Well, my afternoon was much less stressful than my morning! Not that I didn’t enjoy the three hours of spastic cooking, but laying out poolside is pretty darn nice too. I worked out at the gym (quick total body circuit) and then made a fab. smoothie using a cup of soy milk, some peaches, strawberries, half a frozen banana and 1 tbsp of ground flax. Perfect for sipping by the pool!
My roommate and I watched Oprah today and drank a small glass of red wine (like 2 ounces but still fun!). It was on polygamous marriages—randomly since I just finished that memoir written by a woman that escaped a polygamous marriage in the seventies. The book is called “Shattered Dreams”—I highly recommend it!
Let me just announce to everyone: I AM IN LOVE WITH TEMPEH!!!!!!!!!! It blows tofu away in my mind because of the texture! So firm and chewy!!! I could eat it the rest of my life and be happy and now I am busy exploring new fun recipes with how to use it. I feel like I’ve wasted 22 years of my life not eating it!
So, for dinner tonight I made “Tempt-eh!” out of Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. It was simply awesome and SO easy! Basically it was just pan fried tempeh sticks and I also made the Balsamic-Maple Dipping Sauce out of the same cookbook to go with it. I am in love with this sauce. I started eating it with a spoon. Not kidding. It took five minutes to prepare and would be delicious over soba noodles, steamed veggies, sandwiches. I didn’t think the mixture of balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce would work….but it does. And its heaven. I could have eaten a dozen more of these little tempeh sticks…they are so mouthwatering good. I also made some red-hued quinoa to go with it and…you guessed it….roasted veggies! I just used leftover brussels sprouts and cauliflower but it worked well to round out the meal and satisfy me completely.
Freakin’ amazing . Dreena you are a goddess!
Tonight I have my practical where I’ll make a half dozen almond croissants, regular croissants, cherry pinwheels and fruit twists. Then that’s the end of danish making because next week (my final week in the class) we are moving over to phyllo dough and playing with spanakopita, baklava and steusals.
Have a great Friday night!
Ryan
March 21, 2008 at 9:25 pmWhat exactly is tempeh? never heard of it, would rather know what it is before you surprise me with it hidden in some crazy concoction.
Meghan
March 21, 2008 at 9:35 pmYou’ve inspired me to try tempeh! I need to asap!
erica
March 21, 2008 at 9:36 pmyour dinner looks SO delicious, you’re making me hungry here! i really must try tempeh, it’s always intrigued me, but I never got it for whatever reason. what brand do you buy? and also, that quinoa looks AMAZING, but i’ve never seen it where did you get it? and also, do you cook a single serving of quinoa? because whenever I do, it never comes out right, it’s always kind of sticky almost like all the water wasn’t absorbed. i think i’m challenged when it comes to cooking quinoa!
jenna
March 21, 2008 at 9:39 pmErica,
I just buy the only kind they have at my local supermarket. I believe it’s 3-grain? I know Kath used the same kind in one of her previous posts. I found that quinoa in the bulk bins at a local health food store and love its pretty color…I always cook 1/4 cup dry with 1/2 cup water covered for about 15 minutes and it usually comes out pretty good. Be sure to not cook it too long and fluff with a fork!
VeggieGirl
March 21, 2008 at 9:39 pmHooray for a less-stressful afternoon – you deserve the down-time!!
Dreena is indeed a cooking goddess – ALL of her recipes are winners!! So glad that you’re enjoying her dishes :0)
Best of luck on your practical!!!
erica
March 21, 2008 at 9:44 pmthanks jenna, i’ll definitely give the quinoa another try! maybe it’s the size of my saucepan? i always feel like it’s going to burn, and end up adding a little more water, which is probably my problem.
and i’m going to rush to the store and get tempeh asap! 🙂
babycakes
March 21, 2008 at 10:02 pmJenna, you’ve discovered one of my true loves – tempeh!!! Isn’t it fantastic??!!! This (and home-made hummus) are the two foods outside of my beloved fruits and veggies that I can never get enough of. I’m so happy you love it as much as I do! Being vegan is the best! Oh, and I love your smoothie too! I make a version of that very smoothie nearly every day 🙂 (is it weird I get so excited when other people eat and appreciate the same foods I do? lol)
Beth
March 21, 2008 at 10:05 pmHaha Ryan, my family says I shop in the “weird” aisle at the grocery.
babycakes
March 21, 2008 at 10:08 pmoh, and for those of you who were asking about tempeh (you all must try it!) the two most common brands are Lightlife and Soyboy. I prefer the Soyboy plain soy tempeh, but there are many flavors to chose from (from both companies). Both companies also have websites you can check out:
http://www.soyboy.com & http://www.lightlife.com
Romina
March 21, 2008 at 10:16 pmYay for Red Quinoa!! I love mixing it up with the white stuff for a more festive look. =)
Courty
March 21, 2008 at 10:20 pmRed quinoa looks totally awesome! Does it have a different taste than the regular? Good luck on your practical, Jenna!
ashley
March 21, 2008 at 10:40 pmMmmm.. I love tempeh!
And I can’t take any more of this yummy-looking food. I am on Amazon ordering ED&BV right now!
Cara
March 21, 2008 at 10:43 pmbaklava is pure heaven. mmm.
Looks like you have had a great day so far. I hope your class goes well!
Lynn
March 21, 2008 at 11:56 pmMMM! After seeing this post, I went to the store and saw some tempeh and tried it for dinner, it was delicious!! and it is so good for you! thanks so much for inspiring me to try it.
Oh, and i got peanut butter granola and tried a handful, it’s amazing.
cant wait to have it for breakfast 🙂
Courtney B
March 22, 2008 at 2:11 amhi! I have a question for those of you living in NYC or for those who know the answer and have just visited–I’m going up to NYC in a few weeks and I googled some veggie eats and found Gobo Restaurant, Quintessence, Sacred Chow and Zenburger (new veggie “fast food” place). I was wondering if any of you have ever eaten at any of these places and which you would recommend!! The menus all look pretty good and tasty! If you have any other recommendations for veggie friendly eating in the city (Manhattan) please let me know!!! Thanks!
Kristin
March 22, 2008 at 2:46 amI am SO jealous… bakalava is my favorite!
And that tempeh sure does look temp-ting!
Mel
March 22, 2008 at 2:49 amI’ve been scared to try tempeh too! Haha I’m not sure why…that quinoa looks great though! Did you do something to it or is it just naturally red like that?
emily
March 22, 2008 at 3:50 amCourtney B – It’s my first year in NYC (but I’m also a first year teacher) and I haven’t tried any of the places you named yet. Have you heard of Babycakes – it’s a vegan (and mostly glutenfree) bakery. I’ve also heard good things about Bliss in Williamsburg (Brooklyn, not Manhattan).
Natalie
March 22, 2008 at 3:54 ami just got some tempeh today but i’m not really sure what to do with it… any suggestions?
Vegan_noodle
March 22, 2008 at 7:04 pmI know how you feel… I missed out on tempeh the last 27 years of my life and have been loving it since I discovered it a year or so ago! I need to try out Dreena’s tempt-eh recipe. Oh, and I love your red quinoa!!