A few of today's things for which I'm thankful:
* G told me a story about Carla, the Princess of the Styrofoam Tower
* Carla (maybe a princess? definitely a great mentor and author) officially received her second book deal for the one pot testing, which has become a vegan crockpot book (WOOT!)
* My sister-in-law, Hannah, received a spot in a Pastry and Baking Program next year
* A visit to the grandmas is imminent
* And... my first official day of my part-time job is this Fri.!
Oh...and then, I had 20 minutes in an empty house to do a relaxing yoga practice for the day -- YJ Challenge "20-Minute Evening Sequence" from the YJ Challenge. Happy sigh. For those of you who may be concerned about your flexibility, strength etc., why not start with a practice like this? This practice is designed to be gentle; the postures are accessible to all; and it is a wonderful place to start with the breathing, stretching, and tension-release that are so important to all yoga endeavors. The purpose, as noted by the instructor, is to unwind and release some of the stress that builds up in one's day. All you need for this session is a comfortable floor space and a chair (if convenient); if you don't have a yoga mat, a thicker rug or carpet should be just fine, or you could add a towel or blanket for additional padding.
Mon. dinner/Tues. Lunch: Tempeh Thai Basil Wraps
As I mentioned yesterday, this dish was inspired by Matthew's dinner, Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice, at Thai Elephant in Astoria, NY -- mostly by flavor not by content.
Serves 4
Time: about 30-40 min.
1 block (8 oz.) tempeh (your choice, I used soy)
1-1.5 c. veg. broth
1 head Boston lettuce
2 c. fresh bean sprouts
2 c. grated carrots
2 T. sesame oil
1.5 c. diced onion
8 cloves roasted garlic (I had this leftover from a previous meal; you could reduce amount and use fresh -- maybe 3-4 cloves, or roast a small head of garlic in advance)
2 T. Tamari (might want to reduce if using soy sauce)
2 t. ancho chili powder
1.5 T. dried basil (Thai or reg. fresh would be great, but...you use what you've got!)
salt and pepper
1. Cut tempeh six times lengthwise and then into dices. I find this makes it easier to crumble. Crumble into saucepan, cover with broth, and simmer for 20 min. uncovered, until stock in mostly absorbed (These are essentially the directions by Moskowitz in Vegan with a Vengeance for "Sausage Crumbles.)
While tempeh is cooking...
2. For Boston lettuce head, cut out stem/core, peel "cups" away, rinse, and let drain/dry while you cook. Prep carrots/onion if not already prepared.
3. When you have about 10 min. left on the tempeh, heat sesame oil on med. in a saute pan large enough for onion and tempeh. Once heated (sizzle when onion hits it, as one might say), start to caramelize onions -- cook for ten minutes. They won't be fully caramelized, but you'll get some of the flavor. Add the garlic after ten minutes and saute for two minutes. Add tempeh and tamari; cook 5 min. Then add 2 t. ancho chili powder (or hotter pepper if you like, I like smoky) and basil. Continue to cook until all liquid is absorbed. Taste tempeh for salt and pepper, as needed.
4. Distribute lettuce cups evenly (according to size, some may have 3 large v. 6 small). Make a bed of sprouts in the cup, spoon tempeh onto sprout bed, and then top with carrot shreds. Beware tempeh sauce dribble from the cup!
Fresh, subtly smoky basil flavor, light but filling -- great for cleansing or summertime!
Roasted Veggies (inspired by the "Scarlet Roasted Vegetables" in Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet)
Here's the scoop: I pretty much used the vegetables that she recommends and her roasting directions, but I roasted them simply with roasted garlic oil, salt, and pepper. Preheat oven to 350, and use .5 t. garlic oil to grease large baking dish (I used my largest glass dish). Here were my veg. allotments -- all need to be cleaned and chopped (my pieces were about 1/2-1"):
1 red beet
1 fennel bulb
3 carrots
2 large parsnips
4 celery stalks
8 shallots
Mix with 1.5-2 T oil, add salt and pepper, and mix -- the vegetables will be very lightly coated and NOT oily. Put in dish, cover with foil, cook for 40 min., cook uncovered for another 20 min.
Servings: 6 large
(I used half for the squash and still have a ton; stay tuned for another use...)
Tues. Dinner/Wed. Lunch: Spaghetti Squash Cake with Tomato and Roasted Veggie Sauce
Servings: 3
I cooked the squash (a small one) in advance, so I already had my spaghetti ready to go. In the last 20 min. of veg. roasting, I put roasted garlic oil- coated ramekins (no more than 1/8 t. to coat) stuffed with spaghetti and patted down in the hopes of a bit of crisping into a cake. It wasn't that crisp, but I'll use the idea again, as the spaghetti square is a fun alternative to the usual pile of squash. I simply topped the square with sauce I'd made previously and then warmed. I chose to surround the sauce and spaghetti with veggies mostly for picture taking, but with skeptical eaters, I'd definitely blend the roasted veggies with the sauce. The hub had a particularly funny and unusual reaction to the cooked carrots...who knew!
Delicious, warming, filling, and fantastic as leftovers -- I just loved how the root veggies brought out their individual sweet heartiness while melding so well together!
Wed. dinner/Thurs. Lunch: Bok 'n Broc Stir Fry
Until recently, my cousin never much cared for ANY vegetables...even salad. However, when she was very young, I convinced her that she should try broccoli florets because they were like tiny trees and were, therefore, fun. I can't eat broccoli without thinking of her and smiling.
Tonight's dish was one of those recipes that I will continue to tweak, especially because my taste tester's taster is off due to a cold/flu bout. I'll give you the measurements but know that this was a broccoli by broccoli taste test with the sauce. If you are expecting potent tamari or typical take-out punch, then I warn you...the flavor is mainly the freshness of individual veggies with light salty/sweetness and an aftermath of gingery heat.
Time: 35 min.
Serves: 6-8
1.5 c. brown rice
1 T. sesame oil
1/4 c. water or as needed
1 chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. broccoli, thinly sliced florets
4 c. chopped baby bok choy (I used 2 heads)
10 cremini mushrooms, finely diced (This was a lesson learned. I love mushrooms, but I actually put in too many and sliced them too large; they overpowered my bok 'n broc which was no good since this dish is all about the green stuff. The amount here is what I think would work better.)
3 T. Tamari
1 T. agave
2 t. ginger (I had dried pieces -- if you use fresh or dried, just be esp. mindful of taste testing and add 1 t. at a time)
Salt and pepper
1. Cook rice according to package directions and proceed to step 2.
2. While rice is cooking, prepare vegetables as directed. Then, heat oil over med. heat. Add garlic and onion -- saute for 4 min. Add broccoli and saute for 6 min.; add bit of water as needed to avoid burning and help with cooking, I probably added about 1/4 c. total. Taste test broccoli for al dente, then add bok choy. Add half the designated amount of tamari, agave, and ginger. Salt and pepper (again, no exact measurements here, as I just spray with my electric grinders -- they rule.) Taste and add a bit more as needed. When flavor is to your liking, add mushrooms and saute for 1-2 min. more.
3. By this time, the rice should be done. ( If it is done slightly before the veggies, just fluff and set it aside.) Put approximately 1/2 c. or your desired amount of rice in the bottom of a bowl, top with 1c. veggies -- salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, as needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to fance it up (picture came out blurry, so I just included the pre-fance dish).
A bowl of this and a half of a raw bar for dessert -- perfect.
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Final thoughts:
Day 2 -- fulfilling in terms of the cleanse and productivity. I'm looking forward to a hot power yoga class tomorrow, some more "work" with doggies, an afternoon to get caught up on business, and an evening with the hub. I also am excited that I'll be able to post the recipe for tomorrow's dinner early, because the dish benefits from some rest in the fridge before serving.
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