Tofu Scramble with Flair

March 21, 2014Leave a comment

Okay I have a confession to make. I have NEVER made a tofu scramble in my life. It’s just a tad embarrassing even though I am a huge fan of the Nuevos Rancheros at Candle Cafe West (basically a vegan take on huevos rancheros with tempeh, tofu, jalapeno, salsa, tofu sour cream, potatoes and all that brunch goodness). So, I randomly had a craving for this delectable scramble and thankfully had a ton of sprouted tofu in my fridge that begged to be put to good use. I combined pinto beans, sprouted tofu, habañero hot sauce, fresh cilantro and more to concoct a really tasty brunch. If you don’t like tofu, trust me, this will change your mind or at least blow your mind. Without further ado, here you go!

What You Need:

1 15 oz can of pinto beans, rinsed
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 block of organic sprouted tofu (extra firm), cubed (you will break it up into smaller pieces with your hands or fork before cooking)
1 vine ripened tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Favorite hot sauce (I love Cholula’s Hot Sauce)

How You Make It:

In a small bowl, combine salsa and cubed tofu. Crumble the tofu while mixing with salsa. Set aside.
In a large skillet, add olive oil. Sauté bell pepper, onion and garlic until fragrant and slightly translucent. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Add beans to the mixture and season with cumin and chilli powder.
Toss in crumbled tofu and stir. Continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat. Garnish generously with cilantro and hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Vegan Peanut-less Pad Thai

February 28, 2014January 13, 2015Leave a comment

I am going to be honest. I have NEVER ever had Pad Thai. I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like. I just know that it involves noodles, peanuts, limes and cilantro. Since my recent peanut allergy (literally discovered this last year when I broke out in hives from eating peanut butter- super bummer), I have avoided trying Pad Thai for my own sanity. Then, I came across a WONDERFUL recipe during one of my lunch time adventures in Barnes & Noble. I salivated the moment I read the ingredients and jumped for joy upon the mention of peanuts being optional. I adapted this version of Vegan Pad Thai from a fellow Vegan food blogger and writer of the incredible cookbook, Isa Does It (seriously, check her out- amazing recipes). Not only is this recipe incredibly simple, it will have you craving Pad Thai practically every night of the week. If I could cuddle up with a bowl of this Pad Thai and have it sing me a sweet lullaby, I would be a happy woman.

What You Need:

8 oz pad thai rice noodles or buckwheat soba noodles (my family loved this version- a little heartier), cooked according to package directions and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 package (or 2 if you’re incredibly hungry) of extra firm organic sprouted tofu, cut into 1.5 inch cubes
4 cups broccoli, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups green onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cilantro, chopped
4 oz mung bean sprouts
Lime Wedges for serving

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
6 tablespoons brown sugar (I went for dark brown for added sweetness)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons Sriracha
2 tablespoons mellow white miso
1/4 cup water

How You Make It:

Make the tofu. After removing the tofu from the liquid, dry it off as much as possible and cut into cubes. Heat a cast iron skillet (or any skillet will do) on high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add tofu immediately. Stir frequently and cook until tofu is browned and crispy. Remove from the pan, set aside.
In the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil and half the minced garlic. Toss in the broccoli and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside with tofu.
In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the sauce. Mix until most of the miso has dissolved.
Add remaining oil and garlic to a pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and toss in half of the cilantro and all of the green onion. Stir until slightly wilted. Pour in half of the sauce and heat through.
Add in the noodles and toss to coat. Add back tofu, broccoli, mung bean sprouts and the rest of the sauce.
Serve immediately with lime wedges and the rest of the cilantro.

Is it sad to say that my mouth started to water after writing this?

Grab a fork or some chopsticks and slurp up this sweet and spicy goodness. Your stomach will thank you.

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Chick’n Noodle Soup

February 17, 20141 Comment

Howdy my amazing friends! I apologize for the hiatus. I was recovering from the stomach flu and have had quite the interesting few weeks. NYC really does NOT know how to function with even the tiniest bit of snow. We are all grumpy, cold and pale (yikes). Thankfully I am heading to California for a short 5 day trip to visit my grandma in 2 weeks. I could really use some warm sunshine.

When I wasn’t lifelessly lying on my bed begging for the agony in my stomach to end, I actually got up to make some soup. I have heard about the healing properties and comfort of a good bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. Though I have never tried chicken or chicken noodle soup, making my own version was just what the doctor ordered. My vegan and gluten free “chicken” noodle soup along with a ginger kombucha really aided in my healing process. Talk about a home remedy! Well, I hope that you make this yummy soup even when you’re not sick. From what I have heard (from my meat eating brother), it almost tastes like the real thing.

What You Need:

2 medium yellow onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, smashed and minced finely
4 medium carrots (skin peeled), sliced
4 celery ribs (or more, if you like celery like I do), sliced
2 bay leaves
8 fresh thyme sprigs
1 package of vegan chicken-less, chicken strips (try LightLife Chik’n Style Smart Strips), chopped
1 32 fl oz box of No-Chicken Chicken Broth (try Imagine-if you cannot find, opt for vegetable broth)
1 cup of water
1 tbs Italian herb seasoning
2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 box of gluten free (and egg free) noodles (try Lundberg’s Rotini Brown Rice)
Sea salt, black pepper to taste
Fresh flat leaf parsley, optional

How You Make It:

Heat oil in a large soup pot (any big pot with enough room to hold liquid works). Toss in onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Season generously with sea salt and pepper.
Toss in vegan chicken strips and sauté. Add in thyme and bay leaves. Continue to stir until fragrant.
Add in stock and water. Scrape whatever has stuck to the bottom of the pan to get all of the flavor.
Bring to a boil.
While waiting for the soup to boil, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Cook until slightly al dente (so that the pasta continues to cook when you add to the soup). NOTE: Please be sure to rinse the pasta before adding to the soup.
Once soup comes to a boil, add in pasta and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add in Italian seasoning or more thyme if you like.
Serve soup immediately and garnish with fresh parsley.

What are some of your favorite soups when you are feeling under the weather? I’d love to know!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Super Green Smoothies

January 22, 2014January 25, 20141 Comment

I am a smoothie lover. I really enjoy making smoothies, seeing how much I can cram into the blender and trying out different flavor combinations (even though I have my goto’s). I began my smoothie journey back in 2012 when I bought a Ninja blender and vowed to make a smoothie every single day ( even in every season, winter too). It just so happened that a 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge with Simple Green Smoothies was starting up at around the same time I began my new-found obsession. I never really thought of putting greens in smoothies (when you have a crummy blender, you understand why–think chunks). 2012 really marked the beginning of my journey to a healthier me so this was really perfect timing. The challenge asked us to replace at least one meal a day with a smoothie. My first thought, “Um, I am going to starve. Are you crazy?” Mind you this was before I did a juice cleanse so I was extremely attached to the idea of chewing and eating (boy do I love eating). The moment the mood swings, purging and attachment to chewing disappeared, I fell in love. I am super serious. I fell in love with green smoothies.

My friends over at Simple Green Smoothies offer 5 great reasons to LOVE green smoothies:

Natural energy booster to keep a little pep in your step in the morning (and during those afternoon slumps).
Natural weight loss can he a happy side effect of gulping these in place of a typical breakfast (just make sure to include healthy fats and protein to make it a more complete meal).
Stay healthy all-year-long. Simple way to boost your immune system when you’re feeling under the weather.
Packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. The phytonutrients in leafy greens boost your body’s immune system and keep it functioning properly.
Hands down— The best fast food. It takes less than 5 minutes to make a green smoothie (and clean up!) and they’re super easy to take on the go– especially when you prep ahead.

I have started to crave green smoothies. If I’m not in the mood to cook, I just whip out my greens, fruit and choice of liquid and create something delicious and nutritious. After acquiring my brand new blender of the Gods, the Vitamix, making smoothies is more fun than ever. To give my smoothies an extra boost, I include superfoods. But G, what is a superfood? Well, according to Oxford Dictionary a superfood is: a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Here are a few of my go-to superfoods that are a must in all of my smoothies (or at least most of them- depending on the flavor):

Maca: an ancient Peruvian tuber is a great natural source of energy. This adaptogen helps improve and attain balance in the body. It especially balances out the hormones helping tame PMS (you know those awful mood swings), increases fertility and helps boost mood as well as immunity. How can you go wrong with a little bit of maca? For maca newbies, start off with just a tablespoon in your smoothie and slowly increase to two tablespoons. An added perk? It spices things up in the bedroom. Read more about the benefits of maca here.
Camu Camu: this superfood has a sweet and sour flavor, which I really enjoy. It is an amazing source of vitamin C
containing 60 times more vitamin C than an orange! Camu is also a great anti-inflammatory, less inflammation equals less sickness.
Flaxseed Oil (or Udo’s Omega Oil) is a great source of Omega 3’s. Not only do your Omega 3’s keep your heart healthy and deliver a healthy dose of good fats to your system (more good fats help burn the bad ones), it boosts your mood. Ladies, that time of the month has us all over the place and we need all the help we can get. Aside from that, your skin becomes more radiant and supple. Winning!
Raw Cacao Powder: I am a chocoholic. Anything with chocolate in it, I am all over it. I only recently started adding this tomy smoothies (obviously not the ones with orange juice or tart cherry juice as a base- mostly coconut water or unsweetened nut milk). We all know that chocolate is loaded with flavonoids and increases endorphins in the body giving you a feeling of etherial bliss, right? But in its raw form you are getting much more! It is high in magnesium, zinc, protein, calcium, fiber and more. Raw cacao can also improve digestion, promote cardiovascular function & health while also lowering blood pressure. I know I have more of a reason to LOVE chocolate (raw, of course).
Green Powder: I love my smoothies extra green. Even though in most of my smoothies I put at least 2 cups of greens, I love to add an extra scoop or two of green powder to give it more of a boost. I can instantly feel the energy and power (unlimited power said in Darth Sidious’ voice). Right now I have two favorites: Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder and Philosophie’s Green Dream. I’m starting to favor the Green Dream powder more since it comes with hemp protein and I don’t have to add something extra to my smoothie (not that I really mind!). Green powders give you an extra boost of energy and liveliness. Say goodbye to caffeine (okay, maybe not goodbye) and hello to a rejuvenated version of you!

If you need a little help getting started with your green smoothies the infographic below really helps you put one together or you can sign up for free smoothie recipes at Simple Green Smoothies:

(**NOTE: OMIT THE SWEETENERS YOU DO NOT NEED IT. Chopped Medjool Dates are a great alternative to sweeteners)

I hope you start to enjoy some green smoothies and experiment. Make it your own! Add superfoods and be merry!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

And that’s me enjoying a super delicious green smoothie after some yoga!

I Sold My Soul to Tough Mudder

January 16, 2014January 16, 20142 Comments

In 3 months and 3 days I will embark on an incredibly frightening but exhilarating journey, Tough Mudder. On April 19, 2014, my boyfriend, myself and our team of adventurists will attempt to conquer one of the most difficult obstacle courses known to man (or woman). A few months ago we made this bold decision but only recently decided to shell out the dreaded $155 entry fee and sign a waiver indicating our awareness of these physically, emotionally and mentally demanding 10-12 mile obstacle course. As I was reading the waiver, I started to fear for my life. I read through the entire waiver and came across the paragraph of inherent risks:

I understand and acknowledge that the inherent risks include, but are not limited to: 1) contact or collision with persons or objects (e.g., collision with spectators or course personnel), contact with other participants, contact or collision with motor vehicles or machinery, and contact with natural or man-made fixed objects or obstacles); 2) encounter with obstacles (e.g., natural and man-made water, road and surface hazards, close proximity and/or contact with thick smoke and open flames, barbed wire, pipes, and electric shocks); 3) equipment related hazards (e.g., broken, defective or inadequate competition equipment, unexpected equipment failure, imperfect course conditions); 4) weather-related hazards (e.g., extreme heat, extreme cold, humidity, ice, rain, fog); 5) inadequate first aid and/or emergency measures; 6) judgment- and/or behavior-related problems (e.g., erratic or inappropriate co-participant behavior, erratic or inappropriate behavior by the participant, errors in judgment by personnel working the event; and 7) natural hazards (e.g. uneven terrain, rock falls, lightning strikes, earthquakes, wildlife attacks, contact with poisonous plants, marine life
and/or ticks).

Um….what? Contact with open flames? Electric shocks? What in the hell am I signing up for? My boyfriend and I just looked at each other before clicking submit, really contemplating if this was a good idea. After REALLY thinking it through, we made the decision to sign up.

We printed out our workout to get us prepared for the big day which includes burpees, walking lunges, pull-ups (my favorite- not really), butt kicks, pushups, squats and more- pretty much the Insanity Workout, times 10. We have successfully completed Insanity two times when we were in college (before the hype) so we really thought it would be cake or at least a little easier. Not that we aren’t in good shape but this workout was intense. We were dripping sweat and dreaded the 2 minutes of burpees and dirty ballerinas (frog jumps-but dirty ballerina sounds more fun). I anticipate that this will get easier over time as our stamina and endurance improves. My two month hiatus from the gym really did not help either (thank you concussion, you will not be missed). Luckily, I workout everyday doing yoga, walking, Jillian Michael’s DVD’s (her Yoga Meltdown DVD is BOMB- in case you were wondering) and am slowly getting back into Zumba and running or else this would seem completely unrealistic.

Even though I am fearful for my life (I really do not want to be subjected to electric shocks or run through fire) I know that having a great team, training and eventually letting go of my fear will make this a fun experience (progress pics will be posted throughout my bootcamp training since I anticipate some sexy abs from this).

Pray for me as I embark on this ridiculously insane but amazing adventure!

As a Tough Mudder I Pledge That: