Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise Dressing & Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous

Last Friday Bo and I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods.  I can't tell you how excited I was to learn that Jacksonville has a Whole Foods approximately 15 minutes from our home.  Like many people, and especially like many vegetarians/vegans, I LOVE Whole Foods.  Even if you don't buy anything, it is so much fun to walk around looking at their stock.  We found ourselves salivating over:

• a million different kinds of cheese (ok, only Bo salivated over that one!);
• wines from around the world;
• two dozen (or more!) kinds of nut butter;
• produce arranged in a beautiful spectrum of color; 
• freshly baked bread; and
• of course - one can't forget - the prepared foods bar!

I wasn't much in the mood for cooking anyway, so I asked Bo if I could make my own "carry out" box of prepared foods for dinner.  After agonizing over my choices, I ended up with a random hodge-podge of different salads jammed into a cardboard box.  Everything was delicious, but one salad in particular really stood out on my taste buds.  This salad was a spin on the classic chicken salad, with a twist!  Instead of chicken, this salad had browned tofu in it, and was tossed in a creamy, yet spicy, dressing that made the whole dish mouthwateringly good.  

After two bites my decision was made.

I had to figure out how to recreate this recipe at home.

Three days later, I did just that, and it turned out wonderfully!

Comfort food with a twist, this salad takes some traditional ingredients and makes them extraordinary.  Don't be scared of the curry veganaise dressing...it makes the dish!  If you don't have raisins or almonds, feel free to substitute with craisins and/or pecans/walnuts.  Make this dish suite your own tastebuds, and at your next backyard barbeque, consider adding this salad into the mix!

Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise
Serves 2

1 block of tofu, drained/diced/browned
1/3 C raisins
1/3 C sliced almonds
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 apple, diced
3 heaping T veganaise
1 T honey
1 T lemonjuice
1/2 tsp curry
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-4 dashes tumeric

Directions:

• Add the raisins, almonds, celery, and apple into a large salad bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the veganaise, honey, lemonjuice, curry, cinnamon, and tumeric.
• Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and mix well.
• Add the tofu and toss to incorporate.
• Serve chilled, atop a bed of lettuce, and alongside Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous.

To go with the tofu salad, I decided to whip up something other than rice, millet, or quinoa (my standard go-to's).  Israeli couscous to the rescue!  In case you don't know, Israeli couscous is larger than regular couscous, and is great at absorbing flavors.  I opted to play up the Indian twist from the curry dressing by adding coconut oil, shredded coconut, and coconut extract to the couscous.  It turned out great!  I can't wait to serve this dish alongside a short-cut Indian dinner soon!

Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous
Serves 2

1/2 C Israeli couscous
1 C water
1 1/2 T coconut oil
3-4 T unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Place the couscous, water, and oil in a medium saucepan.
• Boil the water, and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the shredded coconut, coconut extract, and cinnamon.
• Serve immediately.

Next up - 30 X 30 is officially on!  If you missed my BIG post about 3 Steps to a Better Style, feel free to catch up here.  Today was Day 1 of 30.  So stay tuned over the course of the next month for updates on this fashion experiment!  I can't wait to show you what I chose for my month of mixing and re-mixing!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever been inspired to recreate a recipe from a restaurant in your home?  If so, how did it turn out?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Apple Coconut Barley

First things first, thank you(!) for your warm reception to Bo's post about getting his wings.  It really was a milestone that took years to accomplish, and I could not have felt more proud of him that day than I did.  We know that many of you wished that you could have been present with us for the ceremony and all its festivities; but truthfully, you were all there with us in spirit.  Once again, we are thankful for "the ABC blog" for keeping us all connected!

Moving on to today's post, I have a yummy savory/sweet recipe for you that uses whole grains!  I am having to get pretty creative with my recipe making this week, because Bo and I are headed out of town on a cruise this Sunday (I am getting SO excited!!!).  As many of you know, Bo and I never got a honeymoon.  So, with our move to Jacksonville coming up, and with the unexpected awaiting us in our new home (and Lola!), we figured we better take a trip while we can.  Until then, we are trying to use up the food that we have...it's already starting to be a challenge, but I have to say that I was pretty impressed with last night's creation.

If you tend to get stuck in the rice/quinoa rut, give this barley recipe a try!  Slightly sweetened with apple, raisins, and coconut, and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, this recipe is the perfect side-dish to roasted vegetables!

Apple Coconut Barley
Serves 2-4

3/4 dry barley
1 apple, diced
1/4 C raisins
3 T shredded coconut
2 T coconut oil, divided
1 1/2 C water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1 stevia packet
1/2 tsp coconut extract

Directions:

1. Place the barley, water, 1 T coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, stevia, and coconut extract in a medium to large pot.
2. Boil the mixture, and then simmer for 20 minutes (or until 90% of the water has been absorbed).
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 T coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add the apple and saute for 3-4 minutes.
5. Add the raisins and shredded coconut to the apple mixture, and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Once 90% of the water has been absorbed from the barley, mix in the apple mixture.
7. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until heated throughout.
8. Serve immediately.

As you can see, I served the Apple Coconut Barley alongside roasted broccoli (and ground turkey for Bo).  We both left the dinner table feeling full, but not stuffed, and agreed that this recipe is a good one to keep in our grain rotation.

Up next - an oatmeal recipe that leaves you feeling satisfied for hours!

Question of the Day:

Other than rice, what other whole grains to you enjoy eating?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Homemade Peanut Butter + Tree Pose

Today's post is a combination of two of my favorite things:

1. peanut butter; and
2. tree pose (vrikshasana).

First things first. 

Yesterday I successfully made homemade peanut butter!  Several of the blogs I follow have made similar, homemade versions of this delectable, pantry staple.  But before yesterday, I never had the guts to try making it myself.  Truthfully, I didn't think I could do it.  Not only did I have nightmares of a globby, tasteless, and unspreadable mess, but I doubted my cheap, Cuisinart food processor's ability to withstand the job.

In the end, I was more than pleasantly surprised with the result.  My peanut butter was smooth, flavorful, and perfectly spreadable.

Homemade Peanut Butter
Makes approximately 1- 1/4 cups

2 1/2 cups salted, roasted peanuts
1 T brown sugar
1 T coconut oil

Directions:

1. Place peanuts into your food processor.
2. Let food processor run for 2-3 minutes, until peanuts begin to release oils and become smooth.
3. Add brown sugar and coconut oil to peanut mixture.
4. Process for an additional 1-2 minutes until desired consistency is reached.
5. Store in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, for up to two weeks.

Here is a picture of what your peanuts will look like after Step 2 (see above):

After the brown sugar and coconut oil are added (Step 3), you have this smooth concoction:

Bo and I have already spread our homemade peanut butter on toast, cookies, fruit, and into yogurt!  I don't think we will have any problem finishing this up before it expires in two weeks! :)

This particular recipe is very basic.  Before I started to play around with fancy peanut butter flavors, I wanted to make sure that I could make the most basic version.  Now that that has been accomplished, expect lots of fun variations in the future (you've been warned!).  I am already envisioning chocolate coconut peanut butter, maple peanut butter, cinnamon peanut butter, and much much more! 

And who says I have to use peanuts?!  I will also be experimenting with almond butters, pecan butters, cashew butters, etc.  YUMM-O!

As a final note, perhaps the best part of this whole recipe is COST!  One of my favorite bloggers, Ashley from (never)homemaker, estimated that 2 cups of homemade peanut butter costs approximately $2.50!  If any of you have bought organic peanut butter/almond butter/cashew butter from the grocery store, you know how crazy expensive these items are!  Jars of this liquid gold are frequently $7.00, $9.00, $11.00 - especially for almond, pecan, and cashew butters.  So, learning how to make this stuff at home could be a huge budget saver!  Now, if that doesn't convince you to give this recipe a shot, I give up!

Moving on to my second favorite thing in this post: tree pose (vrikshasana).


Isn't this picture just stunning?!


As I mentioned in this post, my photographer (i.e. Bo) has been working late hours at his other job (i.e. flying for the United States Navy).  I've wanted to do a yoga post for the past few days, so today I decided to do one utilizing the professional photos of others.  We still plan to take our own photos for future posts, but for today, I am using the "borrow from others and make it your own" motto.

Tree pose - or vrikshasana, in Sanskrit - is one of the more popular and recognizable yoga asanas.  If you have ever been to a yoga class, you have probably done this pose. 

Vrikshasana has numerous benefits, including:

• building balance;
• purifying the nervous system;
• concentrating the mind;
• strengthening the legs;
• opening the hips;
• spreading the chest;
• opening the shoulders; and
• counteracting the effects of osteoporosis by building bone mass in the standing leg.

As a teacher, I love that tree pose is both accessible to new yoga students, and presents a challenge to the most seasoned and advanced practitioners.  For example:

• new yogis can practice vrikshasana with their foot against their ankle, and their toes remaining on the mat;

• more experienced practitioners can practice tree pose with their foot on their calf; and

• the most experienced yoginis can place their foot on their inner thigh.

When practicing vrikshasana, notice the placement of your hips and shoulders.  The hips and shoulders should be facing straight ahead in the posture.  If the hip of the lifted leg is tilted slightly back, that is a sign that you have over-rotated the raised leg.  The focus of vrikshasana is not on how "turned out" the lifted leg can be, but rather on the integrity of the squared hips and shoulders, and the improvement of one's balance.

When first practicing the pose, hands will remain in prayer position (anjali mudra). 

As practitioners' balance improves, the arms may be slowly lifted towards the heavens.  However, don't rush this progression!  First, it is important to:

• allow the shoulder blades to release down the back, towards the hips;
• create length in the neck; and
• stay rooted in the standing leg.

If, when you attempt to lift the arms, the balance or anatomical alignment of the body are compromised, that is a sign that you are not yet ready to progress to the next stage of the pose.

Patience...

Peace...

Non-judgment towards your practice...

Progress will come, but only with time and continued practice.

As with all yoga poses, there is always room for growth.  One of the newest challenges I am incorporating into my vrikshasana is closed eyes.

This is much harder than it looks.  Some days I can hold my tree pose, with eyes closed, for 30 seconds.  Other days, the moment I close my eyes my tree yells "TIMBBEEERRRR"...and down she goes.

That's the things with balancing poses.  Every day they are different.

I once asked a teacher how to meditate, and he said, "If you want to learn how to meditate, master vrikshasana."

Because that's just it - all balancing poses are really just a reflection of my inner self!  They are meditation in action!  So, if I didn't sleep the night before, or I had a dispute with a loved one, then my mind will be unsettled, and my balance will be out of reach.  However, if I am well-rested, peaceful, and joyful, my balance will be within grasp.

Lesson:  When I learn to calm my mind, I will not only succeed in my vrikshasana, but also in my meditation, and in my life.

Next up - maybe a guest post from "B"?!

Question of the Day:

Do you have balance in your life?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Fall's Sweet Potato Mash

Something about sweet potatoes makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

Maybe it is the root vegetable's ability to adapt to whatever seasonings I pair it with: savory with butter, salt, and pepper (insert lipsmacking here); sweet with brown sugar, marshmallows, and/or pecans (yummmmm).

Maybe I admire the sweet potatoes humble beginnings: born and raised deep in the earth; dented and dirty when it is surfaces. 

Or maybe, it is all the memories that I have of sweet potato casserole and sweet potato pie over Thanksgiving.

Regardless, for me, sweet potatoes are one of the ultimate comfort foods.  So, while scavengering around my refrigerator yesterday afternoon, you can imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw two, large sweet potatoes sitting in the bottom of my vegetable drawer.  I wanted to do something especially yummy with these babies, a little on the sweet side, but not crossing over the tastebud-border to dessert.  Just sweet enough to compliment the hint of fall that is just starting to arrive here in Corpus Christi (yes, we are a little behind the rest of the country down here.  Long-time residents assure me that high 80's and 90's will be a thing of the past by Halloween - fingers crossed!).

Fall's Sweet Potato Mash
Serves 2

2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
1/2 C unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of your choice)
1-2 T coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 medium red apple (diced or shredded)
unsweetened, shredded coconut (garnish)
cinnamon (garnish)
pecan pieces (garnish, I used mixed nutes because they were what I had on-hand)
maple syrup (garnish)

Directions:

1.  Boil your peeled and diced sweet potatoes until tender.
2.  Drain potatoes, and then add into a large mixing bowl (or Kitchenaid bowl).
3.  Add milk, oil, and pumpkin pie spice.
4.  Mix with hand-held (or standing) mixer until smooth.
5.  Garnish with 1/2 an apple, coconut, cinnamon, nuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
6.  Lick your plate and wish you had more!

As I would say, this was seriously YUMM-O.  And you can ask Bo, I save this distinction for only the yummiest of foods!

What's even better about this dish is the nutritional value:

• one sweet potato meets approximately 90% of our bodies daily need for vitamin A;
• in order to properly absorb the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes, it is important to consume them with healthy fats - thus the coconut oil in my recipe; and
• by boiling (or steaming) the sweet potatoes:
• we make certain nuritional benefits of the sweet potato easier to absorb in the body; and
• we limit the sweet potato's effect on the blood sugar level.

Sounds like this recipe is good for the soul AND the body!  So, what are you waiting for?  Go scavenging in your refrigerator and see if you have a couple of humble sweet potatoes lying around...

Tomorrow - a post all about coloring!!!

Question of the Day:

Do you prefer your sweet potatoes savory or sweet? 

Blessings,
Ally and Bo