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Posted on January 15, 2020 by Recipe Realities

“Let food be thy medicine.” Hippocrates.

This was the opening quote of the 2011 documentary called Forks over Knives that I watched last night on Netflix. It is based on not only eating a plant-based diet like me but also a whole food diet. It was, to say the least, an eye-opener. What I loved about it is that it gave extremely informative facts about the health impacts of omitting animal products from your diet. It was based on real-life stories not those hard to watch scenes of animal cruelty which I just can’t handle. Note: Rumor has it that it will be removed from Netflix on January 15th so if you haven’t watched it yet, do so soon..you won’t regret it!

While it motivated me to remove even more foods from my diet at some point (most likely dairy), it left me with one question….

What is the difference between all of these plant-based diets and how does is compare to what I am doing?

There are vegetarians, flexitarians, pescatarians, vegans, plant-based, and whole-food/plant-based vegetarians and I could go on and on!

But this chart from Forks over Knifes clears things up a bit:

So basically, I’m following a Pescatarian diet which excludes all animal flesh but allows fish, dairy, and eggs. But, it is also plant-based because I’m going to limit my quantities of fish, dairy, and chicken and put my focus primarily on vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. I’m also going to limit highly processed food. No more white pastas or rice for me! The only breads I am allowing is whole grain and sourdough (the fermentation process makes this a healthy option). So, that is why I’m calling myself eating plan a Plant-based Pescatarian Diet. Whew..hope that clears things up!

So Day 3 went pretty well and incorporated lots of good veggies and legumes!

I started my day with black coffee and some more of the “Mean Greens Juice” from I Love Juice Bar.

Lunch was a half of a veggie sandwich on whole wheat that included hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, clover sprouts, and avocado and a side of my Ikarian Longevity soup (see day 1 & day 2 posts for more information).

My snacks were again pistachios, a green apple and yes, I did eat my two mini snicker snack bars!

Then came dinner which I again went to an Ikarian recipe from the Blue Zone Kitchen cookbook…Winter Potato Salad. I did make a few small changes from the original recipe such as:

  • Used my Instant Pot to cook my potatoes
  • Used half and half of Organic Vegetable Broth and water instead of all water to cook my potatoes
  • Added thyme and parsley to my potatoes while cooking
  • Omitted arugula (I didn’t have any in hand) and upped the amount of romaine and spinach to compensate
  • Omitted the raw onion and radish which I really don’t care for

So here is my version of this incredibly tasty dish…

Ikarian Winter Potato Salad – 6 servings

Ingredients

    4 cups water
    4 cups organic vegetable broth
    2 pounds baby gold potatoes, peeled and cut into halves
    1 teaspoon dried thyme
    1 teaspoon dried parsley
    ½ cup chopped fresh dill
    ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    3 to 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    Salt and pepper, to taste
    3 cups spinach, chopped
    2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

Directions

  • Place water, vegetable broth, potatoes, thyme, and parsley in instant pot. Set on high pressure for 10 minutes and turn pressure valve to seal. After processing is complete, turn valve to vent and natural release until pressure pin drops. Note: you can also cook your potatoes on the stovetop for about 12 minutes..I just find they turn out creamier in the instant pot.
  • Drain potatoes and allow to cool.
  • In a small bowl, combine dill, olive oil, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until well combined.
  • In a large serving bowl, combine potatoes with dressing and toss well.
  • Just before serving, add remaining ingredients through lettuce and toss to combine. Note: Since my husband was out of town, I only mixed my ingredients for one serving and kept the remaining ingredients separate to avoid them getting soggy soI could enjoy again later.

I enjoyed this by the fire with a glass of red wine. It truly hit the spot! I don’t have a huge appetite so a side of legumes or sourdough bread might be a great filling addition if you need just a little more. I ant wait to have this again tomorrow for lunch!

Bottom Line: Day 3 was quite the learning experience for me but I’m enjoying learning and being able to share with others. So far, I haven’t missed meat but I think fish will definitely be added to the menu tomorrow.

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Posted on January 14, 2020 by Recipe Realities

Wow! Today hits the 2 week mark of my adventure and it is going really well! Although, I do have a craving every now and then, especially for chicken, I’m hardly ever hungry and I have a lot of energy. I needed it today because I had an early morning cooking segment in which I made my Healthy Layered Mediterranean Dip with veggies. Here is the recipe….

https://reciperealities.net/2020/01/13/healthy-layered-mediterranean-dip-all-the-yumminess-but-none-of-the-guilt/

After the segment, I went to lunch with two of my neighbors and good friends, Zarah and Trisha. Surprisingly, I have never had a veggie or bean burger so I was eager to try one out and had heard that Cazzy’s Grill off Northshore Drive had a really good one! I decided to try that and instead of the fries, I got the succotash. Overall, I think it was a healthy choice. The bun was multi-grain, although I’m not sure if it was all whole grain. I loved the way the actual burger was grilled and had that char similar to a real beef burger. It was very good and as usual, I left with a to-go box so I could enjoy the rest for later.

Since the NCAA Football National Championship was on, I had no plans to cook and instead, I munched on the Mediterranean dip with veggies and had the rest of my burger. This just proves you can definitely follow this plant-based lifestyle without always being in the kitchen. Tomorrow, is suppose to be a rainy day and I still have some Christmas things to put away so my plan is to peruse the refrigerator and come up with something creative for dinner using ingredients I already have on hand…stay tuned!

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Posted on January 13, 2020 by Recipe Realities

Yesterday was one of those “get things done” days and food was high on the to-do list! First, I spent time in the kitchen prepping my Healthy Layered Mediterranean Dip that I was going to be making on today’s WBIR/Mornings with Fox 43. Its more involved than just preparing the recipe in that you have to make a version that is camera ready and then have another set of ingredients to make on hand. The hardest part is determining how you will plate it and making sure you pack everything you need. Oh, and you have to make something you can actually demonstrate in a 4 minute segment. I’ve been doing it for over 4 years now I love it. Here is the link to this delicious recipe on my blog…

https://reciperealities.net/2020/01/13/healthy-layered-mediterranean-dip-all-the-yumminess-but-none-of-the-guilt/

Since Monday is trash pick up, Sunday is usually clean out the fridge day. I found a little leftover salmon, brown rice, and veggies from my Salmon and Veggie foil packs the other night and some leftover broccoli that I fed my granddaughters. I put that all in one bowl, crumbling the salmon, and warmed it in the microwave. Topped with hot sauce, thus made an amazingly satisfying lunch!

For dinner, I wanted to create something I’ve never had before that was mostly plant-based and that Jeff would enjoy as well. We both love Mexican food but I’ve had a hard time finding tortillas that aren’t highly processed besides corn. Here is where Ezekiel Sprouted Grains Tortillas came in. They were a game changer because they aren’t processed and are backed with protein.

Time to make some plant-based quesadillas!

Spinach, Mushroom, and Jalapeño Quesadillas

Directions

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 2 tbsp organic vegetable broth
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I used shiitake)
  • 4 oz can green chili’s
  • 2 cup spinach, chopped
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp each of salt and pepper
  • 4 large tortillas, preferably whole wheat or Ezekiel Sprouted Grains
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella pearls (or just freshly shredded)
  • 1/2 cup cheddar, freshly shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté onions and jalapeño on low for about 5 minutes.

Add in vegetable broth, mushrooms and green chili’s, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add spinach, hot sauce, cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

On a tortilla, spread 1/4 of the mixture on one side of the tortilla. Top with some of the mozzarella and cheddar.

Fold in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Note: I only made 3 tortilla and saved a little of the mixture for scrambled eggs later in the week.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Turn over and then bake an additional 6 minutes.

Serve with a side of avocado and your favorite beans. I drained and rinsed a can of pinto beans then added some green chilis and simmered with some vegetable broth. Soooo good!

Bottom Line: If you had told me a month ago, that I would love this so much, I wouldn’t have believed you! It was absolutely delicious! Even Jeff loved it! If you aren’t doing the whole plant-based diet, I would definitely try this with regular whole wheat tortillas. I can’t wait to make this again! I’m thinking a poached egg would be a great addition on the side!

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Posted on January 13, 2020 by Recipe Realities

It’s January, we are all trying to keep our healthy New Year’s resolutions, and what could be a stumbling block for us? Football! Tonight, we have the National Championship, the NFL Playoffs are going on (Go Titans!), and the Super Bowl is around the corner. What does that mean…food! And usually lots of it is full of calories such as one of our all-time favorite, 7 Layered Mexican Dip. It’s a diet nightmare! Or is it?

What if we took that famous dip and put a healthy twist on it? Well, I did with my Healthy Layered Mediterranean Dip. Take out those fatty, high calorie refried beans and sour cream and switch it up with hummus and nonfat Greek Yogurt. Throw in some veggies in place of those tortilla chips and not only do you have lighter appetizer, but you are adding in some vegetables that will give you a good dose of your daily fiber and vitamins. Perfect for those that are working on a more plant-based diet, like me! I actually made this dip on a local tv station so here is the link if you want to check it out….

https://www.wbir.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/fox43/healthy-layered-mediterranean-dip/51-a4c274e1-4076-4968-afd4-50324bcc642f

Healthy Layered Mediterranean Dip

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. hummus 
  • 2 artichokes from a can, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pepperocinis, chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp hot sauce 
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1 cup, grape tomatoes, salted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions

In an a small serving dish, spread the hummus evenly on the bottom. 
Layer Artichokes on top of the hummus followed by the roasted red peppers,and then the pepperocinis.
Mix the yogurt with the hot sauce and dollop the yogurt over the vegetables, then gently spread on top of the layers with a rubber spatula. 
On top of the yogurt, layer the olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
Sprinkle the parsley on top..WOW, that is an eye pleaser!
Serve with fresh vegetables or pita chips.

Bottom Line: I love this dip! It’s so fresh and has a tangy punch to it. Another great serving option would be to serve it as nachos. Just build a plate with either the pita chips or the veggies and pile on the layers. This is a great easy, no cook, but knock your socks off appetizer that will impress your guests! To make ahead, just chop your veggies and put them in plastic snack baggies then assemble right before serving. I hope you enjoyed this as much as we did!

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Posted on January 12, 2020 by Recipe Realities

Days like today make me so grateful that I have a husband that loves to cook almost as much as I do. Not only did he make a big breakfast for my son and our granddaughters but he made dinner for me later that night as well. Yes, his breakfast was not on my diet plan with it’s bacon and sausage. Add in the eggs cooked in a little of the remaining grease, and well, you get the picture. He did offer to make my eggs separately but I just wasn’t that hungry and just enjoyed the company with my coffee.

We hung out with the “little blonde hooligans” as I call my absolutely adorable granddaughters. Hadley is three and Willa is two; a combo that keeps you on your toes so I didn’t eat much during the day other than an apple. On the way home from dropping them off, we stopped at the Shrimp Dock. This is a small local seafood shop that carries fresh seafood and we are regular visitors. Jeff picked out a pound of medium shrimp that were gorgeous and we headed home for him to make one of our favorite recipes.

As I said, Jeff loves to cook as well and always has. We got married back in December of 1985 (over 34 years ago) and back then the place to go when you needed a recipe was Southern Living Magazine. Every year for Christmas my mom would buy me their annual cookbook and this is where tonight’s recipe originated…on page 13 from that very first Cookbook she gave us!

Notice how aged and stained both the cover and recipe page are! Looking at this brings back such good memories. While we have tweaked the old recipe just a little, much of it is still the same so here is our updated version.

Shrimp Spaghetti with Black Olives

Ingredients

  • 8 oz whole wheat organic capellini, cooked(reserve some of pasta water to thin sauce, if necessary)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (16 oz) cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 tbsp, capers
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
  • 2/3 cup black olives, sliced
  • 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch Oven over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until shrimp just turn pink.

Remove shrimp.

Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, capers, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered for 5-7 minutes.

Add in capellini, shrimp, and parsley (and pasta water, if needed); toss until mixture is well coated….

Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with black olives and Parmesan.

Serve with a small garden salad and toasted sourdough bread spread with ghee.

Bottom Line: This has always been one of my favorite dishes for Jeff to make for me and it’s so nostalgic when I eat it. I love the changes he has made and by incorporating the whole grain organic pasta, it fits right into my new diet plan. I also loved that he took pictures of all the steps while he cooked so I could share it with you later. He even cleaned up the kitchen! It was a GREAT day!

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Posted on January 11, 2020 by Recipe Realities

I woke up very excited today because my granddaughters were coming to visit and spend the night. Needless to say, a two and three year old is not usually overly interested in a plant-based diet (at least not these two..ha, ha). So, I was faced with my first real test….cooking something I used to eat for them and not take a bite!

I had a hearty lunch today with my leftover vegetable soup and a half of a veggie sandwich on whole wheat, so I was pretty full when it came time for the girls to eat. I was trying to make dinner as healthy for them as possible (while still getting them to eat something). That being said, I went with the healthiest chicken nugget option I could find and decided on “Purdue freshly prepared chicken breasts nuggets”. Are they healthy? No. Are they better than most of the other options? Maybe a little.

I air-fried them in my air fryer to reheat and served them with some broccoli and a little of my healthy cheese sauce I made the other day. It went over pretty well but I was hoping that they would take a couple of bites of the main event later in the evening…Butter Garlic Herb Salmon Foil Packs.

I actually made these a few weeks ago, just before the New Year, when we were camping. It was a rare December weekend with temps in the high 60’s..perfect for foil packaged dinners. Our camper has an oven so that’s how we prepared them even though they could be done over a campfire, as well. At the time, I was still eating white rice so that is what I served it with. I’m telling you that because I forgot to take pictures last night of my salmon served with brown rice so my picture of the recipe is from a couple of weeks ago. It was just as delicious the second time around!

Butter Garlic Herb Salmon Foil Packs

Ingredients

  • 4 6 ounce salmon filets
  • 1 bunch asparagus chopped into thirds
  • 1 red pepper chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 zucchini sliced
  • 1 yellow squash sliced
  • salt and pepper

Garlic Herb Butter:

  • ½ cup butter room temperature
  • ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Place four 18×12-inch pieces of heavy aluminum foil on counter. Place the salmon fillets in the center and evenly place vegetable mixture on each piece of foil.
  2. To make the garlic herb butter: In a small bowl add the butter, parsley, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Divide evenly and place on top of the salmon. Double fold top and ends of each piece of foil, leaving space for steam to gather.

  3. Place packets on the grill and cover. Grill or bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until salmon is cooked through and veggies are tender.

  4. Let stand in foil packets for 5 minutes before opening so steam can cook it the rest of the way. Carefully open packets and serve.

When serving, make sure you save some of that delicious juice to pour over rice. Reminder: Last night I served with brown rice.

Bottom Line: To be completely honest, I never really liked salmon until i tried this recipe. Now, I more ope. To trying it different ways but I think this recipe will always be my go-to and will stay in my monthly fish rotation.

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Posted on January 10, 2020 by Recipe Realities

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Lucky for me, maybe not! It turns out that by me skipping breakfast and not eating after 8 pm, I am doing what is called intermittent fasting which apparently is very healthy for you!

“Studies show that intermittent fasting can: Stabilize blood sugar levels, increase resistance to stress, and suppress inflammation. Decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improve resting heart rate, brain health and memory.” WebMd, December 2019. So now, I don’t feel so bad about not eating breakfast after all!

Anyway, today was one of those days where I just was not in the mood to cook. It’s rare but it does happen! For lunch I warmed up a cup of my veggies soup and made this incredible salad with oil and vinegar dressing.

Snack time was taste-testing a healthy layered Mediterranean Dip for the cooking segment I’m doing Monday for one of our local tv stations. It was sooo good and will be perfect to have while watching the national championship on Monday night. Go LSU! Stay tuned for the recipe later this weekend

Remember those days when all you really wanted to do was come home, relax and order a pizza? Are those days over because you are on a primary plant-based diet? Not even close! Jeff and I ordered from Mellow Mushroom pizza and who knew that a healthy pizza could be so good! We got an artichoke, tomato, black olive, and mozzarella on whole wheat gluten-free crust, It was a winner!

Bottom Line: There wasn’t much happening in the kitchen today but that just goes to show you that you don’t have to cook all the time to eat healthy. Tomorrow, I will be back in the kitchen for an amazing salmon recipe!

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Posted on January 8, 2020 by Recipe Realities

One of my strategies for making this a successful journey is utilizing leftovers and trying not to waste food. That is what motivated me on Day 7 to finally make breakfast! Not only that, I even made a nutritional snack! I was quite proud of myself!

The other day I had made Mexican tofu crumbles for some tasty tofu tacos. I had some extra of this as well as the black beans I served as a side so why not throw in some eggs and have a Mexican scramble?! To start, I used clarified butter to scramble two eggs. Although, I am allowing dairy into my diet, I do want to limit it, so by clarifying the butter, you eliminate most of the milk fat. Its actually much healthier for you. I reheated about 1/4 cup of the tofu and a couple of tablespoons of black beans and piled them on top of the eggs along with some chopped tomato. Voila! Leftovers helped me create a very in healthy breakfast in less than 5 minutes,

Since, I had breakfast, I wasn’t super hungry for lunch so I started to prepare a vegetable soup for dinner so it could simmer on the stove for several hours. During my soup prep, I peeled a russet potato and was just about to throw the peels away, when I thought why not air fry them? I got an air fryer in November and it’s super easy to use. I dried the potato peels on some paper towels then in a bowl, sprayed them with a little olive oil and tossed them with salt. It only took 6 minutes to air fry them on 400 degrees! There were the perfect crisp bite and I will start saving those peels from now on!

Now back to my soup…

I LOVE soup! However, I’m not a huge fan of creamy soups so most of my soups are made with a tomato base. Normally, my favorite soup is hamburger vegetable using either beef or turkey but this was going to be vegetarian all the way. I also used to use V-8 juice but too many preservatives for me so I went with organic tomato water. I love that it can be made early in the day and simmer on the stove for hours..such a comforting smell.

Tomato Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped (optional but the heat improves metabolism)
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped into uniform pieces
  • 2 cups Savoy cabbage, chopped
  • 2 cups water (more if you like a brothier soup)
  • 2 cups organic tomato juice
  • 1 can lima beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can white corn, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp dried parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Sauté the onions and jalapeño in the olive for for 2-3 minutes. Add in the carrots and a couple of tablespoons of water and sauté for about 10 minutes, adding water when needed to keep from burning (This adds in cooking the carrots most of the way through so you retain more of the vitamins in the cooking process).

Add the water, tomato juice, potatoes, and cabbage; bring to a boil and keep on a medium simmer until potatoes are almost cooked through.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better).

I served mine with a slice of toasted sourdough bread..yum!

Bottom Line: This soup is delicious in its simplicity of vegetables and natural ingredients. As with most soups, it even better the next day but you may need to add a little water since the veggies will absorb some of the water during cooling. Swap out the veggies for your favorites and enjoy with your favorite sandwich!

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Posted on January 7, 2020 by Recipe Realities

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience..” James Beard. This quote certainly held true today when during lunch with one of my best friends, Jenny, and then again, while getting my toes manicured with Amy, the subject of food played a major part in the conversation. Food is something we all can talk about…it encourages comparing and sharing of that “common ground”.

As usual, I skipped breakfast today and just had my coffee but for good reason this time. I was meeting Jenny for lunch at First Watch Cafe. We discussed our current diet plans…she is trying out WW and so far is being pretty successful. I got to share all about my new plant-based diet and it was so much fun sharing what we loved about our choices. I definitely believe including your friends in your path to health really helps improve the experience.

It took me a while to decide what to get because while there are so many healthy choices, so much of it is extremely high in calories. I ended up going with the Market Vegetable Sandwich and the Vegetable Soup. It was wonderful and filled with delicious veggies like spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini on the most tasty grilled artisan whole grain bread. I couldn’t eat the 2nd half of my sandwich but I took it home and did finish it later. I’m going to work on creating an even healthier version of this at home.

After lunch, I went to see my favorite manicurist, Amy, for a mani/pedi. I’ve been going to Amy ever since she did my nails for my first tv cooking segment for a local station over 4 years ago. Naturally, we talk a lot about food when I go since she knows that my nails will be seen while doing the segments. Amy is from Vietnam and loves to cook with her mother. In fact, the last time I was there, we discussed how her mother makes authentic pork egg rolls and she offered to bring some to me on my next appointment. Since, I’m now not eating meat, I texted her about that beforehand and she offered to make half of them pork and half shrimp..I was so excited! After a wonderfully relaxing massage of my legs and toes, she gave me 30 perfect little egg rolls! Of course, now dinner had to be all about those so here comes stir fry!

Obviously, my “indulgence” for dinner was going to be those egg rolls even though I was cooking them in the air fryer. Therefore, my stir fry needed to be light and the place where stir fry can go down hill is in the sauce. Typically, stir fry sauce has cornstarch is in it. I researched substitutes and came across arrowroot powder but did find that if it was cooked too long, it can become bitter. So, I swapped it with whole grain rice flour and it was the perfect substitution.

I decided on a shrimp stir fry and chose just a few of my favorite veggies to keep it simple.

Healthy Shrimp Stir Fry

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp whole grain brown rice flour
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp minced fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Shrimp Stir Fry

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and washed
  • 1 red bell pepper, julienned
  • 3 oz mung bean sprouts
  • 2 bunches baby boy Choy
  • 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, washed

Directions

Prepare sauce and let stand while you prep shrimp.

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of sauce and mix with shrimp.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sauté shrimp for about 3-4 minutes; you want them slightly undercooked.

Remove shrimp from pan, leaving excess oil and sauce, and sauté red bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft.

Add in bean sprouts and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add in bok choy, mushrooms, and desired amount of sauce. Note: I start with a couple of tablespoons at a time because I don’t want the sauce to overwhelm the veggies and the amount of sauce you use, will depend on the quantity of your veggies.

After about 5 minutes, add the shrimp back in to finish cooking (about 3 minutes). At this point you will want to add in any additional sauce you want depending on how saucy you like it.

Serve over brown rice (topped with a little of that pan sauce) and if you are lucky, a homemade air -fried egg roll!

Bottom Line: This was so light yet hearty and it left me completely satisfied after dinner. It’s so easy to switch our your favorite veggies or even add more veggies and leave out the shrimp completely. I will be making this again and again! Thank you, Amy, for helping to make our meal extra special!

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Posted on January 6, 2020 by Recipe Realities

Following a plant-based diet can be difficult if you have a meat-loving spouse.  Yes, I like meat but Jeff LOVES meat!  He is, however, willing to be somewhat helpful in my journey in that he is willing “to try” what I make and will find a way to add to his meals so I don’t have to cook two separate meals.  But, on Day 5, I decided to try Tofu Tacos and that might be a little too much on his first day home from his trip so we made a compromise…isn’t that what good marriages are all about?  I made him ground pork tacos as long as he would eat one of my tofu tacos. We had a deal!

First, let’s focus on what I ate before we get to dinner.  I must admit I slept in yesterday.  It was a Sunday morning and I was in no hurry to get moving.  So I just snuggled up next to the fireplace with my blanket. my dog, Oscar, and worked on my blog while sipping coffee. I finally got around to eating a banana later in the morning. Lunch was just a salad with tomatoes, feta cheese, gherkin dill pickles, feta cheese and a splash of oil & red wine vinegar…nothing exciting but still hit the spot.

Snacks were my daily go-tos of pistachios, apple chips, and one truly incredible treat…2 bite size sea salt chocolate caramels! YUM!

Now for the tofu recipe…tofu can be super wet so I bake it first in the seasonings to help it dry out to avoid having to include traditional flours or cornstarch to dry it out.  I’m trying to stay away from white flour and cornstarch is too processed. This trick worked perfEctly and the tofu was the perfect consistency.

Vegetarian Spicy Tofu Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 3 tablespoons light oil, divided into 1 tbsp and 2 tbsps
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoons oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, crumbled
  • 1 cup fresh salsa
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 4 whole wheat tortillas

Suggested toppings:  salsa, avocado, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, etc…

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. (Tip:  I put a little oil or cooking spray on the pan if I’m using parchment paper to help it stick to the pan and stay down)

Saute onion and jalapeno in 1 tbsp olive oil (Tip:  if my onion mixture starts to dry out before they are fully cooked, I just add a splash of water)

Mix the oil, soy sauce, vinegar and all of the spices together in a large bowl.

Drain the tofu in a colander and crumble with your fingers.

Mix the tofu crumbles with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated. Spread the tofu crumbles evenly over the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes/

Add to a sauce pan with the salsa and hot sauce to heat through.  Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve on warmed tortillas with desired toppings; I like to serve black beans on the side.

Bottom Line:  I really enjoyed these and they will be included in my dinner rotation! Even Jeff ate the one he was require to eat without too much of a fuss.  I think adding a fruit salsa would definitely kick it up a notch with the addition of more citrus.  Try this in your kitchen and let me know what your think!

 

 

 

 

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