I woke up kind of dreading the run and I was in a pretty crabby mood, but about 3 miles in everything was good again. It was warm, my legs felt good, and it was nice to be able to run and chat with Mike (who pushed Ellie in the stroller – she loved it too!)
Afterwards we stopped at 7-11 and nothing sounded better than chocolate milk.  I guess that whole “refuel with chocolate milk” marketing thing worked on me.  It was divine.

Sunday morning there was a 5K in Golden Gate Park. It was same course as a month or two ago (when I ran 21:56), so I was curious how it would go with kind of tired legs. The weather was perfect for running (as usual) and I felt nice an relaxed the whole race. I ended up snagging a fifth place finish in 21:08, my second fastest 5K ever. I definitely didn’t see that one coming.

I also finally got to meet Kristine, who totally killed it in her first 5K!

Sunday night I wasn’t really in the mood to cook, but this recipe sounded too good to pass up, and it ended up being pretty easy. I used regular eggplants, but next time I might switch to Japanese eggplants because they have thinner skin.

This recipe made plenty for both dinner and lunch the next day, and the mix of flavors was awesome: sour lime, smoky eggplant, sweet mango, and earthy soba. I added a chopped habanero pepper, but you can leave it out if you’re don’t want it super spicy.

(adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)

Ellie got her first cold last week, and of course we ended up getting it too. I hate seeing her sick, but she’s a trooper.

I felt pretty crappy on Monday and Tuesday. My throat was killing me and I had basically zero energy. Sometimes I’ll try and run when I’m sick but it just wasn’t going to happen on those days. Today I felt a little better and figured getting outside and running just might give me a little extra energy, and it totally did. Just changing into my running clothes perked me up a little bit, so I headed out for 4.5 miles and felt great. Slow, but more human than I’d felt in at least 48 hours.

On Monday, when all three of us were feeling pretty miserable, I decided to make some soup. I was trying to go for the richly flavored broth that came with the noodle soups in Thailand, except those obviously use meat. I probably should have added some vegetables (I think bok choy would be great), but it kind of escaped my mind at the time.

I sauteed some shallots, ginger, and green onions, then added the tofu and let it soak up those flavors before I added broth (and a pinch of five spice powder). The dumplings aren’t completely necessary, but they are a nice addition. I just used basic yellow noodles I found at the Asian grocery store. The addition of chili garlic sauce, in my opinion, is non-negotiable (especially for cold-curing purposes).

I’m submitting this to my friend (and fellow science teacher) Branny’s Souper Bowl. Click on that link to participate too (you don’t even need a blog!) Branny loves animals more than anyone else I know, and for every soup that’s submitted, she’s giving a dollar to the ASPCA. I’m dedicating this to Berkeley, the golden retriever my family had during my teens and early twenties. He was probably one of the worlds dumbest dogs, but he was a total sweetheart. I miss so many things about him, but my favorite thing was his full-body wag every time I walked in the door.

I started with a recipe for swordfish with cilantro-coconut chutney. Obviously I don’t eat swordfish so I used slabs of tofu instead. Then I served it over quinoa, cooked in vegetable broth with a squeeze of lime. With a raw vegetable salad on the side (or mixed in), it’s a complete meal in a single bowl with a great mix of textures and flavors, and a nice amount of protein.

This was the first time I tried dredging the tofu slices in a little flour, corn starch, and salt before pan-frying them. Mike loved it, I wasn’t quite as sold, so that step is optional.

I know the ingredient list looks a little daunting because there are four different components to this meal, but it actually comes together pretty quickly.

Recipe:
(adapted from Ani’s Raw Food Asia and A New Way To Cook)

2 small red bell peppers, julienned
2 Persian cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), seeded and julienned
1 large carrot, juliened
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
pinch salt

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
pinch salt
juice of half a lime

a drizzle of vegetable oil
2 tbsp all purpose flour (optional)
1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
pinch or two of salt (optional)
1 lb extra firm tofu, well drained, and cut crosswise into 1/2″ thick slices

about 2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp unsweetened, dried coconut

Start with the vegetables: Put the julienned vegetables, olive oil, vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl, toss to combine, and set aside.

Bring the broth and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir in the quinoa, cover, and cook over low until all the liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and fluff with a fork.

If you’re using flour, cornstarch and salt for the tofu, place them in a shallow dish and mix well. Dip each slice of tofu in the mixture and brush off any extra. Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet, and cook the tofu slices until golden brown. Set aside.

To make the sauce, combine the cilantro, chile, cumin seeds, sugar, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the coconut milk and process until nearly smooth. Gently stir in the dried coconut, and adjust lime juice or sugar if necessary.

To assemble each bowl, put quinoa in the bottom, top with some vegetables, a slab or two of tofu, and drizzle with sauce.

White miso and red curry paste. Who ever would have thought those would be so amazing together when tossed with vegetables? Oh yeah, Heidi. That woman just gets food. I’m envious.

I was looking back over my epidural post (THANK YOU for all the fabulous comments!) and realized I kind of made it sound like I’m completely uneducated when it comes to having this kid, but that’s not entirely true. While I haven’t taken a class or read a book, I HAVE been talking to my doctor, read a lot of things online, and talked to people who’ve had multiple children. So, I do really feel that I’m making an informed choice, which it may not have seemed based on that post. Just wanted to throw that out there.

In other news, I’ve been trying really hard to up my vegetable consumption lately. We had friends in town over the weekend and seriously slipped in the 5-a-day department. This dinner helped me get back on track, though, and so did kale chips.

That may be my absolute favorite way to consume vegetables. Kale + olive oil + red wine vinegar + salt –> Bake at 350 until crunchy. Amazing.

AND! Mike has decided he wants to cook more. Gee, twist my 38.5-week pregnant arm! Last night he sat down with his favorite cookbooks and found a bunch of recipes to make. I married a winner, for sure.

I made this dinner, though. And we both loved it. I adapted the original recipe to use up the zucchini I had in the fridge (and to save kale for chips). I also upped the tofu to make it more filling. I can’t wait to try the miso-curry combination on other vegetables too!

Recipe:
(adapted from Super Natural Every Day)

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cups white miso
1 tbsp red curry paste
4 medium zucchini
6 small red potatoes
1 lb extra firm nigari tofu, diced
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
juice of 1/2 a lemon
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Whisk the olive oil, miso, and curry paste together until smooth.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then into 1/2″ thick half circles. Dice the potatoes into 1/2″ cubes.

Toss the zucchini and potatoes together with about half the miso mixture and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.

While vegetables are roasting, heat a little oil in a skillet and cook the tofu cubes until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the pumpkin seeds.

Combine the tofu and vegetables in a large bowl and add more miso mixture to taste. Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

This was originally a Jamie Oliver recipe for seafood and rice soup, using lots of spices and some coconut milk (but also seafood and white rice). Since I don’t eat seafood I added tofu, and I wanted brown rice instead of white. I also wanted to up the vegetable content with some spinach. I just made a few substitutions, and I’m happy to say it worked out really well.

Speaking of substitutions, the long term sub the district found for my maternity leave JUST found out she got a full-time teaching position, so they had to scramble to find another one pretty last-minute (school starts a week from tomorrow!) I am going to meet with her Monday to go over the ins and outs of my classes. I have no idea if she has science/PE/middle school/teaching experience, but I’m hoping for the best!

It’s amazing how much more productive I am when I actually have a reason to get out of bed and do something with my life. I made it to the gym by 5:30 AM the last two mornings and have been feeling fantastic. The workshop has been really awesome and I can’t wait to apply what I learned when I’m finally back to work, even though that feels like an eternity from now.

Recipe
(adapted from Jamie’s Dinners)

3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp mustard seeds
about 10 fresh curry leaves
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
a pinch or two cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
2 tsp turmeric
a 2″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
1 lb block extra firm nigari tofu, cut into small cubes
1 cup brown basmati rice, soaked for at least an hour, and drained
3 cups vegetable broth
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2-3 handfuls fresh spinach, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
juice of 1 lime

Heat the oil over medium in a large pot or dutch oven.

Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds, garam masala, cayenne, and turmeric. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the mustard seeds start popping and turn dark brown.

Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until the onions are soft, about five minutes.

Add the tofu and mix well.

Stir in the rice and vegetable broth, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, add the coconut milk and simmer for about 20 minutes (adding a little more broth or some water if soup appears too thick).

Stir in salt to taste and continue simmering until rice is soft. Stir in the spinach and lime juice, and serve.

We kicked off Saturday morning with a visit to the gym. After not going for a week and a half, as soon as Mike started getting ready I decided I wanted to give it another try, and it was SO much better than the last two visits. I rode the bike for 35 minutes and did some upper body weights. I brought water with me and made sure I was drinking frequently…no dizziness! Can’t wait to go back today!

After the gym we took a tour of the hospital where the baby will be born. I definitely feel a little bit more comfortable now that I’ve seen exactly where I’m going to go, but with less than four weeks until my due date I still don’t feel completely ready (and probably never will!)

After the hospital we were both craving Korean food, so we headed over to My Tofu House (4627 Geary, San Francisco). Their specialty is tofu soup (soon dubu) but we both ended up ordering dolsot bibimbap (rice and vegetables in a hot stone bowl). The light wasn’t very good so my pictures are pretty crappy, but the food was delicious and the service was friendly and quick.

Sunday started with pancakes, like all Sundays should.

The hospital tour really lit a fire under us to get all the remaining baby stuff we needed, so we went to Babies R Us and now have pretty much everything that was on our list. We also realized that the name we’d settled on months ago wasn’t so appealing anymore, so we have a new name in mind (but still want to wait and actually see the kid before we tell anyone).

So about this recipe… I FINALLY found farro at the co-op after months of wanting it! I’m not sure if they were always out of it before, or if they just started carrying it, but I bought a ton of it and I totally love it. It’s not as chewy as barley and is super easy to cook, plus you can pair it with just about anything. For this dinner I roasted some kale with coconut, tossed it with cooked farro, and topped it with some marinated, pan-fried tofu. Simple, healthy, and really, really delicious!

Recipe:
(adapted from Super Natural Every Day and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
a big pinch red pepper flakes
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce

1 cup farro
2 1/2 cups water
pinch salt
1 bunch lacinto (dinosaur) kale, ribs removed and coarsely chopped (3-4 cups)
1/3 cup dried, unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil

First, make the tofu marinade. Combine the ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, 2 tsp sesame oil, brown sugar, and 3 tbsp soy sauce in a small bowl and mix well.
Slice the tofu crosswise into 8 thick slices. Arrange in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over. Turn slices to coat, cover the dish, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Whisk together 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and olive oil. Toss the kale and coconut together with about half the oil mixture. Arrange on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, or until kale is just beginning to brown (don’t let it brown completely or it will be bitter).

To cook the farro, bring the water to a boil with a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in the farro, turn heat to low, and cover, simmering for about 15-20 minutes or until the grains are tender. Drain excess water and put the farro in a large bowl.

Toss the kale and coconut with the farro, adding the remaining oil mixture to taste.

Pan fry the tofu slices in a well-seasoned or nonstick skillet until firm and golden. Scoop some of the salad into a bowl and top with the cooked tofu.

I guess I should come clean, since Mike called me out in the comments of the last post, and publicly admit that I went to Bi-Rite Creamery twice in less than 24 hours (and for those keeping count, yes, that’s 4 scoops of ice cream in less than 24 hours. Fortunately we decided that calories don’t count on your birthday weekend.)

Sunday happened to be an awesome event in the Mission called Sunday Streets, which meant that a few blocks of Valencia and 24th Streets were closed to cars. Because we were back in the neighborhood, it just made sense to go to Bi-Rite again. This time I got brown sugar ice cream with ginger caramel swirl, and cinnamon ice cream with pieces of snickerdoodle in it. There are no words.

But about this Sunday Streets business. It was such a cool event!



Apparently about 25,000 people came out to participate, including the mayor of San Francisco!

We also tried a new (to us) and outrageously good coffee shop called Ritual (1026 Valencia, San Francisco). Mike’s co-workers raved about it and it completely lived up to the hype. My decaf latte was PERFECT! It’s kind of overrun with hipsters, but I’ll let that slide…

This weekend (and particularly our dinner at Cha-Ya) really made me want to cook more Japanese vegetarian food. For the most part, it just seems so nice and light and healthy (which is particularly important after going a little overboard on ice cream and cake). I found this recipe in Color Me Vegan, modified the ratios a little bit, and added some tofu. Over brown rice and with a side of cucumber salad, it was a great weeknight meal.

Recipe:
(adapted from Color Me Vegan)

makes 4-6 servings

3 large Japanese eggplants (about 12″ long), cut into french fry-sized strips
2 14 ounce blocks extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove excess liquid
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup white miso
6 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the eggplant strips with the sesame oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for about 6 minutes, or until softened but not falling apart. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Cut the tofu bite-sized pieces about 1/2″ thick.

Heat the vegetable oil in a wide frying pan over medium high. Add the tofu (in batches if necessary) and cook until golden, shaking the pan often. Add the eggplant.

While the tofu is cooking, combine the miso, water, mirin, and sugar in a small saucepan and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

Remove the tofu, eggplant, and miso sauce from the heat and toss together. Serve over brown rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I know, I promised potato pancakes, but I have a small problem. I have a brand new Speedlite that I’m head over heels in love with, BUT I’m still having a hard time figuring out white balance with it, so all my potato pancake pictures are either bright blue or bright yellow except this one:

which still isn’t great. (Do you have any tips for me? I’d LOVE to hear them!!) I think I was so excited about carbs that got all crispy and fried and topped with kimchi that I didn’t really focus on taking pictures. Yes, I will be making them again!

I have something almost as good today, though. I found FRESH bamboo shoots at our local Asian grocery store. In case you’re wondering, they look like this, and they are SOOOO much better than the canned variety. Please don’t just take my word for it. If you can find them, I promise they’ll completely change your idea of bamboo shoots. The canned ones are just gross, but these have a delicate crunch and are so much fresher (obviously…)

The ingredients in this are pretty basic… It’s flavored with oyster sauce (I used a vegetarian version made with mushrooms) and garlic, and the Thai basil stirred in at the end adds a beautiful sweet and tangy flavor.

The best thing is it all comes together in under 10 minutes once your ingredients are prepped!

Recipe:
(adapted from Thai Cooking from the Siam Cuisine Restaurant)

serves 2

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb block extra firm tofu, pressed and diced
2 serrano chiles, quartered lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 fresh bamboo shoot, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
pinch white pepper
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 green onion, cut into 2″ lengths
20 Thai basil leaves

Heat a wide skillet over medium high and add the oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the tofu cubes in a single layer and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden. Remove and set aside.

Add the serranos, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and white pepper to the pan and stir fry for about a minute, until the vegetables are slightly tender.

Add the sugar, oyster sauce, and tofu and stir fry an additional 3 minutes. Add the green onion and Thai basil and stir fry just until the leaves wilt. Serve with rice.

This is not a ground-breaking dinner, but it’s always good to have a few stir-fry options around because they’re so quick and can be decently healthy. I’ve actually made this a few times before, and I love it!

You know what else I love? My new lightbulbs! If you’re a fan of this blog on facebook, you’ve already seen this picture… but just for kicks, here it is again. Incandescent light = yellow and gross. My new fluorescent light = almost like daylight! I’ve had such a string of depressingly bad photos lately, this purchase was REALLY exciting!

40 watt daylight compact fluorescent bulbs… they are magical.

I also love Christmas cards.  In particular, these Christmas cards.  We bought them in Ireland THREE YEARS ago and never got around to sending them out but this is the year!

Aaaaand then there’s running.  Obviously I’m more than a little obsessed with it, but with this right knee issue I’m having serious withdrawals.  I ran 2 miles on the treadmill this morning and felt it a little, but it wasn’t as bad as it has been the past few days, so I’m very slightly more optimistic about this ultra I have in 9 days.  I will probably have to drop out 5 kilometers in, but I’m going to that starting line, no matter what.

So the stir fry.  I like tofu a lot better when it’s browned first.  I just put a little oil in a large skillet, toss in the tofu cubes, and cook them over medium-high until they get a little brown.  Then I set them aside until the vegetables are cooked.

The vegetables in this are some of my all-time favorites: red bell pepper, baby bok choy (SO much better than regular-sized bok choy), and shiitake mushrooms.

Loving the new illumination!

As a departure from the standard stir-fry and rice combination, I served this over quinoa.  I am completely hooked on quinoa – it cooks fast and it is FULL of protein.  Win-win.

Recipe:
(adapted from Fresh 365)

sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek (this makes it pretty spicy! You can definitely use less)
1 tsp corn starch

stir fry
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb extra firm nigari tofu, cut in small cubes
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 cups sliced baby bok choy
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
about 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped cashews
3 green onions (green part only), thinly sliced

Stir the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the tofu. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tofu is golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a separate bowl, but leave the heat on.

Add the garlic and ginger to the pan (adding more oil if it’s really dry) and let them begin to brown. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for about 4 minutes, or until tender. Add the tofu cubes and sauce, and cook for another minute or two, until everything is well-mixed and heated through.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cashews and green onions. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Such a pretty salad.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite the presentation we got for dinner. Yes, I’m that ridiculous about my blog – I plated it, took pictures, then dumped the whole thing in tupperware for dinner on the road. And yes, we ate it straight from the container. We’re pretty high class.

I’ve made infinite variations of this salad, but I think this is the first time I’ve ever tried it with rice noodles, and I know for a fact that it’s the first time that I mixed chili garlic sauce in with the dressing.

Mike and I became obsessed with a similar sauce while we were traveling in Southeast Asia, and now we probably go through a jar this size almost every week. That may be a slight exaggeration, but only a slight one. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I love mixing it with tahini as a sandwich spread or dip for crackers or vegetables.

I planned this salad to be our dinner on the road, because we’re going back “home” this weekend. I’m not sure if I can call it home because I only lived there for 8 years, but Mike spent the first 28 years of his life there, so I think he definitely can.

Because our usual stop for food on the drive home is the bulk bagel section at Safeway, I decided it might be smarter to pack a healthy dinner to go so we don’t have to rely on crappy bagels. This looked perfect. And it was!

Our friends back home are having a big Thanksgiving dinner and I offered to make a pecan pie. Because I only had a half day at work I was thinking I’d have plenty of time to stop by the store, go for a run, pack, bake the pie, and make dinner. Ummmm, fail.

I ended up spending way too much time trying to figure out which pie recipe to use, and by the time I finished everything in the kitchen it was clear I’d have to skip the run. Sorry legs, I promise we’ll run tomorrow! And while we’re on the topic of pie, I have two very strong opinions about crust. 1) All butter is the only way to go (shortening is gross) and 2) The pastry blender is magical. Why would you dirty all the pieces of a food processor when you can just use this little baby and get amazing results?

You can fight me on these if you want to, but I’m not easily persuaded.

I think the pie looks moderately burnt but hopefully people will have had enough wine by then that they won’t know the difference. And dim lighting should help, too.

And that, my friends, is the pile of crap we took with us. I carried it all to the car in one trip, in the rain, while balancing a pie in each hand. Why we need that much stuff for a 2-night trip 3 hours away I’m not sure. We’ve clearly completely lost the art of packing that was such a part of our lives when we lived out of backpacks for months on end. But on the upside I get a hot shower every day now, so I think it’s an OK trade.

So back to the salad: it’s filling without being overly heavy, it’s infinitely modifiable, and the recipe makes plenty! I think I’ll whip some up on a Sunday and use it for lunches throughout the week. It’s even better after it sits in the fridge for a few hours.

Recipe:
(adapted from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies via Eats Well With Others)

1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup warm water
1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce (optional)

8 ounces rice noodles (linguine shape)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound tofu, drained and pressed
1 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 medium carrot, cut into thin slices
3 tbsp green onions (green parts only, sliced
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add the water a few tsp at a time and blend to desired consistency.

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Cook the rice noodles for about 3 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Keep submerged in a bowl of cold water until you’re ready to mix the salad.

Cut the tofu into bite-size slices (1″ x 1″, 1/2″ thick).

Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium high. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown. Add all the vegetables and stir fry a few minutes, until they’re just tender.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and toss with the tofu and vegetables in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the noodle mixture and mix well. Sprinkle with basil, cilantro, and green onions to serve.