Stir Fry

Stir fry with wild rice, broccoli, egg plant, onions, snap peas, celery, celery leaves, garlic and low sodium soy sauce.

Reasons to eat your veggies

From the Whole Foods Facebook site - Reasons to eat your veggies.

A different version of a kale pasta recipe

This is a kale pasta dish that I make a lot. I try to change the recipe each time.

1 bunch of kale

1 cup of chopped celery

celery leaves - I usually use what leaves came on the stalk. I try to buy stalks with the most amount of leaves that I can get. If I have extra I save them in a zip lock bag.

1 cup onions

5 cloves of garlic

desired amount of yellow tomatoes cut in half

1/2 bag of whole wheat pasta

olive oil

1/2 jar of a garlic herb sauce in a jar that I had bought at Mother's Market (You can make your own sauce. Or you can buy a different sauce. I only used a half jar because this sauce is a little runny. So you could use a full jar of a thicker sauce.)

1 TSP of chopped fresh or dried basil

! TSP of dried oregano

1 TSP of chopped fresh or dried parsley

1 pack of gruyere cheese

Heat the water to boil the pasta. Cook the pasta per the directions on the package.

Wash and pull the leaves from the stems of the kale.

Chop or mince the fresh garlic.

Chop the onions and celery, celery leaves, basil (if fresh) and parsley (if fresh).

Wash and cut small yellow tomatoes in halves.


Cut the cheese up so that it will melt easier.

Heat the olive oil in a wok or skillet.

Add the onions and celery.

When the onions are ready, add the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and celery leaves.

Cook until the garlic is ready, then add the kale. Cook the kale until it is just wilted and tender.

Add the jar of sauce (or make your own sauce), cheese, pasta and tomatoes.

Cook until the cheese is melted.

Cauliflower Power

From Experience Life Magazine: Cauliflower Power - http://experiencelife.com/article/cauliflower-power-2/

and:

http://experiencelife.com/article/cauliflower/

Cooking with spinach

Cooking with Spinach from Experience Life Magazine - http://experiencelife.com/article/cooking-with-spinach/

The uncommon carrot

The uncommon carrot from Experience Life Magazine:

http://experiencelife.com/article/the-uncommon-carrot/

Smart Juicing

Here's an article in Experience Life Magazine about juicing:
http://experiencelife.com/article/smart-juicing/

More good news about kale

From Experience Life Magazine:

Here's and article titled How to Cook Kale: http://experiencelife.com/article/how-to-cook-kale/

Kale is an anti-inflammatory, low-calorie, vitamin-rich superfood--and that's why we love it so much! What do you think kale's greatest benefit is?

CSA box contents

Here is what we got in our CSA box last night:

3 very large tomatoes

1 container of yellow small tomatoes

2 cucumbers

broccoli

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 bunch of carrots (stems left on – these are so sweet)

1 very large maui onion

3 large potatoes

1 bunch of kale

1 bunch of basil

4 oranges

1 container of red grapes

Butternut squash raviolis

Butternut squash raviolis in a maple cream sauce.

Bought the raviolis at Whole Foods Market.

Made the sauce with:

1/2 onion
2 Tsps butter (Earth Balance buttery spread with olive oil)
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tsps real maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg

I also added some unsalted roasted walnuts to the dish.

Spaghetti Squash

This is a variety of squash that I haven't done yet. A co-worker who I sat with at a meeting recently had her lunch there. She had spaghetti squash, zucchini, butternut squash and summer squash that she had sauteed the night before. That got me curious about spaghetti squash. I'm hoping we'll have it in our CSA box at some point, but if not, I may buy some and try it.

Here's a great website with some recipes, video and instructions:

http://cleancuisineandmore.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash/

Here's some information from their website:

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

1 Spaghetti Squash (yellow to light orange in color and firm – about 8 inches to 12 inches long)

Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil or organic extra virgin coconut oil (such as Barlean’s)
“Real Salt”, to taste
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pulp (just like cleaning out the inside of a pumpkin at Halloween.)
3.Place on the baking sheet cut side up. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Outer skin will be soft when done and flesh will be very tender.
4.Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
5.Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands.  It comes out easily and looks like thin spaghetti.

How to Buy Spaghetti Squash

You want to look for spaghetti squash that is hard and rather heavy for its size. Pay attention to color too. Avoid spaghetti squash with soft spots and green color as this is a sign of immaturity – instead, look for a constant yellow or orange color.
  Though at peak season in the fall, spaghetti squash is available year round in most parts of the United States and found all over the world.  Do note spaghetti squash is sometimes called different things in different parts of the country such as vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, spaghetti marrow or squaghetti.

Health & Weight Management Benefits of Spaghetti Squash

Like all vegetables, spaghetti squash is filled to the brim with phytonutrients and antioxidants (including vitamin C), but it is a particularly good source of super anti-aging and cardio-protective carotenoids. A review of six studies looking at the connection between carotenoid-rich diets and prevention of heart disease found a positive correlation; in one of these studies, those who consumed at least one daily serving of carrots or squash had a 60 percent decrease in heart attack risk compared to those eating fewer than one serving.

Believe it or not, spaghetti squash also contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA.) Did you know one cup of spaghetti squash contains around 350 mg of ALA omega-3 fats? Omega-3 essential fats are the fats we must obtain from food because your body can’t manufacture them. Omega-3’s are also the fats people eating a modern diet are most deficient in. These super good for you fats are highly anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective and even slimming. One way omega-3 fats help with weight management is by improving sensitivity to insulin. The fact spaghetti squash is a high-volume, fiber-rich and low calorie food (1 cup cooked contains only about 40 calories!) also contributes to its slimming properties.

 

Butternut squash pasta

I must say that this is one of the best pasta dishes we've had. I took 2 recipes and changed things up a bit to make a butternut squash pasta. It had a very nice sweet taste to it.

olive oil
1 cup sweet onions (I used a maui onion)
5 cloves of fresh minced or chopped garlic
1/2 chopped celery leaves directly from the stalks
1 butternut squash
1 cup of brown sugar
a few dashes of white wine
1 cup of chicken broth
1 1/2 tsps of fresh or dried basil
1/2 log of goat cheese
desired amount of spinach pasta
desired amount of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Chop or mince the garlic cloves.

Chop the onions.

Place the butternut squash in the microwave and cook on high for three minutes. This will soften the squash making it easier to peel and cut. Some people use a vegetable peeler, we just cut it like you would a pineapple. Don't forget to scoop out the seeds. When you are cutting it you want to get to the squash that is more orange in color. I cut the squash up into tiny bite size pieces so that it would cook faster.

Place the butternut squash in a bowl and coat with the brown sugar.

In a large pan, boil your water for your pasta. You can use any type of pasta you'd like. I just used the spinach pasta for the color and that's what we had left. Once the water is boiling, follow the directions for cooking time on the pasta box or package.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil until hot and add onions. Cook over medium high heat, until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).

Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, just until the garlic is releasing it’s flavor, but don’t brown (it can make it bitter). If you are using the white wine, add at this point (cook for about 30 seconds to a minute).

Add the butternut squash, the basil, the celery leaves, and the chicken broth. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.

Once the squash is tender add the hot pasta and goat cheese. Cook until goat cheese is mixed in. If desired, topped with shredded cheese, and serve!


Here's a slightly different recipe if you want to roast the butternut squash. I thought it worked easier doing it in the work though.

Ingredients

•1 butternut squash weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
•1 pound pasta
•1 tablespoon of olive oil
•1/3 cup of chopped shallots or onions
•1/4 cup of packed, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
•1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
•1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, for garnish
•Salt and pepper to taste
•Water as needed to thin the sauce, about 1 cup


Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half* and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them (or save the seeds and toast them). Pour 1/4 cup of water into a pyrex or ceramic baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down. Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and put into a blender. Discard the skins.

2 Saute the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet until just beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the onions to the blender. Add 1 cup water, the parmesan, 2 teaspoons salt and nutmeg and puree. If you need a little more water, add it. Pour the sauce into a small pot set over low heat. Mix in the sour cream and warm it through. Do not let the sauce boil.

3 Fill a pot with water and salt (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water). Set over high heat to bring to a hard boil. Add the pasta and cook at a hard boil, uncovered until al dente. When the pasta is ready, drain and put it into a bowl. Mix with a little of the sauce and serve. Add a dollop of additional sauce and some parsley right when you bring it to the table.
*Be careful when you cut the squash, winter squash are hard! The best way to do it safely is to slice a bit off of both ends so that you can stand the squash upright without it rolling. Then cut down the middle. See how to cut and peel a butternut squash for visuals, though note for this recipe you do not want to peel the squash before roasting.
Yield: Serves 4-6.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pasta_with_butternut_parmesan_sauce/

 

Benefits of organic

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

As a holistic nutritionist, I help many people transition to a healthier lifestyle. If you are experiencing disease or illness, excess weight or mental fog then increasing your intake of fresh, ripe, organic fruits and vegetables is the first place to start on your path to optimal health. There are so many contradictory opinions when it comes to nutrition, but for me, it's really simple: eat as close to nature as possible; this means eating organic whole foods, as found in nature, as much as you possibly can. This comes down to consuming the bulk of your calories in the form of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens. There is everything you need in these foods to not only 'get healthy' but to truly thrive and feel amazing.

Is buying organic produce a top priority for you?

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

Is buying organic produce a top priority for you? Do you ever not buy organic because of the price?

Deciding to spend the extra money on organic produce is most definitely worth it...and eating locally organc fruits and veggies is even better. Once you go organic, you'll never want to look back - you and your health are worth the investment.

If you're ever in the Magic Mountain area...

As we were coming back from our son's this weekend, we were debating where we would eat lunch. I used my Iphone to do an Around Me search and read off the list of places. This place below sounded good to Doug and wasn't far off the freeway. So we gave it a try. If you are ever in the Magic Mountain area near Valencia, California, I highly recommend this place. This is from their website:

We are a healthy cafe inside the Spectrum Club that is open to the public

Description

healthFULL foods makes everything from scratch, the way our grandmothers did, creating
the high quality, low sugar and high fiber foods that will give you a healthFULL headstart.
We use no processed sugars, and no unhealthy fats!
  We take pride in our healthFULL products, including non-fat Greek yogurt, our own
...oven-roasted fresh turkey breast and fresh grilled chicken breast. We make our own healthFULL stock for all of our soups.

All of our flours are organic whole grain/wheat flours, some of which we mill
ourselves -- so healthFULL. We have created our own, organic special blend of fibers, which is very high in Omega 3s and 6s.

All of our baked goods are made fresh daily using only natural and healthFULL ingredients. Pastry Chef Lindsey includes our fiber blend in all of our baked goods, so very healthFULL. It’s like having your cake and eating it too.

We use natural plant-based minimally processed sugars (like Stevia and Agave) in all items. Canolive butter and Canolive oil are our special blends of healthFULL fats.

healthFULL foods
24525 Town Center Dr
Valencia, California 91355
Phone (661) 287-3738
Website: http://www.healthFULLfoods.net/
Doug had an omlette which he enjoyed. And I had the tunini sandwich which is a tuna mix with a touch of wild salmon, sweet onion, cucumber, fresh lemon vinaigrette topped with tomatoes, spinach, avocado, on our organic homemade whole wheat focaccia,

Here's a picture of their menu.

Summer squash pasta

Last night we used up all of our CSA veggies with this pasta dish.

1 summer squash (cut thinly and then in quarters)
1 cup chopped maui onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes (the last from Doug's garden)
5 cloves of fresh minced or chopped garlic
olive oil
1/2 bag of whole wheat pasta
1 jar of roasted eggplant marinara sauce (low sodium)
1 pack of tomato basil feta cheese

Boil water for pasta. When water is boiling add pasta and cook per the directions on the bag or box.

In a skillet or wok, add olive oil, chopped onions and garlic and cook until onions are brown.

When the onions are brown, add the summer squash in and cook until tender.

Add the chopped tomatoes and jar of marinara sauce and mix.

Add the pasta and cheese until and cook until the cheese it melted.

Obviously you can make substitutions here. And you can increase your decrease ingredients to your liking.

Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole

Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2349

Serves: 8
Coconut milk is the unexpected, rich and delicious ingredient in this creamy casserole main dish. Substitute pecans for the walnuts, if desired.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped sage
3/4 pound dried elbow macaroni
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.

Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add squash, coconut milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in sage and simmer 1 minute more. (This part can be made ahead, up to 1 day in advance.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add macaroni and cook until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain well and transfer to a large bowl.

Transfer squash mixture to bowl with macaroni.

Add walnuts, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Transfer to prepared dish and top with bread crumbs.

Bake until just golden brown and hot throughout, about 30 minutes.

The color is yellow

We used the yellow beans and summer squash from our CSA box for this recipe.

Desired amount of yellow beans (ours came in a package so I'm not sure how many pounds that was)

2 or 3 summer squash

1 cup of chopped onions (use more or less depending on how you feel about onions. I used the maui onion that came in our CSA box.)

5 cloves of fresh garlic minced or chopped (again the amount of garlic you use depends on how much you like garlic.)

olive oil

1 TSP. basil - dried or fresh

1 TSP. oregano

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Cut the beans and squash. I cut the beans small enough and the squash into thin slices so that it would be easier to get it tender enough.

In a wok or skillet add olive oil, onions and garlic. Once the onions are brown, add the beans, squash, basil, oregano and balsamic vinegar. Cook until beans and squash are tender.

How to store avocados

From the Whole Foods site:

This HOW TO video on saving avocados from turning brown and mushy is from our friend Jerry James Stone and will really save you money!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGCX0zTddGA&feature=share

Change up your greens

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

Change up your greens!
Do you eat the same leafy greens day in and day out? Leafy greens are essential to any diet and are a core component of a raw living foods lifestyle. They're are so many different varieties of greens, there's no reason to only stick to 2 or 3 different kinds...and actually it's quite a lot healthier to eat a variety, not only because of variying nutritional content but also because leafy greens have varying minute amounts of certain photochemicals that are better consuming at lower doses. Want to know more?
 http://sacredsourcenutrition.com/put-those-greens-on-rotation/

Yellow beans

We received some yellow beans in our CSA box. We've never eaten or cooked them before. So I did a little research here.

Seasons/Availability
Yellow Wax Beans are available year round with a peak season ranging from mid Summer to early Fall.

Current Facts
Yellow Wax beans are a member of the Fabaceae family, along with common beans, pulses and peas. "Yellow Wax" is a given name to dozens of wax bush bean varieties that individually simply happen to have different shades of yellow in appearance and variance in waxiness depending on the cultivar. Yellow Wax beans are nearly identical to green beans in all aspects except for color. One of the most famous heritage Yellow Wax bean varieties is the Beurre De Rocquencourt Bush Wax Bean, named for the rich farming region, Rocquencourt, France. It is the single most responsible bean for catalysing the popularity of the Wax bean within the 20th century.

Description/Taste
Yellow Wax beans have a pale cornflower colored, stringless pod with a translucent yellow flesh that clings tightly to its petit lime green legumes inside its shell. The label "wax" may seem less inviting in its implications, as yellow bean varieties actually have either a matte or satin finish with nearly a faint hint of wax in their texture. Yellow Wax beans, ideally harvested young, are crisp, succulent and tender firm, with mellow grassy sweet and nutty flavors.

Applications
Yellow Wax beans can be utilized in the same fashion as French beans, classic green beans and purple beans. They do, however, stand out, compared to other beans, in salads and alongside several companion ingredients. Yellow Wax beans are incredible blanched in salads with a classic vinaigrette, indulged with rich sauces such as brown butter and bécahmel and they pair well with poached lobster, tuna, roasted pork belly, new potatoes, shallots and herbs such as Italian parsley, chervil and tarragon. Store fresh Yellow Wax beans in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Just prior to cooking, rinse and remove tips from stem end.

Geography/History
Yellow Wax beans' ancestors are native to Central and South America. Many yellow Wax bean varieties, though, were first introduced to their respective culinary regions from Algeria. The Algerian Wax bean is responsible for the development of several varieties of Wax beans from the 18th to the 20th Century. It is considered the oldest known cultivar still in production. The Yellow Wax beans' commercial exposure as a common garden vegetable is still growing as the green bean remains the most popular and perhaps obvious choice for both home growers and farmers.

Information from - http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Yellow_Wax_Beans_602.php

Here's a recipe I think we'll try:

Garlic Green/Yellow Beans

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/07/garlic-green-or-yellow-beans.html

This recipe is easy to change around to suite your taste.

Other fresh herbs would be wonderful as well. Make sure you add adequate amounts of sea salt (it brings out all of the flavors).

About a pound of green or yellow green beans

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 heaping tablespoons fresh, minced basil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste

1- With a stainless steel, steamer basket, placed in a pot with lid, bring a few inches of water to boil. Add green/yellow beans and reduce heat and steam for about 7 minutes.

2-Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat olive oil until hot, and add garlic. Watching closely, and stirring, allow the garlic to brown slightly, and then take off of the heat.

3- Add the vinegar, and some salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and freshly ground pepper.

4-In a pretty bowl, place the steam green beans and the basil. Toss with the garlic oil and vinegar dressing. Adjust the flavors with salt, oil and vinegar as needed (which shouldn’t be much) and serve.

Roasted Yellow Wax Beans with Mint - http://www.sippitysup.com/roastedmintandbeansrecipe

By jgreghenry Published October 29, 2009

Description

These Yellow Wax beans are an Italian heirloom bean. Notice their slightly flattened shape? Any green or wax bean will work though.

Prep time: 20 minutes Yield:1

Ingredients:

•1 lb yellow wax beans (you may substitute green beans)
•4 T mint, minced
•0 kosher salt
•1 t red wine vinegar
•3 T olive oil

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Prepare the beans by clipping the stem knob off each bean. Leave the other end intact if possible. I also prefer the beans left whole, but that is up to you. You may certainly cut them into any size lengths you like.

Toss the beans with 2 tablespoons chopped mint, the olive oil and salt and place them into a roasting dish. Try not to crowd the beans too much.

Roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes total. Stir the beans and turn the pan around once during cooking.

Sprinkle the hot beans with the vinegar. Garnish with the remaining mint. Serve hot or at room temperature.

New CSA box yesterday

We picked up our every other week CSA box yesterday. We had two new items that we hadn't had before, yellow beans and thyme.

Here's what we got:

--yellow beans
--thyme
--maui onion
--carrots
--red leaf lettuce
--2 large tomatoes
--kale
--4 ears of white corn
--yellow watermelon
--cantaloupe
--2 grapefruit
--3 yellow summer squash

In the next post, I'm going to write about the yellow beans.

A different kale salad

Since there were a couple of vegetarians and vegans at the family dinner we went to on Sunday, I made a kale salad.

In this one I used kale, celery, grapes, strawberries, grape tomatoes, almond slivers and dried cranberries. I used the same dressing that I usually use, it's vegan friendly and gluten free.

Bok Choy and Asparagus

Bok Choy and Asparagus

We were going to a family dinner Sunday night and needed to eat up some veggies before they went bad. So we fixed two small items to eat for lunch.

We steamed some asparagus in our steamer. And then I added a peanut dressing over it that I had purchased at Mother's Market and Kitchen.

And then we made Doug's favorite with baby bok choy.

4 baby bok choy stalks
1 cup maui onions
5 cloves of garlic
several stalks of celery chopped up
celery leaves from previous celery stalk
olive oil
desired amount of chicken or veggie broth

Saute garlic, celery leaves, olive oil and onions in a skillet or wok.

When that is brown, add baby bok choy and celery. I usually cut about a quarter of an inch off the bottom of the bok choy.

Add the broth in and cook until celery and bok choy are tender.

Another kale pasta creation

Here is a different variation from other kale and pasta recipes I've posted.

1 bunch of kale, leaves removed from stalks
1/2 bag of whole wheat pasta
desired amount of onions
desired amount of celery
celery leaves from celery stalk used
5 cloves of chopped or minced garlic
olive oil
desired amount of grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 log of goat cheese
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 jar of Alfredo sauce or make your own

Brown onions, garlic, celery leaves in olive oil in a wok or skillet.
Tear kale leaves from stalk and rinse.

Boil the water for the pasta. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook for the amount of time on the box or bag, usually around 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Once onions are brown, add in the kale and celery and cook until kale is just wilted and celery is tender.

Add goat cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir til melted.

Add pasta, tomatoes and the Alfredo sauce and cook until heated.

Garlic Press

We eat a lot of garlic. It goes in most of the dishes we prepare. We have been buying fresh garlic. Doug found some instructions on the internet about how to prepare garlic for cooking. It involved a very large knife which he did not want me to use. So he has always minced or chopped the garlic. I peel it for him first.

This weekend we were running errands and I asked if we could stop by Bed, Bath & Beyond to see if they had a tool to do this for us. And naturally they had all kinds of tools. We chose the one pictured below because it will press and peel. This photo shows how nice the garlic looks after using the garlic press. So now I can do this myself. But I must warn you, it is hard to clean it if you don't have a dishwasher (which we don't). This one cost us $14.99.

Benefits of Sprouts

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

Want to incor­po­rate more local, organic, nutrient-dense whole, living foods into your diet? Sprouts surely fit the bill as they pro­vide an impres­sive range of nutri­tional health ben­e­fits. Sprouts are low in calo­ries, low on the glycemic index, are high in fiber and loaded with vit­a­mins and minerals. Sprouts are also alkalizing, high in enzymes, are super cost effective and are also a complete protein...need I say more?

Want to know more? Read full article here: http://sacredsourcenutrition.com/sprouting-good-health/

Tofu Veggie Stir Fry

Tofu Veggie Stir Fry - From Savvy Vegetarian

Recipe of the Week: Tofu Veggie Stir Fry: Hey there! Hope you all had a relaxing long weekend. I'm back from Winnipeg and thanks to my travelling veg kitchen, we didn't starve to death. We ate meals in a bowl like our recipe of the week. For travel or if I'm in a big hurry, I just throw the tofu in without frying or marinating and use a spice mix: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/tofu-veggie-stir-fry.php

Ingredients:

•1/2 lb (more if you like) or 1/2 block extra firm tofu
•1/4 cup cashew pieces
•1 Tbsp cooking oil (I use olive, but any kind will do)
•1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
•1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
•1 tsp brown mustard seeds
•1 lg carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
•2 small zucchinis (no more than 6 inches long)
•1 bunch baby bok choy (stalks and leaves), rinsed and sliced crosswise
•4 Tbsp minced fresh parsley or cilantro
•1 Tbsp curry powder or to taste
•1 Tbsp soy sauce or to taste
•1/2 cup coconut milk, light or regular
•1/2 cup water or stock
  Directions:

 •1. Cut the tofu into slices about 1 x 2 inches. Place in a bowl, stir in soy sauce, and set aside
•2. Heat oil on low in a stir-fry pan, sauté pan, or deep skillet
•3. If you want fried tofu, start it now on medium heat in a separate skillet, and set aside when golden brown on both sides
•4. If you're serving the stir fry with a grain or noodles, start cooking now so it'll be done when you the stir fry is finished
•5. Mince the garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Skip this step if you're using dried ginger, garlic and chili powder
•6. Peel and slice the carrot thinly
•6. Half the zucchini lengthwise, slice thinly on the diagonal, and set aside
•7. Wash, shake dry and slice the bok choy thinly crosswise - stems and leaves
•8. Add the ginger, garlic, jalapeno, carrot, cashews and mustard seeds to the pan, turn up the heat a bit, and stir fry until the carrots are slightly cooked and the cashews a little brown
•9. Add the zucchini and stir fry until it starts to get limp
•10. Add the bok choy and stir fry until it wilts
•11. Add the curry powder, and other dry spices if using, and stir fry briefly
•12. Stir in tofu, water and coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste
•13. Add the parsley, cover and cook on low for five minutes to blend the flavors
•14. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve with your choice of grains, noodles or flatbread