Don't Trust a Ho

Today dragged by.  Don't days always feel like that when you really spend the ENTIRE day procrastinating?  I woke up late, I waited for my husband to call..he didn't, so I got to the gym super late, today was weights and running, so I was there forever, and then I bought Shirataki noodles at the grocery store, and they weren't in the system, so I was there for way longer than I wanted to be, and then I was busy eating a box of Peanut Butter Puffins.  They're really good and I'll probably never buy them again because I ate the whole box.  If you have self restraint around things peanut butter, I highly recommend them.

Anyway, on to the food.  I had a tofu scramble for breakfast, the first time I've put nutritional yeast in it.  It didn't really change the taste that much, so I'll probably keep on doing it since its so damn good for you.  It was pretty much the same as my standard, but I did put the last of my spinach in it and used peppers instead of scallions.  

Dinner was for my family tonight.  I usually end up making dinner on Wednesdays.  I mentioned a few days ago that I got Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson out of the library a few days ago.  I just haven't had time to make anything out of it, and figured this was a good time.  Then I remembered that my mom doesn't like anything remotely spicy and my brother's tolerance is just slightly higher than hers.  Ooookay.  Well I picked a recipe that only had one chili pepper (I think it goes up to three), and then I completely changed it.  So much so, that the recipe deserves posting.  

The recipe it evolved from was called Red Beans and Rice Casserole.  So, let's call this a: 

Two Bean Quinoa Casserole.

     

The picture is lame because I thought I was going to have more leftover my my family ate almost all of it.  

Anyway, it goes like this: 

1 tbps olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

1 poblano pepper, chopped

3 cups cooked quinoa

3/4 cup chickpeas

3/4 cup black-eyed peas (leftover from the Black-Eyed Pea and Quinoa Croquettes)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

6.15 oz Mori-Nu Silken Tofu (half a package)

2 tbsp unsweetened soymilk

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat Oven to 375.  

2. Heat oil in a large skillet, add both peppers and onion, toss to coat, cover, let cook for 5 minutes.

3.  Add ingredients Mori-Nu through paprika to blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  

4.  Add tofu mixture, beans, tomatoes, quinoa, peppers, and onion to a large bowl, and mix until everything is coated.  Season to taste.  

5.  Put the mixture in a 2 1/2 quart baking dish, cover with foil, at bake for 25 minutes. 

5.  Take off foil, sprinkle with chili powder and cilantro (or parsley if you're a cilatro hater, its just to look pretty).  Return to oven for 5 minutes.  Serve.  

Serves 4.  

Nutrition Information:  364.4 Calories;  7.8g Total Fat;  0.8g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  61.9g Carbohydrates;  10.0g Fiber;  13.1g Protein.

My family really liked it, the tofu mixture made it so creamy and moist.  It was also my family's first experience with black-eyed peas.  About halfway through dinner, they started debating what kind of beans were in it, and the resulting conversation went something like this:

Brother:  "Black-eyed peas look weird"

Mom:  "Ooooooh...so that's why they're called black-eyed peas!  They have little black spots"

Me:  "Hahaha, you didn't notice when we had them last week?"

Brother:  "Don't trust a ho" 

Everyone:  "... ... ... " 

What?  Yeah, apparently, it made him think of The Black Eyed Peas, the band, and...that's what came out.  He's fun (that sounds sarcastic, but its not).  

We also had roasted cauliflower and carrots, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Excuse the ugly picture.    

  

Today's Cooking Song:  Norwegian Wood - The Beatles (my favorite Beatles' song, if you were wondering).  

I also wanted to add that, my day was so screwed up from waking up so late and getting back from the gym so late, that the entire box of cereal actually worked into my calories for the day.  Sheesh.