Meatless Monday: Baked Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry

6 May, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

I, like many humans, am victim to cravings. Most of the time these come in the form of cheeseburgers or chocolate, but after a weekend like this last one (three days of beer, Mexican food, tequila, and family style pasta platters), I want an IV of vegetables straight to the vein.

Senior weekend, we’re done. It’s not you, it’s me.

Yep, we’re moving on. It’s a new week and Meatless Monday is never a bad way to get back on the slender track. Today’s recipe is ideal for tofu novices, as its marinade and cooking process are about as easy as can be. Better yet, it’s the perfect opportunity to use up the scraps of vegetables left in your fridge. Waste not, want not.

Baked Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry
Calories: 277 | Fat: 6.7 g (Sat Fat: 0.8 g) | Carbohydrate: 30.5 g | Protein: 22.3 g

ingredients:
1/4 package extra firm tofu, pressed
1/2 T chopped garlic
2 T teriyaki sauce
1 T stir fry sauce
chopped vegetables of choice– I used 1/4 C each of mushrooms, onions, asparagus (from frozen), broccoli (from frozen), bell pepper, and baby carrots
1/4 C liquid egg whites
1 package Tofu Shirataki noodles, drained according to package instructions
sriracha, to taste

directions:
1. Slice your tofu into 1″ squares. In a small container, combine your teriyaki sauce and garlic. Add tofu and toss to coat. Let it marinade in the fridge for at least an hour.
2. Preheat your oven to 400°. Place your tofu squares on a small baking sheet coated with PAM and bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
3. While your tofu is baking, coat a large nonstick skillet with PAM and stir fry your vegetables over medium heat until softened.
4. Push the veggies over to one side of the pan and pour the liquid egg whites in the empty section. Scramble and then stir cooked eggs into the veggie mix.
5. Add the remaining teriyaki sauce, stir fry sauce, and noodles; toss to coat. Lower the heat, and cover until tofu is ready.
6. Top your noodles with the baked tofu squares, a drizzle of sriracha and enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Amy’s Kitchen Light & Lean Spaghetti Italiano Bowl

29 April, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

You’ve probably already noticed, but I’m not real big on frozen dinners. Most days, I’m pretty willing to put forth the bit of foresight and planning in order to prepare fresh, homemade meals for myself… And then there are the times when I’m being a human and things don’t go as planned, or I have to make time for things that are more important than my budding domesticity.

Enter: the frozen meal.

I picked out this little guy at Central Market in the beginning of my Meatless Monday adventure. I had a feeling that there would come a moment when Monday evening just wasn’t the most opportune time to be experimenting with foreign proteins like tofu and tempeh.

Of course I didn’t blindly choose this box. Word to the wise, never purchase any processed or pre-prepared food without checking out the nutrition label. I flipped this frozen find over and noted that it had 240 calories, 5 grams of fat, 38 grams of carbohydrate (5 of which are from fiber), and 11 grams of (vegan) protein. Into my cart it went with the Slender Student seal of approval.

The best part about finally ripping into this bad boy was realizing that our microwave was broken just as I was ready to heat it up. Fortunately, there were oven directions and I wasn’t quite starving (yet). I popped it in the oven at 375º for 35 minutes. While that was baking, I quickly sautéed some frozen broccoli and asparagus with baby kale to have on the side. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, I sprinkled a tablespoon of fresh Parmesan cheese over top and let it brown a bit.

Overall, this was a pretty satisfactory frozen dinner. The tomato sauce tasted fresh, not fakey. The meatballs had a hearty texture and their flavor was slightly reminiscent of falafel. I was disappointed by their number and size, but for less than 250 calories, I’ll take it. The noodles were mushy, but that might’ve been because of the whole oven situation. Now, I’d be lying to you if I told you this low calorie meal held me over until bed, but its moderate protein content made it the perfect pre-game for my chocolate Greek froyo so I’m really not complaining.

I’ll definitely be trying more of Amy’s Kitchen Light & Lean meals and with finals coming up, you can bet my freezer is stocked.

Meatless Monday: Tex Mex Tempeh Tacos

15 April, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

There’s no reason why your weekday meals should be boring. Whoever came up with that notion clearly had no idea of the magic that could be created with just one pan and a couple of tortillas.

Tex Mex Tempeh Tacos
Calories: 326 | Fat: 9.5 g (Sat Fat: 0.5 g) | Carbohydrate: 44.5 g | Protein: 14.8 g

ingredients:
1 T minced garlic
1/4 C sliced onions
1/4 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 package of tempeh
1/4 t taco seasoning
2 small corn tortillas
1/4 small avocado, sliced
2 T salsa
PAM Original nonstick spray

directions:
1. In a medium skillet coated with PAM, brown your garlic over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and mushrooms and sauté until softened slightly.
2. Add in your tempeh and continue cooking until your onions are translucent and the tempeh has warmed throughout. Season with taco seasoning.
3. Split the mixture between the two corn tortillas and top with sliced avocado and salsa.

Team Slender Meatless Monday: Black Bean & Avocado Lettuce Wraps

8 April, 2013 by Claire | 2 Comments

Cara of Team Slender and Caramelized Touch is here today to share with you a portable Meatless Monday lunch. With the fresh veggies, plant-based protein from the black beans, and healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from the avocado, these wraps are definitely Slender Student approved.

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Black Bean & Avocado Lettuce Wraps
Makes: 4 servings | Calories per serving: 180
Fat: 5.9 g (Sat Fat: 1 g) | Carbohydrate: 25.1 g | Fiber: 10.2 g | Protein: 8.8 g

ingredients:
2 C black beans, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small tomato
4 large butter lettuce leaves
½ avocado
1 t olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

directions:
1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, sauté garlic a drizzle of olive oil. Add black beans and stir to warm. Use a fork to slightly mash beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place ½ C black bean on each lettuce leaf. Top each with a slice of tomato, two small slices of avocado, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Wrap the leaves into tight rolls and slice in half, if desired. Enjoy right away or pack yours in a tupperware for a tasty lunch on campus!

Recipe adapted from Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth

Meatless Monday: Spicy Teriyaki Tempeh Sushi

1 April, 2013 by Claire | 1 Comment

Sushi is so awesome, right? I mean, you just have to overlook the the $10+ price tag and sneaky fatty ingredients like mayonnaise and tempura flakes you often encounter at sushi restaurants. But if you think can’t right the restaurant wrongs by making your own sushi at home, you’re incorrect. All you need is a bamboo mat (I found mine in the Asian aisle of my grocery store) and a bit of reading.

ingredients:
3 ounces tempeh
1 T Soy Vay teriyaki marinade
1 t sriracha
2 seaweed sheets
1/4 avocado, mashed
1/2 C cooked quinoa (I buy mine frozen and microwave it for 30-45 seconds)
thinly sliced vegetables of choice– carrots, cucumber, asparagus, etc.
PAM Original nonstick spray

directions:
1. At least 30 minutes prior to sushi makin’, slice your tempeh into 1/8″ thick strips and place in a container with the Soy Vay and sriracha. Refrigerate until you’re ready to roll.
2. Heat a small skillet coated with PAM over medium heat and cook the marinaded tempeh for 3-5 minutes on each side. Let cool before rolling in the sushi.
3. Place your seaweed sheet on a bamboo roller that has been covered in plastic wrap and thinly spread half of the mashed avocado over the bottom third (closest to you) of the seaweed. Take a pea-size amount of avocado and spread it in a line along the top edge of the seaweed. This will seal your roll. Then spoon half of the quinoa over the avocado.

4. Lay down your tempeh and sliced veggies at the bottom of the seaweed and roll using your bamboo mat.
5. After letting the roll set for at least a minute, slice into 6 pieces using a well sharpened knife dipped in water between each cut.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for your second sheet of seaweed.