Spring Swing

I want to say that I'm getting back into the swing of things, but I'm just not.  Honestly I could really use a Spring Break.  Don't you miss those days, when everyone got a week off when the weather got nice, and just got to relax?  Oh wait...I get one of those.  And its this week.  THANK GOD.  

I don't think its going to be a very exciting week.  I had plans of seeing friends and whatnot, until I realized that all of my friends are working.  As it is, I have a lot of stuff to do...like my taxes and planning for the week we get back.  Other than that, I'm going to do a lot of yoga and try to stabilize my diet.  

Speaking of food, this week started with veggies.       

Veggies are good and all, but what makes this is the nutritional yeast sauce.  Its nice and cheesy and really really simple:  1 cup nutritional yeast, 2 cups soymilk, 1/4 cup spelt flour, 2 tbsp tamari, and as much cayenne as you like.  You start by toasted the flour and nutritional yeast over low heat, then slowly add the soymilk, stirring until smooth and creamy.

I had it on top of some squash, and some sun dried tomatoes on top of that.  Simple, fast, just the kind of thing I needed.  

Serves 4

Nutritional Information:  198.7 Calories;  4.1g Total Fat;  0.9g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  23.2g Carbohydrates;  10.7g Fiber;  22.6g Protein  

Anyway, yes, I'm alive.  In fact, my birthday was on Monday, so I'm another year alive (25, if you were wondering).  Thanks to those of you who have checked up on me.  

A picture of me and Zoe as proof:

I apologize for being away for so long, and for my last post being so personal.  I know none of you minded, but I still don't really want this blog to go in that direction, so I deleted that post.  At the same time though, I really want to thank so many of you for the comments and words of encouragement, I really appreciated it.

I have been at my second placement for a little over a week now, and its going okay.  I do love the kids already, but I'm not a fan of the material or the teacher I am working with.  She's alright but we just don't click.  It makes things a little boring.  

Also, I should apologize for not even keeping up with your blogs.  I feel badly about it, but to be honest, I haven't really been doing much of anything that I like lately.  When I took the pot out to cook last night I couldn't even remember the last time I had used a pot (sad, right?).  Hopefully this week will set things back on the right track.    

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

First off, I am lacking an important necessity today:  water.  

My mom texted me while I was at school, so I stopped at the gym on the way home, to a.) go to the gym, and b.) take a shower.  I wasn't planning on taking a shower there.  It is difficult when you don't have a towel.  My gym used to rent towels, but they don't anymore.  The girl at the desk was so nice, she gave me a roll of paper towels, saying that she had done it before.  It wasn't perfect, and I have no idea what kind of soap/body wash I washed my sweaty hair with, but...it worked (actually, my hair looks pretty good).  

Anyway, now I am home and faced with the difficulty of making dinner without water.  Well, more making a dinner that isn't a pain in the butt to clean up without water.  I didn't quite succeed, but we will most likely have water by tomorrow, so a few things will just have to wait until then.  

On to the food, right?  Wednesdays are my night to cook, and if asked, my family always wants pasta.  When I was a vegetarian, one of my family's favorite dishes that I made was a version of this baked pasta dish from Giada on the Food Network.  With all the cheese involved in it, its not an option for me anymore.  But when I was thinking about what to make this week, I knew I wanted something easy that would make leftovers, and the baked penne popped into mind.  

Note the plastic dishes and leftover 'Happy Birthday' paper cups

The recipe I used to make was modified to begin with, and obviously veganizing it makes the recipe an even further cry from the original.  So, I'll post it.  

1 box whole wheat penne pasta (the brand I buy is 12oz)

2 cups prepared pasta sauce of choice (I buy an organic store brand)

1 block extra-firm tofu (I use Nasoya, and it is 14oz)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp dried basil 

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 red peppers

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

1 yellow onion

salt & herbs/herbed salt

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  

2.  Set a pot of water to boil (I used bottled, from a big gallon jug, because of the water issue)

3.  Cut up all the vegetables into 1-inch pieces.  Place them on baking sheets (you'll probably want two, but I smash them all onto one), spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with either salt and herbs of choice, or an herbed salt.  Toss to coat (you may want to do this more than once, again, depending on how tightly packed your sheet(s) is(are).  Roast until done, turning once, about 20 minutes.  

4.  Put the pasta into the water that is hopefully boiling by now.  Cook no longer than the lowest time given on the package.

5.  Combine the tofu through olive oil in bowl (I used the baking dish I was planning on using to eliminate clean up), and squish everything together until it has reached a "ricotta-like" consistency.  

6.  When everything is done cooking, mix it all together, along with the pasta sauce, and put into a greased (I use cooking spray) 9x13 baking dish.  I saved a little bit of the ricotta to sprinkle on top.  

7.  Lower heat to 350, and bake for 25-30 minutes. 

Serves 6

Nutrition Information:  379.3 Calories;  7.7g Total Fat;  0.9g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  55.7g Carbohydrates;  12.9g Fiber;  21.5g Protein 

The picture makes it look like a serving is pretty small, but the baking dish is really almost full to the top, so its actually a big serving.  If you wanted it to be more of a side dish, you could obviously just reduce the serving size, but I was all about a "one-dish" today.

If you're super observant, you'll notice that the tofu "ricotta" is from VWaV and/or V'con, but I figured it was necessary.  It's pretty good, although I would add some crushed red pepper next time.  

As for the clean-up situation, the only thing that is waiting until tomorrow is the baking dish, and the pot I used to cook the pasta.  Not bad, right?  Plus, I have leftovers for the next few days.  

Now, I am thrilled because we have a Superintendent's Conference Day tomorrow, which means the kids have off, but we have to go in for some all day seminar thing.  It sounds like it is going to be hideously boring, but I get to wear jeans, and I get to go in an hour later!!  Time to catch up on some sleep!      

Breakfast, Ideally.

   M: “What have we always said is the most important thing?”

GM: “Breakfast”

   M: “Family”

GM: “Family.  Right.  I thought you meant out of the things you eat”   

500 points if you got that reference.  

Anyway, we all grew up being told that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”.  But how many of us grew up on sugary cereal, Pop-Tarts, and doughy bagels?  How many of us skip breakfast now, or run out the door with a sugary granola bar masquerading as something "wholesome"?  Have you ever had the “Continental Breakfast” at a hotel?  Its all pastries, donuts, and maybe an English muffin.  You may get some peanut butter for that muffin if you’re lucky.   

The quick and easy American breakfast is heavy in one major food group:  carbohydrates.  No no, carbs are not evil.  Well, not all of them at least.  But when carbs come in the form of sugar, or of highly processed white flour, they can be bad news.  When these “highly processed carbs” hit your digestive system, they get to work immediately.  Perfect for an early morning pick me up, right?  Well you won’t be thinking the same thing an hour later, when you’ve quickly worked through all those simple carbs, and are now running on empty.  

We need carbs, they’re brain food.  We need them to keep our glycogen levels up, which is especially important for athletes, or any fitness enthusiast.  But we want complex carbohydrates.  This means whole grains;  whole oats, whole wheat, whole barley, brown rice, buckwheat, spelt berries, bulgar wheat, etc.  This stuff still has its fiber content.  While it will still give you the energy you need, it comes along with fiber, that will keep digestion at a slow burn to keep you feeling strong, longer.  Fruits and veggies are a carbs too, but they’re not as complicated.  I feel perfectly fine eating anything that comes from nature.  Fruit does have a lot of sugar, but it also has vitamins and fiber.  Most veggies are super good for you, but the poor potato has gotten a bad rap, since it is a simple carb.  In general, I get as many veggies as possible, and just stay aware that while fruits mean great nutrients and fiber, it does come with calories.     

Okay, so we know what kind of carbs we need, but what about ALL the other food items out there.  Surely if just carbs were enough, they wouldn’t add “part of a complete breakfast” at the end of cereal commercials, would they?  The other two macronutrient groups, protein and fat, are an integral part of breakfast.  

First, fat.  Oh poor fat and its misconceptions.  Fat is just another type of food.  It isn’t, nutritionally, going to make you fat.  The reason why fat is synonymous with “being fat” or weight gain, is because one gram of fat has more calories then protein and carbs.  

1g fat = 9 calories

1g protein = 4 calories

1 g protein = 4 calories

So, its easy to see how, if you eat too much fat, you do, in fact, gain weight.  Guess what though?  You gain weight if you eat too much of anything.  Because fat has more calories, it fills you up more.  Just like carbs though, fat can be good or bad.  I think everyone knows by now that trans fats are bad.  I’ll actually be talking about trans fats with my students this week.  No, I’m not a health teacher, but trans fats are principle of organic chemistry, which we’re starting this week.  If anyone wants to know about the chemical basis behind trans fats, let me know!  Anyway, good vs. bad fats is pretty easy once you think about it.  Fats that are from nature are good:  Avocados, olive oil, peanut butter, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, etc.  For me, fats are one of the most important parts of breakfast.  I’ve mentioned before, and have posted recipes for, my breakfast cookies, my personal weekday portable breakfast of choice.  They’re full of good fats, with ground flax seeds, coconut oil, and sometimes other nuts and seeds, depending on the recipe.  Stay tuned for a Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookie recipe later this week.  

I think the macronutrient that most vegans and vegetarians are most aware of, is protein.  If you are any sort of vegetarian and have never been asked where you get your protein, congratulations.  But its still good to know the answer, right?  Protein is everywhere, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, whole grains, seitan, beans, etc.  As far as I am concerned, when it comes to vegetarian sources, there is no unhealthy, or “bad”, protein.  Supposedly protein fills you up too, but I’ve never felt that way; I attribute the full feeling more to fat and fiber, than to protein.  Regardless, it is important to have protein at all your meals, and as long as you are conscientious of the vegetarian sources, you should be getting more than enough.  Some of us want more protein.  Muscles are made of protein, and if you are consistently breaking them down, you’re going to need protein to build them back up.  I am always pushing my muscles pretty hard, through weight training, yoga, and running, and to facilitate that repair, I turn to protein.  The amount of protein we need is debatable, but as a general rule, your body can only absorb so much at once.  This is why its a good idea to have some at every meal, so your body can make use of it all.  

So much to take in before breakfast!  You want the first meal to count though, right?  So you need protein, good fat, complex carbohydrates, and nutrients you get from fruits and veggies.  It can all sound complicated, but its not so daunting a task.  

I have breakfast every morning, but I especially love my weekend breakfast, when I have time before yoga to cook up something different, and relax while I eat.  Today I had my ideal breakfast.  

It started last night with setting aside some oat groats for a raw “oatmeal”, inspired again by Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.

  

1/4 cup raw oat groats, soaked overnight, and rinsed

1/2 nectarine

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp water

1.  Blend the oats, water, and nectarine in a food processor until it is "oatmealy".  

2.  Drizzle with maple syrup

This was my first time having the raw oats, and I was so pleasantly surprised.  First off, I couldn't believe how much it smelled like oatmeal just after being rinsed.  And it was so chewy and fruity, it was really a really tasty alternative to a bowl of cooked oats.

Now, my weekend scrambles may be old news, but they are seriously my most favorite breakfast.  The key ingredient, for me, is the vegan cream cheese.  It makes it so nice and creamy.  If you can't find the trans fat free version of Tofutti near you, there are a few other vegan cream cheese options, like Vegan Gourmet, and Soya Kass.  They're both good, but the Tofutti tastes the best if you are using it as a condiment.    

3.5 oz Extra-firm Tofu

1/2 red pepper

1/4 cup scallions

1/2 tsp Bragg's/soy sauce/tamari

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

1 tbsp vegan cream cheese

tumeric

cayenne pepper

1/2 ripe avocado

I've posted my method before.  This isn't too different from my regular scramble, except I added the scallions at the end instead of cooking them with the pepper, like I do when I use yellow onion.

Stats for the ideal breakfast?  

Serves 1:  

Nutrition Information:  516.7 Calories;  22.0g Total Fat;  3.8g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  60.9g Carbohydrates;  15.0g Fiber;  24.8g Protein

Vitamin Information:  83.1% Vitamin A;  66.5% Vitamin B-12;  259.5% Vitamin B-6;  213.1% Vitamin C;  9.9% Vitamin E;  4.9% Calcium;  15.2% Copper;  53.6% Folate;  9.8% Iron;  12.3% Magnesium;  31.9% Manganese;  152.8% Niacin;  16.2% Phosphorous;  850.3mg Potassium;  291.9% Riboflavin;  17.0% Selenium;  328.7% Thiamin;  18.4% Zinc 

Breakfast of champions, indeed.  I absolutely believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  If I screw up breakfast, the rest of my day is just off.  What do you consider to be your ideal breakfast?  I'm always up for new breakfast ideas!

I'm off to finish my lessons for my two weeks of Organic Chem (it ends with something fun)!  I know it has a terrible rap, but at the High School level, I really like it (not so much at the college level, I almost failed my second semester...stupid mechanisms).  

Oh, and let me know if you won my 500 point prize...no Googling!!  I'll think up something good to send ya :)

You get an extra 250 points if you can tell me the chemical process that creates trans fats.  

If you really want to be a show-off I'll give you 100 points for the chemical formula for sucrose (table sugar).  My teacher made us memorize it in 5th grade, the things that stick with you are funny!    

Corn Pasta Fritters

Corn Pasta Fritters with Cheesey Black Beans and 2 Minute Guacamole

...what a mouthful...

Corn Pasta Fritters

6 oz corn pasta

9 oz silken tofu (3 slices of Mori-Nu)

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup chopped scallions

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup spelt flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

season to taste

Cheesey Black Beans

1 1/2 cans black beans

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup canned diced tomatoes (or fresh if you want to be fancy)

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder

3/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp vegan cream cheese

season to taste

2 Minute Guac

1 1/2 avocado 

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup canned diced tomatoes

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

season to taste

 

1.  Set oven to warm

2.  Blend the tofu with everything but the pasta and scallions.  Mix in scallions and allow to sit so that the cornmeal can soften.

3.  Boil a pot of water, and cook the pasta until tender.

4.  While the pasta is cooking, sautee the onions and garlic in a pan, until tender.  Add tomatoes, black beans, spices, and cream cheese, stirring until warmed through.  Remove from heat, and keep covered.  

5.  Coat a pan with cooking spray.  Divide the pasta into 6 portions, and add one portion to the pan.  Add 1/6th of the tofu and cornmeal mixture, mixing the pasta into it, and spreading it out into an even layer.  Cook until browned and firm, then flip (I used a plate, slid it onto that, then flipped), cooking the other side until it is cooked through.  

6.  Keep finished pasta fritters on a baking sheet in the warm oven.  

7.  While the fritters are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the guacamole in a bowl and mash.  

8.  Garnish with sliced scallions.

Serves 6

Nutrition Information:  440.0 Calories;  11.7g Total Fat;  2.0g Saturated Fat;  0.0mg Cholesterol;  70.0g Carbohydrates;  15.5g Fiber;  17.8g Protein

I bought corn pasta at the Asian grocery near my friend's house a few weeks ago, and with all the driving I've been doing lately, I've had lots of time to think about food, just not a lot of time to cook it!  Well, I seem to have finally gotten my act together.  I got to school perfectly on time, I left and went straight to the gym, and then stopped at the grocery store, and was home by 6.  This left me plenty of time to make dinner for my family tonight, and I had been thinking about making some kind fritter with these noodles for about a week.  It all came out so well, my whole family really liked it.  

If you don't have the pasta, could probably make smaller fritters with actual corn.  And if you don't have vegan cream cheese, it isn't really necessary.  Separately and all together it is really yummy, and really filling.  While it makes a pretty picture all piled, as shown above, but it tastes the best if you smoosh it all over the fritter and eat it together!  

Student teaching is going so well...it looks like we'll probably have a snow day tomorrow and I think it is the first time in my life that I have ever wished that school wouldn't be cancelled!  The teacher next door is giving a mid-term lab, and I really want to help.  It is Regents week, so it was a pretty slow day, but I spent a long time talking with my cooperating teacher.  I know I've said this before, but he is awesome.  

Oh, and my husband is officially home from Iraq.  I may have said that earlier, but you're not really supposed to give exact dates or discuss troop movement, so instead of saying he was in Kuwait, or Germany, or leaving tomorrow, etc, it was just easier to say he was done.  But he called me from Hawaii this morning and...I can tell you that, since the deployment is over!

I am so pumped to send out some CDs too, I love sharing music.  I posted about it on Sunday, and if anyone else is interested, leave me a comment or send an email by tomorrow night.   

This has been such a busy time for me, but I am so happy.  I really love being able to come on here and I want to thank you all for staying with me!