Honey-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous

This was pretty yummy and total prep time is under an hour! Would I make it again? Most likely but it definitely needs some tweaking. Next time I'll have to try less honey and less oil. As a matter of fact, I think I'll just half the sauce, marinate for longer and bake it instead of frying it all. The couscous though was stellar! I really enjoyed the whole wheat couscous instead of the regular kind. Tasted a little more earthy and had a bit more sustenance. Here's the original recipe:

Honey-Glazed Tofu
1 pack extra-firm tofu
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Pumpkin Seed Couscous
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous (Safeway doesn't carry this but Whole Foods does - though only in the bulk section)
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds (I roughly chopped them and prefer it that way)

• To make Honey-Glazed Tofu: Place tofu between two plates and set heavy pot on top. Drain 10 minutes, and pat dry. Cut tofu into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Combine pepper, thyme, and salt in small bowl. Coat tofu slices with pepper mixture and set aside.
• To make Pumpkin Seed Couscous: Bring broth, carrots, edamame, olive oil, and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
• Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil and honey in large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place seasoned tofu in pan, and cook 3 minutes. Turn and cook 3 minutes more, spooning thickening sauce over tofu.
• To serve: Stir pumpkin seeds into couscous. Spoon onto plates and top with Honey-Glazed tofu.

Voila! Just last week I made a lentil loaf and... well it's not really worth posting. I found that the flavors weren't very complex and it was rather boring. It tasted like lentils and chili. Really, I'm not a fan of lentils either so it was kind of a ho hum experience. There's half the loaf that's been sitting in my fridge and I am at a loss for what to do with it. I've carted around lentil loaf lunches for the past couple of days but either get something else to eat because I am just not feelin the lentils or I just don't eat at all. Unfortunately I bought 4kg of lentils from little India so I better find a yummy lentil recipe. Cuz really... what are lentils good for? I think we used to make maracas out of empty toilet paper tubes and lentils when I was in preschool.... so maybe I can donate my lentils to a preschool or something. Damn lentils... even ducks don't eat lentils!

Business Building

I've finally accepted the fact that work is unpredictable. It's been difficult not knowing what my day is going to look like and even more difficult to sit around, ready to work but with little or nothing coming in. Especially now. End of October was alright, beginning of November was good and now it's all messy (I had more clients on Thursday then I did on Saturday and Sunday combined!!! Usually those are my better days). But yesterday a client inspired me to do something about it. A coworker and I had a duet massage* with this couple and they enjoyed their massage so much that they left us a little happy holiday card. That simple gesture made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside which got me thinking... I can probably do something like this for my clients.
Alright, so this is a little bit of an aside. At work we don't have business cards. We have little 10% off cards where we can give those out with our name as the referral agent. But somehow I don't like giving those out. Yes, it's incentive for them to come back but I don't know how I feel about giving discounts to everyone. I guess this stems from some of our professional development classes when we were talking about discounting our rates and the effect that that may have on our business and client expectations.
Someone suggested that I make my own business cards, so some time, earlier this month, I sat down and designed really nice cards but something stumped me. What is my title? Until I am registered, I am a bodyworker. I don't like being a bodyworker. Not because of other bodyworkers but because of the name. Bodyworker. It makes people raise an eyebrow, wink and you and think perverted thoughts. Bodyworker. So I was thinking of alternate titles** but the only thing I came up with was 'almost registered massage therapist'. Even then, that was a stretch and I wasn't going to put that on my business card. Discouraged, I scraped the whole idea.
Yesterday I bit the bullet. I made holiday themed post cards with 'Happy Holidays/Joyeux Noel' written on them. It also has my name, the business name and phone number along with that one word that stumped me last month: Bodyworker. Yep, I did it. It looks pretty darn classy and I am quite stoked about receiving them (they should arrive in the mail in approximately 7 days... I rushed the order because December is... tomorrow). I'm excited. It's a step in the right direction I think.
I chose to make the card bilingual because I've found a new appreciation for being a Frenchie. I work with a woman who's french, from France and it's been really nice to get to talk to her in French. And, just this past week we've had a student come in at work and he'll be working with us for the next three weeks and he's french (from Quebec) too!! Also, Jenny (a fellow frenchie, I've known her since grade 4), Darla and I went to the Backstage Lounge on Granville island for frenchie night. It was fantastic to listen to everyone speak french and to dance to some french music.
So hopefully after all this, I'll end up with more business. But if I don't... well at least it has made me grow as a therapist. And that's always a good thing :)

*Duet massages are when two people get a massage in the same room. Despite the room being VERY small for the therapists, it's usually a different dynamic and is wonderful to work with.

**Massage therapist, registered massage therapist, massage practitioner etc. have all been taken by the College of Massage Therapists (governing body for the registered therapists)

Cooking with Seitan

Awe man! This recipe was delicious! Unfortunately trying to find seitan in Whole Foods was an experience in itself.
I decided to try this recipe because I wanted to find an other meat alternative. I had never heard of seitan (pronounced sEItan... not satan) but I wanted to try it out. But first I had to find it. Now it's not really popular so most people at Whole Foods looked at me a little strange when I asked them where I could find seitan. One guy abandoned me, probably because he thought I was crazy. Finally, a gentleman was able to help me and together we looked high and low for it. We started in the meat alternative section but had trouble finding it. He asked a coworker who said it might be in the frozen section. So we looked there and seitan wasn't in the freezer. Hee hee :) I had a grand time imagining myself looking for the devil in the freezer and meat alternative section. Finally it was in the meat alternative section but it's mixed in with the tofu so it's not very obvious. It's pricier (about $5 for 7.9oz) then tofu but really, that's not that much of an issue, just means I won't be cooking with it every day.
The recipe, Seitan 'meatballs' with winter tomato sauce, is a twist on spaghetti and meatballs. Wanting to stray away from spag, I made the 'meatballs' with steamed kale (still on my kale kick). It had enough sustenance and was very yummy. The 'meatballs' were quite salty. I don't know if this is due to the fact that the only seitan that Whole Foods had at the moment was ginger and garlic flavored and not original (like the recipe calls for). Or perhaps seitan is just a little saltier. Now don't get fooled by it's unappetizing look (it kind of looks like a very sick liver). It smells quite nice (earthy) and the finished product was delicious too!
I'm tempted to rename this recipe because seitan meatballs doesn't quite cut it. I don't like calling it a meatball cuz there's no meat (unless you want to call seitan wheat meat/gluten meat). Calling it Seitan balls doesn't work either. Perhaps Seitan pecan balls... Still. No. Anyways so here's the recipe :)

Seitan Meatless Meatballs

1 (16 oz) package seitan
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I used cilantro cuz I grabbed the wrong thing out of the fridge and only realized it once I chopped it all up... it the end it we all agreed that cilantro tastes better then parsley would)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (use basil stems as well as leaves)
1/8 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsb low-sodium soy sauce (or BRAGGs Liquid Aminos)
1 tsp egg replacer powder (I used 1 egg)

• Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Crumble seitan in food processor. Add pecans; pulse to blend.
• Transfer to bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, 1 tbsp. olive oil, and soy sauce.
• Whisk egg replacer with 1/4 cup water until frothy (or just whisk 1 egg, no water); fold into seitan mixture.
• Shape mixture into 18 balls. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush with remaining 2 tbsp oil.
• Bake 20 minutes, turning once, or until crusty and lightly browned.

Some of the balls were a little crumbly so I ended up drizzling the oil on when I was supposed to turn them... I didn't turn them for fear they'd crumble and they turned out just fine :)

Chipotle Chili No Carne

Last week I made my favorite chili recipe. It's quite fitting considering the cooler, wetter days (and nights) that we've been having. Finally I've been able to find chipotle chilies (I was looking in the produce section this entire time... they're in the canned section with the Mexican stuff). I have yet to find chipotle chilies in adobo. Most places when I ask, they look at me like I'm a little crazy.
Anyways, this is a favorite recipe of mine. It makes quite a bit of chili so be prepared to have it for left overs. One evening, my family was having chicken burgers for dinner and I had a chili burger. It was messy but delicious! So there are some fun things you can make for the left overs... but let me tell you. By day 5 (of having this for lunch and dinner most days) I couldn't handle any more. I also have a tummy of steel, so if some people are sensitive to things like beans n lots of veggies, I suggest not eating so much chili.

Chipotle Chili No Carne

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 chipotle chilies in adobo, freeze the rest of the can
1 (7oz) jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil*
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 lbs portobella mushrooms, stemmed, wiped clean and cubed**
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (I use one)
1 (14 oz) can black beans
1 (14 oz) can red kidney beans
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until soft. 3 minutes.
• Add the zucchini, corn, mushrooms, and cook, stirring and the vegetables give off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, about 6 minutes. (I never understood this step, the veggies can't brown if there's liquid, so I just wait until the liquid evaporates and I brown the veggies a little)
• Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and stir, until fragrant, 30 seconds.
• Add the diced tomatoes and stir well.
• Place the sundried tomatoes (with oil) and chipotle chilies in food processor, and process until it forms a paste, add to the pot.
• Add the beans, tomato sauce, and vegetable stock (water), stir well and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in fresh cilantro. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

*I often use sundried tomatoes, then I boil them to soften then in about 1/2 cup of water. I then top up that water to a cup and add it when the recipe requests it. When blending the sundried tomatoes and chipotle chilies, I add a tbsp of oil just to make it easier to blend.

** You can also use brown mushrooms (little protobellas). I cube the stems too... same thing, different shape. Plus it's a chili! It all looks the same when it's been boiled together.

Christmas 2009

Christmas is just around the corner... I don't know how it happened but it's here! I am actually really quite excited about this Christmas season. Just like I did last year, I want to do something for the people living in the downtown east side. It's most likely not going to be as big as last year but I still want to do something. I can't remember if I blogged about x-mas 2008 on the DTES. I'll have to take a look and see. If I haven't then I most likely will (but not tonight. I want to go to sleep).
So I've been wracking my brain as to what to do. Last year I worked with OnSite and brought Christmas there. This year I want to do something for the people on the streets. I see them every time I go to and from the gym (which is 2 to 3 times a week). There's just as big a crowd if it's sunny, cold, cloudy or raining. They're just out there. I guess that's because they don't have anywhere to go. I make eye contact with them and smile, just to acknowledge their presence. Most of them don't ask for food. One guy asked me for a hug. Of course, I gave him one. Today I saw my old neighbor, Bill. He now lives in the downtown east side. I smiled at him, he stared blankly at me. He probably doesn't recognize me because him and Linda moved out when I was 10. He was also drunk most of the time and Linda... well I haven't seen her. My guess is that she's passed away. I think I remember hearing about something like that a while ago. Anyways. Though I see Bill three or four times a year, we never talk to each other. I am always glad to see him. Alive. Maybe not well.
So what am I going to do for the people in the downtown east side? So far, the best idea I've come up with is making a couple hundred ginger bread people, decorate them (all of them will have a little pink heart) and hand them out on the corner of Main and Hastings. There's no doubt that I'll find a couple hundred homeless people. I've been guesstimating how many there are each time I go by. There's lots of them. I think there will be just as many come Christmas time... cuz really... where are they going to go? It's not as if they're going to visit family. Unfortunately. Anyways, this seems like the best option. Baked goods are part of the holidays and it'll be cheaper then buying socks/underwear/gloves/hats/scarves etc etc etc for them.
If anyone wants to help out, let me know :) My favorite memories of last years Christmas was wrapping up the presents for OnSite with Mom and Dad, delivering the presents with Uncle Steve on Christmas eve day (despite the snow storm) and seeing a pile, almost as tall as me, of presents in the storage room, knowing that they'll go out to people that will be so grateful to have them. Hopefully this year I can make new memories, either with the same people or with others.

A new kind of comfort food

After a shite day at work, I walked around in the rain and wind and mulled over what to have for dinner. The final verdict, brown rice, wilted red kale topped with pesto fried tofu (or tofu fried pesto...). After a soothing hour in the kitchen I enjoyed this beautiful meal. I've decided that I am going to start blogging about the vegetarian recipes that I try. There are three reasons for this. 1) I have been defaulting to pasta and other simple carbohydrates while veggies and random forms of protein (tofu, legumes etc) have gone out the window 2) I've been enjoying reading Brandon's blog about all of the new recipes that he's making... unfortunately most of them contain meat 3) A coworker of mine, Erin (and here), is newly veg and has been updating her fbook status with wonderful veg friendly recipes.
I think we can all learn something from each others cooking adventures. If not, well at least now these recipes are written out and not just in my head. I think we've all learnt I'm a big fan of dum dee dumming (This is what Dad calls making things up as he goes along) so some of the measures will be a splash, shake, handful or other vague kind of measurement. The joy of this is that you make the dish your own. Add more of what you love and less of what you don't. I believe this makes food that much more enjoyable (and fun to cook).

Wilted Red Kale & Pesto Fried Tofu

Rice: 1 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup wild rice, 1 1/2 cup veggie stock, 1 1/2 cup water. Make rice.
Tofu & Kale:
12 stems Red kale (or regular kale... but the colour was appealing) to prep kale, take a single stalk with the stem pointing to the ceiling, the leaves/leaf towards your counter, grasp stalk between thumb and forefinger and... well lets just say if it was a cat, you'd be petting it backwards. All the leaves should peel off the stem and the stem (which is usually too fibrous and woody) goes into your compost
1 pack firm tofu cut into cubes (not little cubes... medium sized cubes)
3 generous splashes of soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable (or olive) oil
1 to 1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 thumb size nub of ginger, finely grated (keep in mind, I have fat thumbs... so in this case, more is better)
1 handful of sesame seeds
2 tbsp pesto (or you can chop up basil... but I was lazy once and found this to make a much tastier recipe! Work smarter, not harder ;) )

Put cubes of tofu and soy sauce in a container and shake to evenly coat tofu with soy sauce. Set aside. Cook rice.
After rice is half cooked, heat oil in a wok (unless you want to individually flip the cubes... but I like using a wok so I can toss the tofu to flip it... sometimes it makes a mess, sometimes I can actually throw the tofu and catch it in the wok). Once oil is heated, add garlic. Saute garlic.
Add tofu to garlic and oil. If there is excess soy sauce, do not put it in the pan just yet. Instead, set it aside. You'll use it later. Start water (with a bit of salt, preferably Himalayan Salt) to boil for kale) and let it boil. Kale should not be in the pot just yet.
Cook tofu until almost browned on all sides. While it's cooking, grate ginger and stir together.
Just before tofu is almost done, add kale to your boiling pot of water (don't forget the steamer bit). Keep a close eye on the kale, you don't want it to get mushy. Just wilt it. It should still have texture.
To the tofu, add soy sauce. Stir. Toss in sesame seeds. Stir. Spoon in pesto. Stir and it finish cooking for a minute or so.
Hopefully everything has timed correctly and you should be ready to eat. Enjoy!

Up next... I am going to try to find my vegetarian chili recipe! With this rainy weather it's time to bust out the chili's and soups :) Yum!

Ding Dong the Mouse is Dead*

Actually it died a good week ago now. But it freaking stinks! I know it died because I heard it die... for 3 hours! I woke up to the sound of dragging and clanging. Mr. Mouse caught himself in a trap and climbed into a part of the ceiling that is non accessible (also near the heating vent... which means when we turn on the heat, I get blasted with eau de dead mouse) and tried to escape. Unfortunately he worked REALLY hard at trying to escape while hauling a mouse trap. He'd drag and clang, then it would be silent, then he'd drag and clang and it would be silent. While it was silent I'd envision this little mouse laying down, paws sprawled, panting and then eagerly trying again. Because I'm a light sleeper, his misadventure kept me up until finally the clanging and banging stopped. Rest in peace little Mouse. Sorry you had to go that way. I told Mom and Dad about the fate of a mouse and they didn't believe me. Later that evening after checking the traps Dad comes upstairs and announces "we've lost a trap'. TOLD YOU!!!!
Anyways, because Mr. Mouse decided to die in the vent somewhere in my room it's been pretty smelly. I don't know if it's because I've had the day off (I've spent the day sleeping in, sorting through photos, getting photos printed and reading... LOVE IT!) and I've spent the day in my room but it freaking smells today!!! I've been burning so much incense that my brother bollywood danced his way to the computer room a couple of days ago. Luckily they know better to bitch about the incense/candles etc because hey! If your room stank like this, you'd be doing the same thing!!
Tomorrow I'm going to turn the heater and dehumidifier full blast in the hopes of turning this dead mouse into a raisin. Apparently it takes weeks before the smell goes away... GREAT! Luckily I haven't heard any other little critters running around. I think we've (ok, Mom and Dad) plugged all of the holes so none other are coming in. This was the last one trapped in the house and he couldn't get out.
Anyways, it fucking stinks in my room! Mom and Dad are most likely going to be pissed that I posted that we even had mice in our house but... well if anyone comes over they'll smell something and I am not taking the blame for the smell... It's a dead mouse!

*Borrowed title from this David's blog post. A freaking hilarious post about dead mice... yes, I was trying to figure out how long the dead mouse smell is going to last. Ew!