Category: School

Soy Marinated Tofu

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Hey there! This year I’d like to start eating more plant-based, and exploring different kinds of plant protein. Although everything that I post on MyDayIsBooked is usually vegan, I’m not a vegan or vegetarian myself.

I feel like tofu is a little intimidating to a lot of people, because it’s not something that they cook very often. I cooked it for the first time a few weeks ago, and it’s actually super easy and delicious! In this post I’ll give you the run down on how to cook tofu, plus an awesome marinade to get you started.

Tofu

Tofu is a plant-based protein source made from soy beans. The varieties of firmness range from silken to extra firm. Silken and soft tofu are usually blended up in desserts, and medium to extra firm are used fried, sautéed, baked or steamed. This is because the firmer types stand up better to marinades and being cut into cubes and cooked. Pressing tofu is a common technique that gets rid of extra water in the tofu, letting you achieve a crispier texture. If you’d like to press your tofu, place a block of it on a folded dish towel on a sheet pan, and place another folded dish towel on top. On top of that dish towel, put something heavy such as a book or pan weighted with cans. Leave the tofu to be pressed for about a half an hour. The recipe in this post does not call for you to press your tofu, and it is by no means necessary.

Soy-Marinated Tofu

Serves: 2

Total Time: 40 minutes +

Ingredients:

  • 1 175g block of extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 a lime
  • 1 clove of garlic, smashed

Directions:

  1. Cut a slit in the package of tofu and drain all of the water out. Remove the block from the package and cuto it into one centimetre cubes. Place them in a large ziplock bag.
  2. Add the soy sauce, lime juice, and garlic into the bag. Squeeze all of the air out and then seal, giving it a shake to combine the soy and lime juice, then placing it in the fridge for at least thirty minutes, and up 4 hours.
  3. When the tofu is finished marinating, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Pour the marinade form the bag into a bowl, and dump the cubes of tofu into the pan. Cook until slightly browned on each side; about 1-2 minutes per side.
  4. Eat in a bowl with quinoa, in wraps, or in a stir fry, and use the leftover marinade as a sauce. I ate mine in a bowl with sprouts, avocado, roasted sweet potato, quinoa and kimchi;)

I hope that was helpful and that you’ll try tofu sometime!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Beans and Broccoli

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Hey there! Today I have another fantastic recipe that can be easily frozen and is great for meal prep. This take on beef and broccoli uses red kidney beans to make a delicious vegan meal. When the beans are fried, they resemble ground beef, and the seasoning used enhances their flavour. These beans and broccoli are great with quinoa, noodles, or in a salad. Hope you enjoy!

Beans and Broccoli

Serves: 2-3

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp + 1 tbs soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbs chili flakes
  • 1/2 tbs garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbs ginger
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/2 a head of broccoli, separated into small florets.
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tbs sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • quinoa, for serving (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mash up the beans, leaving some whole. Stir in 1 tsp soy sauce, the chili flakes, garlic powder, ginger, and pepper.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the bean mixture and the broccoli florets and cook for about fifteen minutes, until the broccoli is tender and the beans begin to resemble ground beef in texture; crumbly and firm.
  3. Mix the sesame oil, 1 tbs soy sauce, maple syrup and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over the beans and broccoli and stir, cooking for two more minutes.
  4. Serve over quinoa with green onion and enjoy!

Hopefully this recipe helps you get ahead this week:))

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))

Simple Bok Choy Noodles

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Hello there;) Today’s recipe is super simple and quick to make. I usually don’t work with bok choy a whole lot, but it’s a really delicious vegetable and is super versatile. It works great in soups, in stir frys and even just steamed as a side dish. This noodle dish allows the bok choy to shine by only using garlic and soy sauce to flavour it. It’s great for a quick weekend lunch or light dinner. Hope you enjoy!

Simple Bok Choy Noodles

Serves: 1

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 serving of cooked lentil or whole wheat spaghetti noodles
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 stalks of bok choy (regular sized, not baby)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs soy sauce
  • Chopped peanuts, for serving (optional)

Directions:

  1. Remove the leaves from the bok choy stems and chop them into strips. Next, chop the bok choy stems like you would a celery stalk, into about a centimetre wide chunks.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the bok choy stems and cook for about 6 minutes, until slightly browned and softened.
  3. Add in the garlic and leaves, cooking for an additional two minutes, until the leaves are wilted.
  4. Place the cooked noodles into the pan and stir in the soy sauce, removing from the heat. Serve in a bowl with chopped peanuts.

So simple yet so good! Have a great week everyone.

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked

Meal Prep: Black Bean Stew

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Hello! I know that making a good lunch is a bit of a struggle for a lot of people, so I’m going to try and post more lunch-related recipes and tips. Meal prep is a great solution to this problem, it just takes a lttle bit of planning and organization. On the weekends, its super easy to make a big batch of something, like this Black Bean Stew, and then BOOM; you have lunch for the week. This stew is delicious and only takes 15 minutes to make, not to mention you can serve it with pretty much whatever you want to switch up your lunch time experience. Because yes, eating this black bean stew is an experience.

Black Bean Stew

Serves: 3 (Makes three lunches)

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 a red onion, diced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tbs of tomato paste
  • 1 tbs cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp chile powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Serving Suggestions:

  • quinoa
  • rice
  • tomato
  • lettuce
  • humms
  • sliced almonds
  • kale

Directions:

  1. In a pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the tomatoes and onions and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until both vegetables are soft.
  2. Toss the garlic, black beans, tomato paste and spices into the pan with the water. Stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Scoop into a reusable container on its own or with some of the above suggestions. Store in the fridge until you need it;)

It doesn’t get easier than that. This stew will leave you feeling satisfied and full. It tastes great cold, but if you pack it in a microwavable container you can always heat it up at school. Enjoy!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;)))

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

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Hi there! Today’s recipe is for 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars. They’re a simple, healthy and delicious snack that are great for after school. Easy recipes like these are really handy, because with school and sports I’m super busy and usually in a rush to grab a good snack. Hope you enjoy!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

Serves: Makes 6-9 Bars

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 cups oats

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the bananas. Mix in the peanut butter and oats.
  3. Put the mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes.
  4. Put the bars into a sealed container in the fridge and let cool before eating.
  5. Enjoy!

Hope you’re having a great week so far, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))