how to cook tofu, part I

I made tofu this week.  It was ok.  I've never been a huge fan of the stuff, but I'm determined to find a way to make it more palatable!  My husband thinks it's a waste of time, but I love a good food challenge... so I'm going to document my tofu experiments in hopes of enlightening myself, and any others who might feel similarly ;)

This week I decided to just pan fry it.  First, I drained and rinsed an extra firm block of tofu.  Then I got my cookie sheets, paper towels and canned food.  And then I pressed those puppies good!  Next, I cut them up into little cubes and tossed them into a hot skillet with a little butter... I figured they could use a little fat.  And nothing makes food brown beautifully like butter!  I may be a nutritionist, but I know when to admit the benefits of butter.

So, the tofu browned up nicely.  And the texture wasn't too bad.  Flavor was ok, but that's probably because we drowned it in peanut butter and soy sauce!  So my next tofu adventure will include freezing and boiling.  And thus concludes the first of our tofu series.  *B

Custom Crepes

These babies are beyond versatile!  They can be sweet or savory; it just depends on what you fill them with.  And they freeze beautifully.  This is your basic crepe recipe, with just a little tinkering... I haven't tried making whole-wheat crepes, and I don't think I ever will!  That's what pancakes/tortillas are for ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 T. unrefined sugar (but not coarse)
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 c. rice milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 t. vanilla (omit for savory crepes)
• butter or non-stick spray

Directions:

1. Measure flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
2. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Melt butter, or spray pan, and pour just enough batter to cover bottom of pan.  When bubbles start to form and the edges start to curl, carefully flip the crepe and cook for another minute or so.  Both sides should be golden.
3. Fill crepe with fillings of choice.  Roll up and enjoy!

Tip:  If you plan on freezing your crepes, simply place a sheet of wax paper between each crepe.  Put crepes in ziploc bag once cool and place on flat surface in the freezer.  They also freeze great when filled...  and you can't help but feel fancy when eating them.  You can make them as healthy or unhealthy as you want.  It all comes down to how you fill 'em.  Right now I'm dreaming of a pumpkin pie filling and topping it with some fresh whipped cream and chopped pecans.  Mmm.  *B

and the winner is

...[drum rolls ensue]...

TARA!!!  You, my dearest Texan, are one lucky lady.  I know my beloved plate will be equally loved by you :)

After all was said and done, I had over 40 entries!  Thanks to random.org for making my job easier ;)  You gals sure know how to make a girl feel good about herself!  Thank you.  And many thanks to everyone who commented, tweeted, face-booked, blog posted, etc.  And thank you for following my blog!  Seriously.  I hope you find this site a fun and helpful pit-stop amongst the world wide web...

Now, enjoy the rest of the month!  It's the best month of the year, after all.  So, who's ready for some yummy pumpkin recipes?!  *B

sometimes sweet

Sometimes, when I'm feeling naughty/indulgent (which is more often than not), I add chocolate to my baking.  What, like you haven't noticed???  Yes, it's true.  Most of my healthy muffins have little bits of antioxidant goodness in them in the form of chocolate chips... I don't make many cookies, or sweets in general.  But, I do have a huge bag of chocolate chips in my fridge.  And when I say huge, I mean Costco HUGE ;)

Sometimes, we need to treat ourselves.  Reward ourselves for making good choices.  It's called positive reinforcement.  Perhaps you've heard of it?  I'd hate to go through all the trouble of making a nutritious muffin, or granola bar, and then have it sit uneaten.  By throwing some chocolate in there, I've turned something that is good for you into something that also tastes good.  If you're a super-duper health nut and you've banned sugar from your life and have no need for chocolate like us lesser mortals, then feel free to leave them out!  However, I like to leave mine in, in an effort to sneak the good stuff into the good mouths of my family and friends.

Sometimes, when I make my granola rounds, I'll put a few of those chocolate chips on top.  When I pull them out of the oven, I spread the now melted chips around and voila! a chocolate "covered" granola bar.  I don't know about you, but pulling teeth would be easier than getting my kid to eat his home-packed lunch at school every day.  He's much too busy talking/playing to be bothered with some healthy snack his mom made.  But when he sees that chocolate "covered" granola bar, he's compelled to devour it!  And he's left feeling special, while his tummy feels full.

Sometimes, this nutrition nazi of a mom needs to feel special, too.  And so she'll break up a normal granola bar and throw in a few chocolate chips and voila! chocolate cranberry granola for breakfast.  Yes, it's true.  Chocolate does indeed have antioxidants in it :) And sometimes, being healthy means treating yourself to something sweet.  *B

this week's plan: 10/11 - 10/17

Maybe I'm the only one who benefits from these weekly meal plans... But in case you're in need of some ideas, I will continue to plan and post!  Hope it helps jump-start your own creativity :)

Mexican Monday: Southwest Chicken crepes (ETA: not recommended together, but they're both good on their own... maybe if I came up with a polenta type crepe)

Oriental Tuesday: tofu with spicy peanut sauce, veggies and noodles

Twisted Wednesday: lemon poppers and scrambled eggs

Authentic Thursday: ravioli bisque

TGIFriday: hotdogs, carrot sticks and applesauce potato salad, and strawberry smoothies

Super Saturday: date night

Special Sunday: veggie lasagna, toasted sourdough French bread with herbed brie, and green salad

Upcoming recipes: custom crepes, how to cook/like tofu, lemon poppers, ravioli bisque, potato salad, and strawberry smoothies.  Wow, that's a lot of recipes!  I want to start reviewing cookbooks, and nutrition books, as well as certain cooking products (like MSG-free bouillon).  So, we'll see if I can sneak a few in this week, too ;)

Also, if anyone has a favorite meal that may be a little (or a lot) on the unhealthy side, and you'd like me to tweak it, let me know!  I love getting helpful feedback, and I thought you might, too.  Or maybe I'm crazy, and people think I'm crazy for wanting to healthify something like potato salad... But, I really do enjoy the challenge!  That's why I'm here, my friends :) And FYI, healthify is now an official word.  *B

Peanut Butter Syrup

Look, a picture!  Sometimes I amaze even myself ;) Seriously though, photo or no photo, this stuff is pretty gosh darn amazing. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. maple syrup (the real deal)
• 1/4 c. natural peanut butter
• 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2 t. salt
• cinnamon to taste (opt)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low, until salt is dissolved and syrup begins to boil.  Remove from heat, stir well and serve warm.

Goes great with pancakes (duh), or waffles (duh again), but I'm positive it would be totally awesome over some vanilla ice cream.  *B

Blueberry Smoothies

This sweet drink is FULL of antioxidants and potassium.  So good, and so good for you!  Just the way I like 'em ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. grape juice
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 frozen banana
• 4 handfuls frozen blueberries
• 1 handful of spinach (opt)

Directions:

1. Combine grape juice and water in a blender.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend.

Tip: if you're a part-time lover and a full-time friend of fresh spinach, you can extend its shelf life by freezing it raw!  I like to buy a bunch or two of spinach, trim off the stems and give them a good rinse.  I end up rinsing them three times to get all the sand and grit off of them...  You can buy fresh, prepped spinach in a bag, too.  Then just stick as much as you can into a large ziplock bag and pop those green beauties in the freezer.  Break off handfuls when you need them (great for smoothies or soup).  So, go green and freeze those leaves!  *B