Treat Yourself!

This weekend, I decided I was going to try and eat even healthier than I have been. My friend, Niko, is a personal trainer, and said that I might be eating too much sugar. Between the soymilk in my coffee drinks, my yogurts, frozen yogurt, snacks, and even the fruit I have been consuming, I needed to cut it down somehow. When I went grocery shopping, I bought lots of fish, tofu, nuts, and vegetables. I started drinking my iced coffee black with a sprinkle of cinnamon powder. I cut down my fruit consumption to one piece per day, and upped my vegetable intake. I also cut down on the junk food, yogurt, and frozen yogurt. Today wasn’t the best in the sugar department, though. I had a Chobani 0% Vanilla with a crumbled Thin Mint mixed in, and I had frozen yogurt for dinner. I’ve done worse damage before, so I’m not going to cry about it. Plus, I ran yesterday, and ate super healthy all day. Like Tom and Donna said on Parks and Recreation – treat yourself! Moderation is super important, at least for me.

Vanilla yogurt + Thin Mints = L-O-V-E.

Toppings on my frozen yogurt is rarity and a treat.
Photo from last week -  no toppings for me tonight!

Dole for days.

Lots of crunchy snacks, perfect to pair with hummus.

I did well in the grocery store! Lots of healthy snacks.

On Monday, I cooked a few staple items to get me through the first half of the week. I made some quinoa, tofu stir-fry scramble, chunky tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, and sautéed mushrooms with onions. I am not a fan of being a slave to the kitchen on a daily basis – I’d much rather spend four hours in the kitchen, twice a week, prepping and cooking. Here is one of the items I concocted this week. 

Tofu Stir-Fry Scramble

1 package firm tofu

½ cup Newman’s Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing

1 tbsp + 1 tsp Sesame Oil

1 red pepper, sliced and cut into nice-sized pieces

½ pound broccoli, cut into nice-sized pieces

2 cloves garlic, chopped

First, press water out of the tofu. The easiest way is to wrap the tofu in paper towels, and place a heavy plate on top. I change the paper towels about three times, in order to soak up as much water as possible. I then cut the tofu into 1.5-inch cubes, and place in a glass dish with a lid. I pour the salad dressing on as the marinade. Put the lid on your container, give a quick shake, and toss in the fridge for at least an hour. I left mine in for two.

I usually find something else to do in the kitchen while I wait for foods to marinate – slice my veggies, pull out proper cookware, and to create other items. I try to cook for a few days when I’m in the kitchen, that way everything is ready to go when hunger strikes.

About fifteen minutes before you want to pull the tofu out, toss a teaspoon of Sesame Oil into a pot. Toss the garlic in and turn the heat on. Once the garlic starts to simmer, toss in the peppers and broccoli, then cover. Turn the heat to low, and occasionally stir the ingredients around. I always toss my broccoli in right after I rinse and shake it off, so the water in the florets and the juices in the peppers help everything steam. After about five minutes or so, you don’t see any steam action, toss in a tablespoon or two of water, and stir your vegetables. This should do the trick. Once the vegetables start to get soft, turn the heat off and remove the lid.

In a large frying pan, add a tablespoon of Sesame Oil. Let the oil heat up, and then carefully add the tofu. Cover the tofu with the oil, and move everything around. I didn’t want chunks of fried tofu, I just wanted to incorporate a bit more flavor into the tofu, and I figured this would be a nice way to do that. Once most of the oil is absorbed, toss the vegetables in and incorporate all ingredients. Remove pan from heat and serve.

I some alone, and then tried it on top on quinoa. I liked it both ways!

Tofu stir-fry scramble, so delicious!

What are some healthy recipes that you enjoy making?