Category: Tofu - feeding my ohana

What's Cooking This Week--New Stuff Old Favorites

8/13/2017

Clearly I need better lighting!

In our new 'hood, I found 1) the local library and therefore, 2) stumbled onto a great cookbook, Damn Delicious, and borrowed for the umpteenth time, the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. Real books made from paper. Armed with that, here's what's cooking this week.

Proper Sunday Dinner
From Damn Delicious--Balsamic salmon with strawberry/mango salsa. OK, so I used a peach because they are in season and smell so good. And because the Safeway mangoes were icky, and I miss Hawaii mangoes, and am still a little resentful that I actually have to Pay Money for mango. This worked out just fine, and Sunday Dinner Birdie remarked that one should really be able to eat fruit salsa with a spoon because it's basically seasoned fruit cocktail. You go Birdie!

#Meatless Monday aka "Teeny Tiny Friday"
Quinoa Salad. We went through a period where we made this all the time. Then, as my children say, it got "OP'd" and we forgot about it. It's time to bring it back--a good full-meal salad and will work as a side or leftover. Along with the strawberry-peach-that-was-supposed-to-be-mango salsa.

Fridge to mouth in 20 minutes, tops

Tuesday is Grill Day
Banh-mi chicken sandwiches. While said Safeway had icky mangoes, they did have 'right-sized' daikon. Not too humongous, not limp and mushy, just right. We can make the pickled carrot/daikon slaw ahead of time, marinate the chicken in the morning, and short commute means weekday grilling.

Wednesday is Another #MeatlessOneDay
Mondays and Tuesdays at work tend to be very meeting heavy, so by the time Wednesday PM rolls around, that "blah-lahs" kick in. Na-omi-take Tofu requires no cooking and packs a ton of protein, plus uses the rest of that right-sized daikon. Mid-week winner.

Thursday
Another attempt at Pad Thai, this time with guidance from Damn Delicious, who recommends using regular pasta. Will probably add the leftover Banh Mi chicken for a little more protein.

Aloha Friday is #LeftoversRoulette
Leftovers and Game of Thrones. I've joined the rest of popular culture and have started watching Game of Thrones. Empty nest means lots of leftovers because we've not figured out the cooking for fewer thing yet.

It feels great to be cooking creatively again! Have a good week all.

What's Cooking This Week--On Time!

7/30/2017

Korean Mushroom Tofu Scramble!

Started Sunday off with a good leftovers roulette omelet with Friday's
Korean Mushroom Tofu, plus a squeeze of Sriracha for brunch.

And now a quick post for what's cooking this week. We are finally settling into a semblance of planning with grocery shopping and a good Sunday meal with Birdie. I've never been a slave to routine, but it is nice, finally, to have some consistency.

Proper Sunday Dinner with the Birdie
Bulgogi, rice, salad, since non-beef-eating birdie picked dinner last week. I do love the smell of meat and caramelizing shoyu on a Sunday afternoon.

See recipe at left. Thank you Birdie!

Bonus Sunday Baking by Birdie
We also had haupia brownies and peanut butter maple cookies.
Birdie says Haupia Brownies are Very Simple to Make.

Box of Chewy Brownie Mix (Duncan Hines)
One package of Haupia mix
Make the Haupia according to the directions and set aside. Make the brownie mix according to what the package says, and then swirl some haupia into the mix before baking. That Is All.

The cookies started off vegan, but since the only coconut oil in the house is used as a skincare product, we switched to the un-vegan butter. Look for a recipe and what we substituted next week.

#MeatlessMonday aka "Teeny Tiny Friday"
Sabih, with purchased pita and hummus from the Falafel Stop. Still worth the drive “all the way over” to Sunnyvale.

Stir Fry Tuesday
General Tso’s Chicken. A quick stir-fry with a recipe from awhile ago. Getting re-acquainted with some throwback favorites.

#LeftoversRoulette on Wednesday
Bulgogi Wraps with bean sprouts, but with the leftover short ribs. My Fitness Pal says I need more protein, so I'm heeding its advice! :)

Thursday
Quiche—spinach, artichoke hearts, red peppers, zucchini with Colby Jack this time. One for the empty nesters and one straight to the freezer. Not going to any of the birdies.

Aloha Friday—or it could be date night!
And with that, have a good week all!

What's Cooking This Week--Empty Nest Cadence

7/24/2017

Can you see the pickle mango?

It feels good to get back into a rhythm of cooking again, but boy, is it an adjustment. Two middle-aged adults eat significantly less than a family of four with two metabolism-busting children. But the upside is that foraging works much better and with zero parent guilt! Here's what's cooking this week.

Foraging in the Fridge Monday
The last of Mediterranean Lamb Stir Fry, tomatoes, bread and some cheese.

Grilling on Tuesday
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Yaki Corn. Short commute and Daylight savings means weekday grilling is in play!

Fish on Wednesday
Cornmeal Fish and My Daddy's Tartar Sauce. Note to self--tartar sauce, or some kind of condiment is a requirement. Plus salad.

Thursday Night with the 'Rents
La Paloma, a nice, homey, non-chain Mexican restaurant in Santa Clara. Another note to self--exercise extreme self-restraint on free AND unlimited chips and salsa.

Pie and new dishes. So fancy!

Friday is #MeatlessOneDay
Korean Mushroom Tofu, with bean sprouts and watercress from the Korean grocery, plus some kim chee and rice.

Bonus
A peach/raspberry pie and a boysenberry crumble pie from Avila Valley Barn Bakery. A convenient stop on the way back from Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo. Their sandwiches are also quite good.

Can you believe August is next week?! Have a great week all.

What's Cooking This Week--Squishy Food

3/23/2015

Where have I been? Not cooking or eating much for almost two weeks. Why, you ask?

I'm sorry to have inflicted this on my child.

Feeding My Ohana is now experiencing that time-honored rite of passage--orthodontia. Except I'm doing this as a middle-ager, instead of the more typical teenager.

You all know the caveats--no popcorn, caramel, hard foods, carbonated drinks, corn on the cob, nuts, apples, kaki mochi (a Very, Very Bad Idea, especially on day 3), and generally any crunchy food that gives life meaning.

On the plus side, middle-agers are of legal drinking age, and a good red is a very effective yet tasty way to manage pain.

I've decided to ROCK my two-tone Kate-Spade pink bands, rinse-n-floss, and keep on eating. So here's what's cooking this week.

Sunday Breakfast for Dinner
Todd's biscuits with sausage gravy and eggs. I ate these with butter, lilikoi jam and then the gravy. It sounds gross, but the sweet/salty thing works for me. And the combo softens the biscuits just enough.

#LeftoversRoulette Monday
The Mystery Tupperware held the last of the Chicken Tortilla Soup. Good to the last drop.

Tuesday
Japanese Chicken Curry. Warm, soft. Happy.

I've missed this. Time for a summer preview.

Wednesday is #MeatlessOneDay
Summer soba salad. One of my favorites from the summer menu.
I shall have to remember the rinse-n-floss drill after a noodles and arugula-filled dinner so I don't end up looking like Davey Jones reincarnated with a mouthful of green stringy stuff.

Thursday
Sick and wrong fish. This is a very satisfying dinner.

Friday
Ma-po Tofu
Husband is the stir-fry master and this can get cooked in 30 flat.

Extra-soft Extras
Edamame hummus with not-pita chips
Blueberry muffins
Beard Papa
Yogurt, lots of it
Yogurtland, avoiding particularly toffee and mochi add-ins
Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, avoiding Chunky Monkey
Harmless Harvest coconut water
Odwalla Strawberry C Monster, Mango Tango and Mo Berry
Matcha Love Houji-cha milkshakes

Have a good crunchy week all. Only 50 more weeks to go!

What's Cooking This Week--Whoa, February?!

2/9/2015

Which came first? Chicken or the egg...

That whooshing sound was January whizzing by. How did February get here so quickly and how can it be nearly Valentine's Day?! At least we are cooking this week.

#MeatlessOneDay ala Safeway
I'm trying really hard to get back to my yoga practice, so it will be purchased (fresh) mushroom ravioli with pesto sauce and roasted tomatoes. Winter tomatoes can be kinda gross, so roasting is a good option for the tomato fix.

Comfort Food Tuesday
Oyako Donburi. One saute pan, the rice cooker and 35 minutes yield a complete meal.

Kalua pig + cabbage = happiness

Mystery Dinner by Freezer Wednesday
Three Tupperwares for a true #LeftoversRoulette. We will have Chicken Tortilla Soup, Vegetarian Chili or Jambalaya, all made with the from-scratch tomato sauce from awhile ago too.

Fish on Thursday
Tofu-tuna burgers. An old favorite returns with kale chips and rice.

Empty-Nest Friday
A college kid and a very social kid mean practice cooking for two. Or it could be #LeftoversRoulette again. I'm thinking this will be a kalua pig and cabbage kind of day

Extras for the growing birdie
Guacamole
Raisins and craisins
Honey-roasted peanuts
Hummus and fresh pita from the Falafel Stop
flatbread
Eggs by the dozen
Laughing cow cheese by the bagful

What shall we do about Valentine's Day?!

What's Cooking This Week--Cleaning and Stocking Up

10/27/2014

Mahalo to my sister!

It was way past time to clean out the freezer. We do a good job of eating ice cream and meats, but the errant 1/2 cup of coconut milk, 1/4 slab of bacon, a lemon (?!), not so much.

After a much needed purge, what remains are 2 containers of homemade tomato sauce, a batch of chicken curry, a batch of spaghetti sauce (made with homemade sauce instead of the jars), homemade chicken wontons, and of course, salted caramel gelato. Now we are ready for one of THOSE school nights when we need a quick meal between various events.

And in an effort to keep the fridge a biohazard-free zone, here's what's cooking this week.

No Leftovers Monday
Huli Huli Chicken Wraps and Feta Watermelon Arugula Salad. It sounds like a gross salad, but it's awesome! Posting the recipe later this week.

Meatless Tuesday
Korean Mushroom Tofu, bean sprouts, kim chee, rice and happiness.

No Leftovers Wednesday
Salmon Cakes using the Furikake Salmon because I cannot let salmon go to waste. Could be good or it could be just plain weird. We shall see.

Meatless Thursday
Feta Watermelon Arugula Salad and Roasted Tomato/Cheese Quesadillas.

"Fish" on Friday
Clam and Cannellini Bean Soup with Asiago Cheese bread. Forecast is for rain, so soup will hit the spot

Extras
Double batch of Spaghetti Meatballs, again, straight to the freezer, probably next to the tomato sauce.
Homemade Granola-Mola
Sesame Sticks with Cashews and Craisins--this is our homemade trail mix. Sweet/salty in an effort to avoid chips.

And of course, Halloween Candy
Whoppers
Kit Kats
Twix

Happy Halloween All!

What's Cooking This Week--Summer Tomatoes

8/25/2014

Tomatoes and Basil. Christmas in August.

Oh how we love our summer tomatoes. Meaty heirlooms, juicy grapes, sweet 1-millions and the always-reliable Early Girls.

They make us forget those mealy, tasteless hothouse weaklings of December. This week is all about tomatoes.

Meatless and Stove-less Monday
Summer tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and basil, fresh mozzarella, and toasted asiago bread. Eaten outside, this is pretty much a perfect summer dinner.

Breakfast Tuesday
Portuguese sausage, hash browns and eggs. With a side of sliced tomatoes topped with Hawaiian salt and pepper.Tastes like home.

Lettuce and tomatoes in the same season!

Wednesday
Tofu Tuna Salad, using the grape tomatoes and fresh lettuce from Grandma and Grandpa's garden. How they can grow both tomatoes (a hot summer crop) and lettuce (a winter garden veggie) in the same Very Small Space is a mystery to me.

Thursday
Fattaneh's Persian Eggplant Thing, with fresh eggplants,
trying it meatless with the rest of the asiago bread, and Lemon Chicken with some fresh lemons we have too. It's a weird combination, but I'm thinking this will work out well.

Friday
Gyros with, wait for it, fresh tomatoes.

For all of us with kids going back to school--good luck with the supplies/bills/carpools/soccer practice/piano lessons/meal planning!

What's Cooking This Week--Mostly Asian

8/11/2014

This is a weird food week.

Birdie #1 has some requests before heading back to school, namely home-cooked Asian food. And both birdies experienced that rite of passage known as Extracting One's Wisdom Teeth. That their parents chose to have this done back-to-back clearly shows that they lost both wisdom and teeth 'back in the day' when their own teeth were extracted.

In any case, the weekly menu reflects this confluence, but does not include Vicodin.

Meatless Monday
Somebody's Garden Pasta Salad. Vegetables from our hypothetical ohana garden. Penne tossed with tomatoes and cukes from our garden, shredded carrots from Safeway's garden and avocado, which, in theory, could be from my Mom's house. Mom reports that the avocado tree is just exploding with 'bambucha' avocados. Tossed with a pesto dressing and Parmesan cheese. Eaten outside, it was delicious and hearty.

Spring Roll Salad. Great Concept.

Experiments Tuesday
Spring Roll Salad. This dinner is starting from newspaper recipe with shrimp and we all know that we make substitutions in this house. Thinking this can be good. Also eaten outside.

Fish on Wednesday
Fish Jun. Birdie #1 has requested this before returning to school. Also eaten outside.

Yaki Thursday
Shoyu, sugar and vinegar are the power ingredients. Teriyaki Chicken, Yaki Musubi, and Namasu. This is the Make-a-Bad-Day-All-Better meal.

Meatless Friday
Tofu Steaks. Why? Because you can't grill tofu in the snow. A good enough reason for us. And eaten outside too. On a cool evening with very little humidity and zero snow.

Extras for those with varying degrees of chew-ability
Sticky Rice with Mangoes. Apparently you can eat this without chewing
Haupia
Odwalla Strawberry C Monster
In-n-Out milkshakes. Yes, we do treat our children occasionally.
Yogurt. And we make sure they a fed properly even without chewing
Ice cream
Hummus, because there is only so much sweetness that one of my kids can stand
Scrambled eggs/omelets
Tomato Soup, same as above. "Plus, who doesn't love tomato soup?!"

Have a good week all!

The (mid)-Weekly Menu

7/23/2014

What can you do when your oven is broken and your kids are in charge of most dinners? A lot, it turns out.

The teenagers have been managing splendidly on the (mid)-weekly menu. Here's the quick update!

Meatless Monday
Zaru Soba. We use Hon-Tsuyu (diluted a lot!) rather than make your own broth. Even my mom uses the dashi starter, so who am I to try to question this?

Tuesday
Ma-po Tofu. The husband can do this in his sleep. Thank goodness!

Wednesday
Chicken/broccoli/sun-dried tomato pasta. Using the wok for tossing pasta together has been our new way preferred method.

Thursday
Turkey, apple and cheddar panini. Kids who cook.

Meatless Friday
Summer Soba Salad. Using the other half of the soba package and the rest of the tofu.

Bonus Saturday
Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Simple comfort food for a Saturday night.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Carnitas and Tofu Loco Moco!

5/11/2014

Dinner today, leftovers for next week!

Pork and the crock pot were simply made to be friends. Very, very good friends.

Crock Pot Carnitas is another dump-and-ignore crock pot genius.

Click here to make it this week.

The next one will take some convincing, but be assured that there were no leftovers on Tofu Broccoli Loco Moco.

As a bonus, the idea of spicy roasted broccoli all by itself has many possibilities too. Click here for the recipe and assembly.

Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day!