pretty much exactly in line with my style of cooking. This Maple Corn Bread was no exception! The only significant change I made was subbing canola oil for the melted butter, since I had plenty of oil on hand, but almost no butter.

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I've really enjoyed the last three days of my four-day weekend . . . and I'm so glad I have one more day left! Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!

perfectly acceptable

Here's a perfectly acceptable, yet not stellar, dinner I made last night:

It was one of those meals where nothing turned out QUITE right, you know? I had big ideas, (chile-garlic roasted broccoli, brown basmati rice, Goddess-dressing marinaded tofu,) but everything was just . . . okay. Broccoli not spicy enough, rice too salty, tofu not flavorful enough . . . sigh.

Spud Puppies, though? Always fantastic. ;)

fried rice

Fried rice is one of those meals I tend to forget about -- probably because, when ordered from a restaurant, it is often greasy, overly-salty, and marginally healthy. However, when I make it at home, I have control over the amount of oil I use, (just a few teaspoons to keep everything from sticking to the pan,) the amount of soy sauce I use (usually only a couple of tablespoons of the low-sodium variety,) and most importantly, the variety of veggies I use!

Last night, I dug through my fridge, cupboard, and freezer, and found a whole host of veggies that were begging to be added to my fried rice!

After warming some garlic, ginger, and chile-garlic sauce in a couple teaspoons of canola oil, I went a little crazy! Cabbage, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers, corn, edamame, broccoli, green onions, and water chestnuts all made their way into my dinner, along with brown rice and a few beaten eggs. I finished the dish with two tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce, and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil. Perfect! Healthy, high-fiber, high-protein, and packed full of vitamins, but still so delicious.

What are your favorite fried rice ingredients? Do you love that greasy, salty, take-out goodness, or do you prefer to make your own?

Craving a balance . . .

. . . of flavors, that is! Is anyone else loving the trend towards multi-dimentional, well-balanced food (in terms of flavors) these days? Think spicy sweets, salty sweets, savory dishes with a sweet component, etc. -- I LOVE this. I love salted caramels, curried ice cream, Thai food in all of its forms, dried fruits with cheeses, etc.

Tonight's dinner was another winner in my arsenal of recipes I would consider "balanced" -- Sweet and Savory Wild Rice Salad, from The Kitchn:

Oh. Holy. Delicious! The chewy whole-grains, bright herbs and citrus, crunchy almonds, sweet dried fruit (I used apricots, even though the original recipe called for dates,) and fresh cucumber and red bell pepper all combine to make something . . . balanced! (Have I used that word enough this post???) There is a lot going on in this salad, definitely, but it all works together in delicious harmony.

And an extra bonus? I calculated a serving (about 10 ounces of the salad, approximately,) at under 400 calories! Woo! Whole grains and veggies rock!

Next time I might add chickpeas . . . !!

dessert and dinner

Since I couldn't help but pick up some rhubarb at the downtown farmer's market earlier this week, I sort of had to make a pie, didn't I?

I wasn't thrilled with my homemade crust this time 'round, but the filling more than made up for it. :) It's amazing how nothing more than strawberries, rhubarb, flour, sugar, and butter combine to make something other-worldly, isn't it?

Now, here's a question for you . . . what is your favorite kind of pie? Cherry is definitely mine, although all other kinds of pie are a close second. I just really love pie. A lot!

My friend Ann joined me for dinner tonight, and I made us a delicious stir-fry!

Pulled some leftover brown rice out of the freezer, pressed and fried up some tofu, and dumped a bunch of local veg in the pan -- asparagus, kohlrabi, green onions, garlic scapes, yellow summer squash, and sugar snap peas were all at the farmer's market this morning, and they all made their way into my stir-fry. Adding my usual sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds finished things off nicely. Ann complimented the spice level of the sauce -- she said if it was any spicier it would be uncomfortable for her, but as it was, it was just right! Woo! I always worry a little about making spicy things for friends, since many of my friends can't eat or don't like spicy foods very much. Score!

I have recently started counting calories again, since I've noticed quite a bit of weight creep back on this spring, thanks to all of the stress I was under. :) I found a great program to help this process along, and discovered that even after enjoying a slice of pie today, I came in nearly 200 calories under "budget" for the day -- woo! Good job me. :)

I am definitely going to have to start packing a lunch for work, though. It was so easy, gorging myself on those kid-friendly, cheese-laden lunches! Alas. I knew it wouldn't be good for me in the long run!

it's my birthday!

Happy Birthday to Me! With all of the craziness that is my life these days, (you know, new job, new apartment, etc.) I was thinking my birthday was just going to pass me by this year, relatively quietly, filled full of packing or some other kind of work. Not so! I have been able to see friends, (although we haven't done much except hang out at my new place, eat peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes -- thanks, Courtney! -- put up new curtains, line shelves, and wait for IKEA to deliver some new furniture,) and eat great food!

Here was my fabulous pre-birthday dinner last night:

For the main course . . . TACO SALADS!


And dessert . . . APPLE PIE!


(Don't think I went too crazy for myself on my birthday -- the crust was store-bought, and I had a bag of filling in my freezer all ready to go from last fall! Delicious!)

Today should be filled with more good food, and hopefully some hiking, if the weather clears up this afternoon (which it's supposed to.) Hope those of you who have a long weekend are enjoying it! If you feel compelled, have a slice of cake (or a cupcake) in my honor! ;)

I cooked!

Holy moly, I cooked last night! Even though it was just a stir-fry, it was good to get in the kitchen and accomplish something:

Basic tofu stir-fry, with red onion, broccoli, red bell pepper, and green onions, and my homemade stir-fry sauce: 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 tsp grated ginger. I haven't added the ginger in the past, and was so happy that I did -- the stir-fry had a pleasant, multi-level spiciness . . . yum!

(Just in case you were wondering . . . I haven't been eating out like crazy or anything lately . . . my new job provides me with 10 meals per week! The food is not ideal, but since I'm not "allowed" to eat anything different from what the kids are eating in the classroom, and my break arrives a little too late to qualify as lunch time for someone who starts work at 7 AM, I'm happy that there's a vegetarian option! Since I get so much food at work, I have barely been grocery shopping or cooking -- I'm down to salads, sandwiches, and one or two nice meals prepared per week. Pros and cons to this system, definitely. I'm going to need to keep an eye on my weight and BP/cholesterol, since the work meals are pretty dairy-heavy. Sigh.)

We took the tods to the Farmer's Market today, which was a blast, and I was happy to see plenty of local asparagus this week! Woo! I thought about picking some up on my way home from work tonight, but I was too tired, and too focused on the computer work I had to get done when I got home -- my new job is a LOT of work right now! (But I'm so thankful to be busy at work for a change!) I'll definitely hit up the Far-Mar this weekend, though! I need asparagus!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of the holiday, I made some cutesie cookies yesterday:

I am taking a few to work today for the kidlets as part of our Valentine's Day celebration, (we're also having pajama day!), and the rest will go to church choir practice on Wednesday . . . it's my turn to take treats for our break. I'm thinking about throwing together a pan of brownies too, since I didn't get quite as many cookies as I think 50 or so hungry singers need. :)

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Although I didn't get quite as much cooking done this weekend as I would have liked, I did manage a couple of wonderful, veggie-full meals!

"Indonesian Sweet Potato and Cabbage Soup," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers:

Seriously, this is one of my favorite cookbooks EVER -- the recipes are all so simple, but so dang flavorful! This is a nice change of pace from the usual bean soups, a tasty way to use up half a head of leftover cabbage, and tastes like it's simmered all day, even though it's ready in a half-hour! Mmmmmmm.

And here's a Vegetarian Taco Salad:

I'm certain that adding sour cream (well, sour "lean,") guacamole, and traditional tortilla chips to this otherwise healthy recipe destroys the nutritional profile a bit, but I don't care! This salad is SOOOOOOOOOOOO good -- truly, there's something "magic" in this recipe that just hits the spot every time. I'm so excited to have leftovers for lunch today. :) (And probably tomorrow, too!)

Hope you will have a fun and chocolate-filled Valentine's Day! Dan and I aren't doing anything today since he has band practice, but we will probably have a special dinner tomorrow night (fondue!! Woo!)