Chili Tuesday Tofu

January 25, 2011 By Laura

This may be a sign of weakness… but I am COLD!

Thank god I don’t live in Boston.

Down South is is rainy, dark, and cold. Someone please remind me of this when it is July and I’m whining about the heat.

After a looong day at work, I was excited to get going with round 1 of yesterday’s recipe intervention! Tonight I heated things up with a version of the Nutty Spicy Tofu from Foodie Fresh.

I know I said it would be to cookies, but I was short on time. And avocados.

Based on preference and ingredients, I did make a few adjustments. Baked tofu is almost fluffy, and I love the nut butter with the spice. This was damn good!

Aren’t you guys loving the blurry cell phone pics?

Chili Nutty Tofu (revised)

1 block extra firm tofu
1 T sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1 T TJ’s Valencia Peanut Butter (or peanut flour)
1 T sesame seeds
1 1/2 T Thai-style chili sauce
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
fresh lime slices

Cut the tofu in half horizontally and press the tofu for 30 mins to an hour to remove water.

Mix the remaining ingredients (except the lime) in a medium bowl. Cut the tofu into cubes, add to marinade, and allow to marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook the tofu on the baking sheet for 25 minutes.

Serve with sticky rice, cilantro, and lime slices.

And Japanese beer. 🙂

***

Verdict: Amazing! I have never baked tofu before (I always make it in a grill pan) and it turned out really well. The marinade gave it a good crust on the outside and the flavors complimented each other perfectly. I may add some orange zest next time for a little extra citrus zing!

Off to derby practice again! I wish I had a camera so I could post a pic of the killer bruise on my butt/upper hip. 🙂

Recipe Pack Rat

January 24, 2011 By Laura

My name is Laura and I am a recipe addict.

If you ever want to keep me occupied for hours, drop me in the middle of the cookbook section of a bookstore. Or give me a list of food blogs. Or a stack of Food & Wine magazines.

While I do cook a lot, this has resulted in my having an excess of recipes. I can’t make one item before I find 5 more I want to try my hand at!

I have 292 recipes bookmarked. This is only those online. That I’ve remembered to save to Delicious.

Intervention time.

Can I get on Oprah for this? (Did you see Oprah discovered she has a sister? That must have been the best day of her sister’s life… being Oprah’s sister would be better than winning the lottery!)

For the next 6 months, I will make one recipe from my Delicious bookmarks per week.

Originally, I was going to start with the first bookmarked page and work from there. Makes sense. Start at the beginning.

The issue is that I started saving in April, so I would be making springtime recipes when it is below freezing outside. 86 that idea.

Does it really matter where I start?

Start from the most recent.

Here are the first 3:

1. Avocado Creamcheese Cookies

Source: Anncoo Journal

2. Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Source: Priya's Kitchen

3. Nutty Spicy Tofu

I’m declaring tomorrow Avocado Cookie Tuesday!!!!

Tonight, it’s derby-time!

***

Do you have a recipe problem habit? How do you keep track/keep up?

Side note: While I was looking through old bookmarks and writing this, I found no less than 10 new recipes to try. Oops.

Souper Saturday

January 22, 2011 By Laura

Getting out of bed is the hardest part of going to Saturday morning practice.

I got out of bed at 7am. I don’t get up that early for work.

At 8am this morning we began a 3 hour derby practice. SO glad I woke up.

A couple of amazing guest skaters – Rice Rocket and Varla Vendetta – were in town to lead a workshop. I’m not gonna lie – I was derby crushing. We learned some new drills and were able to do a quick scrimmage with our teams.

Then – because I am extra crazy – I came home and ran 3 miles. In 26 minutes!!! This is pretty fast for me. It is freezing outside and I think my body was just trying to get warm. 🙂

I love a souper-motivated Saturday. I also love Souper Jenny. Jenny makes creative, tasty soups fresh daily, along with salads and a couple of sandwiches. I have been known to:

Drive 30 miles from my old office to eat there for lunch
Save her daily email menus to remember a particularly interesting flavor combo
Completely change my plans to eat dinner there on Thursdays for Grilled Cheese Night

All this to say that I finally attempted my own soup.

(I did make the Butternut Squash Apple, but I’d read like 40 recipes first. This one I just went into the kitchen and threw stuff together. 🙂 )

It isn’t half bad. In fact, it is pretty damn good!

Perfect for lunch after a frigid run.

White Bean, Butternut Squash, and Kale Soup

EVOO
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C (1 can) vegetable broth
3 C chopped tomatoes (I used Pomi)
1 C (1 can) cannellini beans
3 celery stalks
1 sweet potato
1/2 medium butternut squash
4 C kale
3 stalks fresh rosemary (~3 T)
1 T fresh lime juice
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp roasted cinnamon
S & P to taste

Chop all veggies into bite-sized pieces. In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeños. Saute 6-7 mins until onions are translucent and soft. Add in garlic and cook for another 1-2 mins.

Add in sweet potato, butternut squash, and celery. Stir to combine with the saute mixture and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil. Add beans and kale to the soup. Stir to combine, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover pot with the lid slightly ajar to let steam escape. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Salt & pepper to taste. If you like a thinner soup, add water or more stock and adjust spices.

Makes 5 servings (1 cup each).

My creation has approximately: 250 calories, 6 g fat, 42 g carbohydrates, 12.5 g fiber, and 10 g protein. It is also rich in Vitamins A and C.

***

My favorite thing about soup? It is souper (I know I know… I’ll stop) filling and can easily be made nutrient-rich and low-cal.

What is your favorite soup creation?

Slurp Your Sweet Potato

January 15, 2011 By Laura

Despite being up until 3am working, I woke up (late) this morning ready to MOVE.

Breakfast was a coffee, an apple, and a jalapeno-cheddar scone (recipe to come… it still needs a little work). To fuel my energy, I read some neglected fitness magazines.

What resulted was an amazing workout:

5 min elliptical warm-up
Wide grip lat pull-downs – 3 sets of 12
Bent over dumbbell row – 3 sets of 15
Seated cable row – 3 sets of 12
30 second planks as an active rest between sets in #2-4 (total 10)
Dumbbell pullover – 3 sets of 12
Row to raise – 2 sets of 12
Push-ups- 3 sets of 15 – superset with…
Standing dumbbell curl – 3 sets of 12
Alternating dumbbell curl – 5 sets of 12
Hammer curl – 4 sets of 15 (or to exhaustion)
1 min sprint intervals on the treadmill between each set in #10-11 (total 8 )

Then I took the stairs back up to my condo. Whew!

That killer workout called for a gigantic protein shake.

You’re probably going to think this is weird… BUT just trust me.

Sweet Potato Smoothie

1/4 large sweet potato, cooked (mine was left over from this)
1 hand full of spinach
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Ice + water/milk to taste

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Slurp away!

***

Time to head out the door for the derby sleepover – so excited to hang out with the team off-skates!

Does anyone else have adult sleepovers?!

It’s like high school but now you don’t have to sneak in the alcohol.

Spice Up Your Dessert

January 13, 2011 By Laura

I don’t want to run.

At all.

This frigid, icy weather has taken a toll on my workout motivation. Yet I did.

Want to know the secret steps to success when you’re held captive by the weather?

Make a plan – mine was a incline interval run
Write it on a piece of paper
Get dressed in workout gear (it helps you commit to going!)
Get on the “dreadmill” WITH the written plan in front of you
Promise yourself that if you go 10 mins and still feel terrible, you can stop
Promise yourself a giant spaghetti squash dinner and a glass of wine
Wait for about the 8 min mark
Motivation/resolve sets in. At this point you realize you will go the full time and survive.

I have no idea how I got through that one, but I did.

Then I ate this:

Thank god for the cleanse and my discovery of Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti.

My derby teammates, the Sake Tuyas, are having a sleepover this weekend. Everyone is bring a dish and the theme is Mexican. Because I am crazy, as I was laying in bed last night I was contemplating the possibilities (doesn’t everyone lull their self to sleep thinking about food?). Then it hit me.

When I made these Black Bean Brownies, I thought I had hit the jackpot. But… no. There’s something better out there.

Black beans are in (I think) every taco at Moe’s (clearly an authentic Mexican specimen).

This alone qualifies them for the potluck. But why stop there?

Amp it up and add some spicy-goodness! The addition of cinnamon and spice and everything nice adds a depth of flavor that is not to be missed.

Protein-rich, fudgy brownie with ~150 calories per serving (less than the original since I reduced the sugar and egg). Does it get any better?

Mexican Black Bean Fudgy Brownies

3/4 C cocoa powder
1/2 C salted butter, melted
1/2 C applesauce (unsweetened)
15 oz canned black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 C walnuts (chopped)
2 tsp vanilla
1 T instant coffee
1 1/4 tsp roasted ground cinnamon
1 tsp ancho chili powder
3/4 tsp cayenne powder
Shake of kosher salt
3 eggs
1 C light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Prepare an 11 x 7 in pyrex dish by lining with parchment paper or lightly oiling with Baker’s Joy/Pam/butter/etc.

In large bowl, mix together melted butter, applesauce, and cocoa powder until combined.

Place the beans, 1/2 C of walnuts, vanilla extract, and 3-4 spoonfuls of the cocoa mixture into a food processor. Blend until smooth (~ 1 min). It will be very thick. Set aside.

Add to the cocoa mixture the remaining 1/2 C walnuts, instant coffee, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne, and salt and mix well. Add bean mixture to cocoa mixture, manually stirring until well blended.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with a mixer until light and creamy (~ 1-2 min). Add agave nectar and beat well. Fold the egg mixture (reserving 1/8 C to drizzle over top if desired) into the bean and cocoa mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared pan.

Bake for ~45 mins, until the brownies are set. Cool completely in the pan before cutting. You may need to refrigerate first – these are extremely soft.

Optional: Sprinkle top with a mixture of cinnamon, chili powder, and powdered sugar.

***

Now to do a quick core workout before bed. If I can just get started…

What are your secrets to motivation for a bad-weather workout?

Snowmygawd!

January 12, 2011 By Laura

We’ve moved on from the snow to ice. This city is shut down. Even derby practice has been canceled all week! In case you were wondering, ice is significantly less fun than snow.

Peachtree St. (the main drag through Atlanta) is literally a sheet of ice. No joke – this dude was ice skating down the street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iudRPyX4934

This is 2 blocks from my condo.

Being trapped has done a lot for productivity – I have gotten 2 big deliverables done for work, changed my sheets, hand washed dishes (I always put off doing hand wash-only dishes), worked out everyday, done laundry, and some other random “to do” items.

I did get out on Monday night for some fun. Atlanta was in par-tay mode! 🙂

Picture taken by random guy on the street:

Told you I'm a red-head!

Last night I made some rockin’ roasted sweet potatoes. I couldn’t take a picture, but my sister requested that directions be posted. Here you go, Alli:

Lavender Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 Giant Sweet potato
1/4-1/2 tsp Dried lavender blossoms
1/2 tsp Dried rosemary
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 T EVOO

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Chop well-rinsed (I don’t peel mine) sweet potato into 1/2 in cubes and spread out on foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with herbs, salt, and EVOO.

Roast in oven for ~40 mins, tossing once at 25 min mark. Remove and enjoy!

***

I read an interesting article from my Active.com daily email. It discusses training for a race vs. weight loss.

Many people begin running for weight loss. One of the common stories I see is that of people signing up for a 5K as motivation to begin running and drop a few lbs. I don’t think this article is necessarily referring to those people – this seems more related to longer races or more competitive racers – but it is an interesting read and can provide some perspective.

Major take-aways:

Your body needs more calories when you’re seriously training. This is not the time to cutting to under 1,500/day .
Strength training shouldn’t be a focus while training. Muscle burns fat, but lifting seriously can exhaust you and add more muscle than is ideal for a race.
Endurance require some carbs. Losing weight does not. Eat more protein if you are trying to lose. Sub in some carb-cals for the protein when you are in training.
Many of the fitness magazines are highlighting the awesome weight-loss results you see from cardio intervals. True story. Just don’t make these the bulk of your workout if you are trying to run a marathon – they aren’t a substitute for a long run.
“Fasting” workouts are when you workout first thing without any food on your stomach. In theory, they burn straight fat rather than burning off carbs first. I’m not a fan of these in general (it can also mean muscle breakdown as you body struggles to fuel the workout), but you especially don’t want to do this for longer/endurance runs.

***

What are your thoughts? Can you focus on weight loss and training? Anyone a fan of the fasting workout?

Speaking of… I’m off to the gym! Gotta do what you can to warm up. 🙂

Non-Evil Burritos?

January 5, 2011 By Laura

There should be a law that requires some ramp-up time before work gets insane again post-holiday.

After a slow couple of weeks, the need to focus and crank out work is a shocking blow.

But I can’t complain… no one will listen. 😉

____________________________________________________________________

The return to work means the return of fast, travel-friendly lunches.

I am a big fan of anything I can prepare the night before. Some of my go-tos:

Leftover chickpea patties + salad
Grilled chicken + salad
Hummus + veggies with a slice of bread (bagged separately – soggy bread = foul)
Wraps with pesto/sweet potato butter/hummus/eggplant dip/anything else in my fridge (pre-bagged ingredients to be constructed quickly at work)
BIG smoothies (I have a new obsession with avocado+banana+ vanilla protein powder)

Sometimes my laziness is off the charts even these quickies aren’t quick enough. That is when I go to my frozen meal collection.

One of the biggest problemos challenges with frozen food is finding tasty meals with decent nutrition content – they need to heat up without turning to rubber while not including ingredients I can’t pronounce.

As with any meal, if I can incorporate Mexican food I am a joyful girl.

Necessito el burrito en mi stomacho.

The mini Evol Burrito Veggie Fajita is anything but evil. At 160 calories, 2g fat, and 5g protein, it makes a great afternoon snack. A ingredient list in plain english makes it downright angelico.

Warning:do NOT over-do it in the mircowave. The tortilla will get chewy. I’d cook it half way and then cut it in half to finish heating (less nuking time = less rubber).

According to the website there are tons of flavor and size options. My supermarcado didn’t carry the premium burritos, but when this one appears I’ll be first in line to buy it!

***

Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments and emails in response to my 2011 Goals. I am so lucky to have such amazing family and friends. 🙂

In keeping with my fitness goals, I kicked it at kickboxing last night with the newly resolute. Tonight we have derby practice. Tomorrow… maybe some HIIT???

Do you look forward to March when people get bored of working out and the gym is less crowded? It may be evol, but I look forward to the crowd levels returning to normal.

Let Them Eat Cake

December 29, 2010 By Laura

I always look forward to Christmas.

…and I am always ready for it to be OVER.

Things are beginning to calm down again, and I couldn’t be more ready for it! 🙂

Tonight I am going to my first derby practice in a month! I really want to get some weights in this afternoon, but I’m also pretty sore from P90X on Monday.

Things I am ready to get back to:

My condo
Quiet
Food that doesn’t involve sugar (*gasp*)
Running more regularly
Derby
Cereal (can you tell I haven’t had breakfast yet?!)

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Speaking of breakfast…

Angela continues to amaze over at Oh She Glows. Carrot Cake Oatmeal.

It is literally like eating carrot cake batter for breakfast. I made a couple of modifications… make your own adjustments and eat cake for breakfast!

I’m pretty sure it doesn’t get better than this.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

1.25 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other milk-substance)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T cream of coconut
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 large carrot, finely grated (like you would for a carrot cake)
1/4 C oats
1/4 C muesli
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals)

In a medium pot over medium heat, add milk, lemon juice, coconut milk cream, and apple cider vinegar, stirring to combine. Whisk in spices and salt.

Stir in grated carrots and oats. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until mixture has thickened (~8 minutes), stirring as needed. Mix in protein powder, cooking 1-2 mins more to warm. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.

Have fun with the toppings! I used dried cranberries, pecans, and a drizzle of maple syrup.