I won Tofu!!!

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I hope you're all having a nice holiday weekend! Recently, I won an awesome package from An Opera Singer in the Kitchen's blog. (Thank you, Noelle!) It was a huge package of all sorts of silken tofu, along with pudding packets and a recipe booklet from Mori-Nu!!

I made their chocolate pudding and it was delcious & super easy to make:

I also made my own stir-fry with vegetables and their firm tofu over brown rice:

I still have yet to open a few of the packages, but I found a recipe for Tzatziki sauce (I think it's in my new cookbook from Mama Pea) and that's definitely next on the list!

Thank you, Noelle and Mori-Nu for this awesome package!

Eat smart,

T.

Career move

Some of you know that I am a classical musician. I've played viola for years and have played in symphony orchestras for years as well. S and I think it's time for a change. We are planning to move to the Northeast to open a teaching studio (violin & viola). (that's one of our logos up top..you can buy cool logo gear here)

While we plan, I won't be posting as much (in case you noticed I haven't posted much in the last month or two). I have to concentrate on setting up both our online Skype lessons and trying to network with folks in the Northeast. That's where my focus needs to be, because we really want this....and soon. 

I still post fairly regularly on my Facebook page and on Twitter, so please follow me there. And I will try to post here occasionally as well. 

We are also trying to save money for the move now, so I cannot purchase fancy vegan cheeses, etc anymore :( I will be trying to make the most of what I can get at my local grocery store. 

If you DO know of anyone that needs violin or viola lessons, please feel free to send them to our website:

www.violaduo.com 

We have always concentrated on performing, but now we will concentrate more on teaching! Please spread the word, if you can....it would really help us out!

Thanks for understanding,

Eat smart,

T.

Chick'n Scallopini with wilted greens

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I had a coupon for some Gardein, so someone suggested their Chick'n Scallopini in the frozen section. I don't eat a ton of faux meat, but this was a nice change. These are super easy to cook up! Here's my little recipe for them-

Chick'n Scallopini with Wilted Greens

(serves 2)

2 Gardein cutlets (Chick'n Scallopini)

1 cup white wine

4-6 oz white mushrooms, sliced

1-2 bunches kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

1 TB Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)

Juice of 1-2 lemons (depending how "lemony" you like it, use 1 to start)

Add 1/4 cup water to a saute pan. Saute Gardein cutlets for about 4 minutes per side. Set aside. Add 1/2 cup of the wine to the pan and boil for about 3-5 minutes. Add the butter and juice of 1/2 lemon. Whisk. Add the mushrooms and kale to the pan and cook until bright green/wilted, stirring occasionally (~5 minutes). Set the greens aside. Add the rest of the wine to the pan and boil for about 3-5 minutes. Add the rest of the lemon juice and the Gardein cutlets to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes per side. Add the greens back into the pan (next to the cutlets) to reheat for 30 seconds or so. Spoon the greens onto a plate, place the cutlet on top, and pour the sauce over it (liquid from pan). *cutlets don't brown because I don't use oil to saute.

I served mine with this awesome Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower (so good!).

Have you tried Gardein? Do you have other favorite Gardein products? They seem to be a bit pricey, so I don't buy unless I have a coupon usually.

Eat smart,

T.

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

I know you've all been there......"What? Oatmeal again?". I eat the stuff every morning! But I try to vary it. I usually switch between cooked whole oat groats in my rice cooker and steel cut oats in a pot. Occasionally I have soaked oat groats in the blender. The last several times I've eaten raw soaked buckwheat groats....I've not felt so hot after. Not sure why. But I'm keeping away from those for the time being. I make enough oatmeal for several days and then reheat them in the mornings.

Anyway, recently I decided to figure out a way to sweeten my oats without adding tons of dried fruit and agave nectar. It's the beginning of strawberry season down here, so it's great timing. I've been picking up boxes of strawberries from the store for a great price! So here's my rendition of strawberries and "cream" oatmeal.

Strawberries and "Cream" Oatmeal

One bowl of cooked oatmeal (whole groats, steel cut, quick cooking, whatever you have)
4-5 fresh strawberries, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tbsp chopped nuts (I use almonds and walnuts)
1 tsp cinnamon


If your oatmeal is already hot, add the strawberries and almond milk and microwave it on high for 30 seconds. Stir and add the nuts and cinnamon. If your oatmeal is cold, heat it in the microwave with the almond milk for about 1 minute on high. Then add the strawberries and heat for another 30 seconds. Stir and add the nuts and cinnamon. Done! 

It should be pretty creamy, but you're welcome to add more almond milk! (seen above with whole oat groats).

How many different types of oatmeal do you eat?

Eat smart,
T.

THE KALE PROJECT

KALE PROJECT

I'm starting a new project to get the word out there about kale!

For those new to this awesome leafy green, it will help provide links to great recipes and information.

For those that already love kale, it will provide new recipes to try.

If you'd like to help me out, please leave me links to kale recipes you love (or good kale articles). 
Kale should be the main ingredient in the recipe!!

There are three places you can leave me links:

In the comments below.

On my Facebook wall.

Tweet them to me (include #kaleproject in the tweet)


You can follow my Kale Project board on Pinterest!

I will do a series of blog posts that will include links to the recipes, as well as my own recipes.

Thanks for the help!

Eat smart, 

T.

Two recipes!

First, I have to mention this green smoothie. And now my mind is a blank. I can't remember where I got this recipe :(  I usually leave a link. Well, as you can see, it had chia seeds in it and spinach, bananas, maybe frozen? It's almost exactly the same as my post-workout smoothie. Someone posted it in the last couple of weeks. If it's yours, let me know! Though I'm sure there are several similar recipes out there. Sorry!! If I find it, I'll post it here. I made it in my Vitamix.....though after my last "chia" episode in there, I didn't think I'd want to use them again. They sure to stick to everything!

And how about hummus? I thought I'd try some tomato basil hummus mixed into some warm brown rice noodles. It was good!! I'll definitely do it again. Here's my tomato hummus recipe (just add a handful of basil leaves). Or here's a simpler recipe:

Easy Tomato Basil Hummus

1 regular sized can of garbanzo beans
handful of cherry tomatoes, or 1 small tomato, cut up
1 tbsp tahini
juice of 1 lemon (or 2 if you like it super lemony!)
handful of fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste


Put it all in your food processor and process until smooth. If it's still too chunky, add a little more tomato. 

Had some spaghetti squash last night, with a nice red wine sauce:

Red Wine Pasta Sauce:

1/4 cup water 
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
4 oz of small portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 roma tomato (or other smallish tomato), chopped
1 24-oz jar of pureed/strained tomatoes (I used Bionaturae)
1 TB tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 TB minced garlic
1 tsp Creole Seasoning (or cayenne pepper plus salt)
salt to taste


Saute the onions, garlic, & peppers in the water. Cook until the onions are soft. Then add the mushrooms and chopped tomatoes. Cook ~3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to boil (medium heat) and let it continue boiling for about 5-8 minutes, until there's almost no liquid left. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste,  and seasonings. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Are you on Pinterest? You can find me there too!
Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates in between posts.

It was 77 degrees here yesterday, but this morning it was 47! How's the weather where you are?

Eat smart,
T.

Look what I won!!

I love it when I win something from another food blog! Don't you love getting cool packages in the mail? Recently, I won two giveaways:

An Opera Singer in the Kitchen's Manna Bread giveaway (thanks, Noelle!)

and

Have Cake will Travel's Hearty Vegan Meals giveaway (thanks, Celine!)

Here are the awesome breads from Manna:

(Rye)

(Multigrain)

(fruit and nut)

I've only tasted the multigrain so far, but it is delicious! The breads are very wet, and even putting them in the toaster doesn't quite dry them out. But served warm with a little Earth Balance, they are quite good! I put the rest in the freezer to keep. Can't wait to try the other flavors! All the breads are yeast free and don't have any extra ingredients. You can see all the ingredients on their website. Most are made of sprouted grains and water. That's why they are small and dense, but they are healthy and delicious :)

Here's the awesome new vegan cookbook I won:

Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman

It's filled with delicious looking recipes and wonderful pictures! I've already bookmarked several recipes to try :) 

Thanks, guys!! 

Eat smart,

T.