Hello, all! I've decided to change the name (and URL) of my blog to make it more omnivore-friendly. Shocking as it may seem, I am not so sure that everyone in the blogosphere knows what Tofurky is. I'll still be posting my usual vegetarian and vegan fare, but I'll be emphasizing the nutrition aspect of my blog. Nutrition classes start Monday!
For the record, here is my new URL: http://broccolihut.blogspot.com
PS Here's a quick explanation of the new name: My dad, being the comic genius that he is, used to tease my sisters and me by saying that he would take us to "Broccoli Hut" instead of Pizza Hut for dinner. It's funny, now I think I would prefer the former...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Prep Day
Today was all about preparation for me. In the next 8 days, I have a few important events: my mom's birthday, my first day of classes, and, of course, my sister's wedding. So I spent most of today in a constant state of preparation: picking up my mom's present, touring the campus to figure out where my classes will be, and trying on my bridesmaid dress...The present pick-up was successful, but I went to a wrong building on campus, and my dress was too long. Oy.
As per usual, cooking has continued to be a source of pleasure in the midst of this craziness. I have had several successful dishes in the past few days, which makes me and my tummy quite content.
Wednesday
The evening smoothie consisted of cherry Spirutein, frozen cherries, nonfat organic plain yogurt, and pumpkin flax granola. I wasn't expecting much from this smoothie, but it ended up being delectable and the perfect consistency. Two nights in a row with successful smoothies--I'm on a roll.
Thursday
This breakfast changed my day. Seriously. I was in a good mood all day because of it. I tried the vegan banana pancakes recipe from Sweet Eats. The original recipe includes chocolate chips, but I didn't want that much of an indulgence yesterday morning. I enjoyed mine with some sliced peaches with cinnamon and a mug of chai green tea, which was a gift from a neighbor. This one gets two thumbs up.
Lunch was intended to be a pasta salad, but I think it ended up having a 2:1 ratio of veggies to pasta. This dish included broccoli, yellow bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and some whole wheat pasta in a light balsamic vinaigrette. I also had some apple slices with melted peanut butter.
I made an attempt at a "pulled seitan" BBQ sandwich for dinner yesterday. The texture wasn't exactly right--it felt more like a sloppy joe than a pulled BBQ sandwich. I made the sauce out of tomato sauce, mustard powder, a little agave, and apple cider vinegar. I enjoyed mine on a whole wheat bun with a salad and some almonds.
Friday
I had another decadent breakfast this morning using my new PB & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. I was sweating buckets after my run this morning, but that didn't stop me from making a piping bowl of banana oats (check out that steam!). I topped it with a spoonful of said PB, and it was out of this world. This PB is like not-so-bad-for-you Nutella. My dad dipped into the jar after dinner this evening to use it as an ice cream topping. Not a bad idea...
Lunch was supposed to be a Mexican pizza, but ran out of time, and I got hungry, so I rushed through the preparation. I had intended to crisp it up in the oven, but ultimately I just nuked it in the microwave to warm it up. Here's what went into this concoction: a whole wheat tortilla, sweet vidalia salsa, mashed avocado, and cubed tofu dusted with chili powder. I think it was tasty, but I was in a rush to get to the alterations place. I also had a side salad and a big apple.
Dinner tonight was inspired by those Chinese Chicken Salads I see on so many restaurant menus these days. Mine included a random bunch of leftover veggies: lettuce, yellow bell pepper, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, water chestnuts, and seitan (which was simmered in ginger, rice wine vinegar, and garlic). I also had watermelon and some rice cakes with apple butter. Random but good.
That's the extent of my culinary adventures for now. Be back Monday!
As per usual, cooking has continued to be a source of pleasure in the midst of this craziness. I have had several successful dishes in the past few days, which makes me and my tummy quite content.
Wednesday
The evening smoothie consisted of cherry Spirutein, frozen cherries, nonfat organic plain yogurt, and pumpkin flax granola. I wasn't expecting much from this smoothie, but it ended up being delectable and the perfect consistency. Two nights in a row with successful smoothies--I'm on a roll.
ThursdayThis breakfast changed my day. Seriously. I was in a good mood all day because of it. I tried the vegan banana pancakes recipe from Sweet Eats. The original recipe includes chocolate chips, but I didn't want that much of an indulgence yesterday morning. I enjoyed mine with some sliced peaches with cinnamon and a mug of chai green tea, which was a gift from a neighbor. This one gets two thumbs up.
Lunch was intended to be a pasta salad, but I think it ended up having a 2:1 ratio of veggies to pasta. This dish included broccoli, yellow bell pepper, carrots, mushrooms, tofu, and some whole wheat pasta in a light balsamic vinaigrette. I also had some apple slices with melted peanut butter.
I made an attempt at a "pulled seitan" BBQ sandwich for dinner yesterday. The texture wasn't exactly right--it felt more like a sloppy joe than a pulled BBQ sandwich. I made the sauce out of tomato sauce, mustard powder, a little agave, and apple cider vinegar. I enjoyed mine on a whole wheat bun with a salad and some almonds.
FridayI had another decadent breakfast this morning using my new PB & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams PB. I was sweating buckets after my run this morning, but that didn't stop me from making a piping bowl of banana oats (check out that steam!). I topped it with a spoonful of said PB, and it was out of this world. This PB is like not-so-bad-for-you Nutella. My dad dipped into the jar after dinner this evening to use it as an ice cream topping. Not a bad idea...
Lunch was supposed to be a Mexican pizza, but ran out of time, and I got hungry, so I rushed through the preparation. I had intended to crisp it up in the oven, but ultimately I just nuked it in the microwave to warm it up. Here's what went into this concoction: a whole wheat tortilla, sweet vidalia salsa, mashed avocado, and cubed tofu dusted with chili powder. I think it was tasty, but I was in a rush to get to the alterations place. I also had a side salad and a big apple.
Dinner tonight was inspired by those Chinese Chicken Salads I see on so many restaurant menus these days. Mine included a random bunch of leftover veggies: lettuce, yellow bell pepper, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, water chestnuts, and seitan (which was simmered in ginger, rice wine vinegar, and garlic). I also had watermelon and some rice cakes with apple butter. Random but good. 
That's the extent of my culinary adventures for now. Be back Monday!Wednesday, May 28, 2008
All Wrapped Up
The wedding details are all being finalized as I type. I spent today assisting my mother in wrapping up the loose ends of the blessed event. We went to Sam's to buy bulk items for all the crowds that will be passing through our house: Stouffer's Lasagnas, massive bags of trail mix, and enough beer to intoxicate an army. Oh, and I managed to sneak in a bag of Gala apples and some button mushrooms. The matrimonial plans are not the only things being wrapped up today--my food is too! I subconsciously had a wrap of some kind for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They're all relatively different from one another, so hopefully you won't be too bored with today's pics.
Tuesday
I finally got a chance to try a waffle breakfast sandwich! Over the past few months, I have been coveting the breakfasts of you bloggers with toaster access while I was trapped in my ill-equipped dorm kitchen. At last I have both frozen waffles and a toaster! I made my breakfast sammie with Whole Foods brand organic flax waffles and PB & Co. Cinnamon Raisin PB. Fresh watermelon rounded out the morning meal.
Lunch was an old "lazy" favorite of mine; I have been making "Tofuna" since my first days of vegetarianism. I even wrote about it in my college entrance essay! Anyway, it consists of mashed chickpeas, Nayonaise, a bit of mustard, lemon juice, and sometimes paprika. It's not exactly like the real thing, but I appreciate the flavor for what it is. I had some rice cakes, broccoli slaw, and a big apple on the side. I ended up grabbing a handful of cashews too...
For dinner, I made Lindsay's Mock Meatloaf and Katie's Mashed Cauliflower. The two recipes made for an excellent meal! My mom ended up making regular meatloaf after I mentioned what I planned to make for dinner for myself. I wonder if the family would be able to tell the difference between the two...I made a 1/3 recipe, fully intending to save some for the next day's lunch--I love meatloaf sandwiches--but it was so good, I ate the whole thing! Oh well. By the way, I used Weetabix again for the breadcrumbs:)
Last night's shake was phenomenal. I made my favorite flavor: Samoas (coconut with a touch of chocolate). It consisted of: nonfat organic plain yogurt, organic silken tofu, vanilla Spirutein, shredded coconut, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Yum! I savored every last slurp of this.
Wednesday
I woke up this morning and really didn't feel like running outside in the near 100% humidity (and it was not raining). I used the stationary bike for about an hour instead, then did some strength training on my arms. I am trying to get some definition on my toothpick arms for my sister's wedding (strapless bridesmaid dresses! Eek!). Anyway, my stomach started yelling at me as I did my bicep curls, so I needed a hearty breakfast. Scrambled tofu to the rescue! I love this stuff! I think it's the tahini that makes me love it so much. In case you don't know, I use the Chicago Diner Cookbook's recipe. I wrapped up the tofu in a whole wheat tortilla and had some more watermelon on the side. Delish.
I got inspiration for my lunch from Jen, the VegTriathlete. She posted a recipe for Peanut Veggie Nori Rolls the other day, and the flavors sounded right up my alley: peanuts, pineapple, veggies...I had intended to follow the recipe, but I got lazy and hungry so I didn't soak the veggies, nor did I use fresh pineapple. I used the sauce as a dip, and I used pineapple from a fresh fruit cup (preserved in juice). Despite my laziness, it turned out delicious! I also had the last of the broccoli slaw (tossed in rice vinegar, mustard, and agave) and an unpictured Rudi's Flax English Muffin. Success!
The third and final wrap of the day was pretty boring, as we didn't have a formal dinnertime tonight. My sister and I don't really feel well, my mom was obsessing about some wedding detail, and my dad was at a work function. As a result, I just made a hummus wrap with my new mushrooms and some romaine. I served it along with Acorn Squash Mango Soup, three-bean salad, and an unpictured bowl of sliced peaches with maple syrup.
Now I should probably get myself organized for next week school-wise, since this weekend we'll be celebrating my mom's birthday. Speaking of which, do you all have any birthday cake/dessert recipes to suggest? She likes chocolate and, um, chocolate. I bet Katie over at CCV has a few ideas...Ciao for now!
Tuesday
I finally got a chance to try a waffle breakfast sandwich! Over the past few months, I have been coveting the breakfasts of you bloggers with toaster access while I was trapped in my ill-equipped dorm kitchen. At last I have both frozen waffles and a toaster! I made my breakfast sammie with Whole Foods brand organic flax waffles and PB & Co. Cinnamon Raisin PB. Fresh watermelon rounded out the morning meal.
Lunch was an old "lazy" favorite of mine; I have been making "Tofuna" since my first days of vegetarianism. I even wrote about it in my college entrance essay! Anyway, it consists of mashed chickpeas, Nayonaise, a bit of mustard, lemon juice, and sometimes paprika. It's not exactly like the real thing, but I appreciate the flavor for what it is. I had some rice cakes, broccoli slaw, and a big apple on the side. I ended up grabbing a handful of cashews too...
For dinner, I made Lindsay's Mock Meatloaf and Katie's Mashed Cauliflower. The two recipes made for an excellent meal! My mom ended up making regular meatloaf after I mentioned what I planned to make for dinner for myself. I wonder if the family would be able to tell the difference between the two...I made a 1/3 recipe, fully intending to save some for the next day's lunch--I love meatloaf sandwiches--but it was so good, I ate the whole thing! Oh well. By the way, I used Weetabix again for the breadcrumbs:)
Last night's shake was phenomenal. I made my favorite flavor: Samoas (coconut with a touch of chocolate). It consisted of: nonfat organic plain yogurt, organic silken tofu, vanilla Spirutein, shredded coconut, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Yum! I savored every last slurp of this. 
WednesdayI woke up this morning and really didn't feel like running outside in the near 100% humidity (and it was not raining). I used the stationary bike for about an hour instead, then did some strength training on my arms. I am trying to get some definition on my toothpick arms for my sister's wedding (strapless bridesmaid dresses! Eek!). Anyway, my stomach started yelling at me as I did my bicep curls, so I needed a hearty breakfast. Scrambled tofu to the rescue! I love this stuff! I think it's the tahini that makes me love it so much. In case you don't know, I use the Chicago Diner Cookbook's recipe. I wrapped up the tofu in a whole wheat tortilla and had some more watermelon on the side. Delish.
I got inspiration for my lunch from Jen, the VegTriathlete. She posted a recipe for Peanut Veggie Nori Rolls the other day, and the flavors sounded right up my alley: peanuts, pineapple, veggies...I had intended to follow the recipe, but I got lazy and hungry so I didn't soak the veggies, nor did I use fresh pineapple. I used the sauce as a dip, and I used pineapple from a fresh fruit cup (preserved in juice). Despite my laziness, it turned out delicious! I also had the last of the broccoli slaw (tossed in rice vinegar, mustard, and agave) and an unpictured Rudi's Flax English Muffin. Success!
The third and final wrap of the day was pretty boring, as we didn't have a formal dinnertime tonight. My sister and I don't really feel well, my mom was obsessing about some wedding detail, and my dad was at a work function. As a result, I just made a hummus wrap with my new mushrooms and some romaine. I served it along with Acorn Squash Mango Soup, three-bean salad, and an unpictured bowl of sliced peaches with maple syrup. 
Now I should probably get myself organized for next week school-wise, since this weekend we'll be celebrating my mom's birthday. Speaking of which, do you all have any birthday cake/dessert recipes to suggest? She likes chocolate and, um, chocolate. I bet Katie over at CCV has a few ideas...Ciao for now!Monday, May 26, 2008
Change of Plans
Well, I went to the gym on Saturday morning as planned (and it was pretty snazzy), but the lake plans got nixed. My parents have too much to do to the house before the wedding on the 7th, so we decided to save the weekend at the lake for another time. This change was fine by me, because I realized I hadn't been to church since I've been home (due to the lake trip and visit to Fairhope for the past few weeks). I also did some shopping over the weekend--I got a dress for the rehearsal dinner and a new raincoat. Woohoo!
Friday
I have a picture of my smoothie from Friday night, but, honestly, I have no idea what I put in it. So this is my mystery shake:
Saturday
Before the gym on Saturday, I fueled myself with a big bowl of peanut butter oats and a bunch of fresh mixed berries. I used PB & Co.'s Cinnamon Raisin flavor.
I came up with lunch on a whim: breaded tofu with peanut sauce, brussels sprouts, and an apple. For the "breading," I used--get this--Weetabix! It worked really well, actually. I just whirred it in my Magic Bullet, put it on a plate, and rolled the tofu in it. I made the peanut sauce from PB, soy sauce, and a few spices.
Dinner was a perfect summer meal, complete with lots of produce. We had the first corn of the season, and it was deliciously sweet! So much for the saying about corn being "knee high by the Fourth of July." I had broccoli slaw with an agave-mustard sauce I made, lemon scented chickpea-tomato saute, and amazing cantaloupe. Yum!
Once again, I don't really remember what I put in my smoothie. I know it was fruity, and I topped it with pure maple syrup, but otherwise, it's another mystery.
Sunday
Before heading to church I just had a quick bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart.
I think I'm getting better at spontaneous cooking, because this was yet another lunch whipped up without any forethought. I made some more agave-mustard sauce for a broccoli slaw-tofu stir fry. I also had some Thin Cakes with peanut butter and a red pear.
We got takeout from Newk's last night for dinner. I got the Greek salad without the feta. I had an Ezekiel pita with hummus on the side. The smoothie/shake last night was peanut butter flavored: peanut butter, nonfat organic plain yogurt, silken tofu, and pumpkin flax granola.
Monday
On Sunday night, my dad requested that I make him overnight oatmeal/muesli. He asked for his to be made with skim milk, honey, coconut, and raisins. I made mine with almond milk, agave nectar, cinnamon. The two small containers have sliced almonds (his) and wheat germ (mine). In the morning, I had the rest of cantaloupe along with it.
Lunch today was inspired by Ellie Krieger's recipe for Herbed Toasted Pita Salad. I added chickpeas to mine for protein. I had tiny apple with PB on the side.
My dinner wasn't exactly the traditional Memorial Day fare, but I enjoyed it. I had a BLT using smoked tempeh, Nayonaise, Grey Poupon, and juicy tomato. Not pictured are the side salad, organic watermelon, and steamed broccoli.
Here are some 99% vegan brownies I made for Memorial Day dessert:
Now I'm off to watch some Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Happy Memorial Day!
Friday
I have a picture of my smoothie from Friday night, but, honestly, I have no idea what I put in it. So this is my mystery shake:
SaturdayBefore the gym on Saturday, I fueled myself with a big bowl of peanut butter oats and a bunch of fresh mixed berries. I used PB & Co.'s Cinnamon Raisin flavor.
I came up with lunch on a whim: breaded tofu with peanut sauce, brussels sprouts, and an apple. For the "breading," I used--get this--Weetabix! It worked really well, actually. I just whirred it in my Magic Bullet, put it on a plate, and rolled the tofu in it. I made the peanut sauce from PB, soy sauce, and a few spices.
Dinner was a perfect summer meal, complete with lots of produce. We had the first corn of the season, and it was deliciously sweet! So much for the saying about corn being "knee high by the Fourth of July." I had broccoli slaw with an agave-mustard sauce I made, lemon scented chickpea-tomato saute, and amazing cantaloupe. Yum!
Once again, I don't really remember what I put in my smoothie. I know it was fruity, and I topped it with pure maple syrup, but otherwise, it's another mystery. 
SundayBefore heading to church I just had a quick bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart.
I think I'm getting better at spontaneous cooking, because this was yet another lunch whipped up without any forethought. I made some more agave-mustard sauce for a broccoli slaw-tofu stir fry. I also had some Thin Cakes with peanut butter and a red pear. 
We got takeout from Newk's last night for dinner. I got the Greek salad without the feta. I had an Ezekiel pita with hummus on the side. The smoothie/shake last night was peanut butter flavored: peanut butter, nonfat organic plain yogurt, silken tofu, and pumpkin flax granola.
Monday
On Sunday night, my dad requested that I make him overnight oatmeal/muesli. He asked for his to be made with skim milk, honey, coconut, and raisins. I made mine with almond milk, agave nectar, cinnamon. The two small containers have sliced almonds (his) and wheat germ (mine). In the morning, I had the rest of cantaloupe along with it.
Lunch today was inspired by Ellie Krieger's recipe for Herbed Toasted Pita Salad. I added chickpeas to mine for protein. I had tiny apple with PB on the side. 
My dinner wasn't exactly the traditional Memorial Day fare, but I enjoyed it. I had a BLT using smoked tempeh, Nayonaise, Grey Poupon, and juicy tomato. Not pictured are the side salad, organic watermelon, and steamed broccoli.
Here are some 99% vegan brownies I made for Memorial Day dessert:
Now I'm off to watch some Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Happy Memorial Day!
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