I 'll catch you up!
Friday was pretty much like any other Friday. I got off work, went to Earth Fare to get some dinner items and then home to have some wine, cook and then pass out on the couch. Yeah....my life is exciting. I don't know why but Fridays are never a good night for me to have enough energy to go out and about. I really wanted to actually go out and do something however after a few phone calls and no luck I gave up.
I did get some amazing products from my most favorite company in the world...The Living Tree out of San Fransisco sent me raw living pecan butter, almond butter, sun dried tomato pesto and tahini (which I will be blogging about it more this week and what I make). I am going to be doing a tasting next week and with these products I will be making some pretty amazing things I feel.
I buzzed right in the kitchen with some extra items I picked up at Earth Fare and started my Friday evening. Of course, you know that a bottle of red was opened and this evening called for Domaine de Bajac 2007. A fine wine for friendly sipping (dont worry, I had about a half a glass, I knew I had to run Saturda)! Smooth on the palate. Pleasant aromas reminiscent of blackberries. This wine was made with Certified Organic Grapes. I loved it! After a glass I was in my element. What I thought was going to be a boring evening turned out to be pretty relaxing and a lot of fun. One thing that you all know I love is getting in the kitchen and playing around with new recipes or just taking the items that I have on hand and try to invent a new dish of sorts. This evening was no exception. That is exactly what I did. Since I knew that my evening would pretty much consist of listening to music, reading, chatting on the phone and maybe a movie, I wanted something light. Lets face it....I wanted to snack. You already know I am famous for "snackfaces" and Friday proved to be the same. I wanted cheeses badly when I was at the store so I went for it. With the products that I had gotten prior and my grocery store run, I was set. The first course....
Simple cheese plate with parm, goat cheese, toasted bread points and red grapes. Nothing fancy...just snacky. I added some raw honey to the cheeses and it was the perfect first course to a very chill evening.
Secondly I had a simple green salad. 
Yellow beets that looked like neon light s were at the store and I just couldn't help myself. Fresh spinach and strawberry's. Wow, this not only looked good....It tasted amazing. Along side the salad was Roasted Tofu.
2 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce1 tablespoon canola oil
Yellow beets that looked like neon light s were at the store and I just couldn't help myself. Fresh spinach and strawberry's. Wow, this not only looked good....It tasted amazing. Along side the salad was Roasted Tofu.
2 tablespoons reduced salt soy sauce1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger (I used pickled ginger)
1 green onion, just the white part minced
1/4 cup water1 lb extra-firm tofu
Mix all the ingredients except the tofu in a small bowl. Slice the tofu in 1/2″ slices and pat dry. Lay in the bottom of a baking dish in a single layer then pour the marinade over the top. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours or overnight if you can. Half-way through marinating, flip the tofu.
Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Bake the tofu for 30 minutes, then flip the tofu pieces and bake an additional 30 minutes. The marinade will reduce and caramelize on the tofu.
Overall, it was a satisfying and flavorful meal. The vibrant colors made it even more enjoyable — when food is pretty, it does taste better!
The beet green salad might be too simple for some. I liked the simplicity of it and felt the strawberries added a nice balance to the beets and greens. The tofu is fricken’ incredible though — a perfect dish for tofu newbies. Sometimes, the brand of tofu has a lot to do with whether you enjoy a tofu meal. I’ve noticed a great variance in flavor and texture from brand to brand. I used Mori-Nu and like it the best. It’s silky smooth with minimal soybean flavor.
Mix all the ingredients except the tofu in a small bowl. Slice the tofu in 1/2″ slices and pat dry. Lay in the bottom of a baking dish in a single layer then pour the marinade over the top. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours or overnight if you can. Half-way through marinating, flip the tofu.
Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Bake the tofu for 30 minutes, then flip the tofu pieces and bake an additional 30 minutes. The marinade will reduce and caramelize on the tofu.
Overall, it was a satisfying and flavorful meal. The vibrant colors made it even more enjoyable — when food is pretty, it does taste better!
The beet green salad might be too simple for some. I liked the simplicity of it and felt the strawberries added a nice balance to the beets and greens. The tofu is fricken’ incredible though — a perfect dish for tofu newbies. Sometimes, the brand of tofu has a lot to do with whether you enjoy a tofu meal. I’ve noticed a great variance in flavor and texture from brand to brand. I used Mori-Nu and like it the best. It’s silky smooth with minimal soybean flavor.
Lastly, my sweet tooth kicked in. I am one of those....Someone that likes a bite or two of something sweet to end a meal. Stuffed dates and mixed nuts was the perfect ending.
I stuffed these two dates with dried mango and it was awesome. You cant see it but almond butter is in the mix as well. Stuffed dates are so very simple to make and yet taste and look great. All you do is slit the date open, take the seed out and then spread some almond butter (pecan butter is my personal favorite) and then top with a slice of dried mango. These beauties were so sweet and chewy. I could have eaten 10 of them! 
I got organic dried mango from a company called Koplai and thought that I would try it out along with the dark chocolate covered gogi berries. It was the perfect topper for my dates! 
Dude....these were gooooood! I loved how they were chewy and the dark chocolate was so very good, you know my philosophy right? Anyone that knows me well has heard me say this time and time again. Three things that a women love....Mango, avocado and dark chocolate.
I stuffed these two dates with dried mango and it was awesome. You cant see it but almond butter is in the mix as well. Stuffed dates are so very simple to make and yet taste and look great. All you do is slit the date open, take the seed out and then spread some almond butter (pecan butter is my personal favorite) and then top with a slice of dried mango. These beauties were so sweet and chewy. I could have eaten 10 of them! 
I got organic dried mango from a company called Koplai and thought that I would try it out along with the dark chocolate covered gogi berries. It was the perfect topper for my dates! 
Dude....these were gooooood! I loved how they were chewy and the dark chocolate was so very good, you know my philosophy right? Anyone that knows me well has heard me say this time and time again. Three things that a women love....Mango, avocado and dark chocolate. There you have it. My Friday in a nutshell!
My run was MUCH better, the food may have had something to do with it!
My run was MUCH better, the food may have had something to do with it!
Ok I gotta run, I have a million things to do! See you tomorrow.
-Heather
