Start of Vegetarian Summer Series: Mongo Soup and Pesto Pasta & Recap of H-mart Goodies!

The 200-hour yoga teacher training to expand my practice started last weekend. Now I'm not sure if I'll enjoy teaching or even if I'll be any good but I'm excited to learn other aspects of yoga! Part of the experience includes designating at least one day a week to eat vegetarian. This week I made a Filipino soup and pesto with pasta. 

I've been vegetarian before so it won't be a huge stretch but just hoping to inspire/show some of you that vegetarian can be easy and tasty whether you want to try it for yourself to feel light and make a lighter eco-footprint or even if you have a vegetarian guest to impress. So, you can look forward to the blog testing out some (hopefully) quick to make vegetarian dishes over the next 8 weeks. :)

Being gone in AZ/UT during my CSA box pick up last weekend forced me to venture out to the grocery store to get my produce last Friday. And so I finally made it out to the Korean market, H-Mart that opened up in Mira Mesa in Fall 2012. First, if you like Costco "buffet" (aka samples) on the weekends, you will LUUUUURVE H-mart. I went on Friday and almost every row had an apron clad, plastic mouth shield wearing employee offering a sample of something tasty. Vietca told me they had a bee-ute-a-full seafood section and it was indeed clean and fresh smelling. Many of the frozen packages also list the country of origin for the fish and if it's farmed/wild-caught so that was also helpful if you're pulling out your moral compass.

Second scored a bounty for $27 : 

• 2 canary melons (Tweety yellow outside, very sweet, white flesh)
• 1 other yellow melon
• 1 pkg bunapi mushroom
  
  
  
  

• 1 pkg king trumpet mushrooms
• 3.5 lbs of fish (a white fish, listed as a good alternative on Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch)
•  a Red Pepper Paste that does not appear to have wheat 

Uhhhhh what is seed koji? Read below, I'm still not sure.

• Internet research says koji is a mold grown for the fermentation process and can be grown on grains (homegrown.org, soy info center  usually rice or soybeans)---sooooo, you may want to make your own substitute paste (I've googled recipes before but not tested) if you need to be strictly gluten free or soy free. I emailed H mart to see if they can tell me what this brand's koji is grown on, I will update if they respond.
•  a package of soft tofu
• a bag of bok choy and
•  another greens that I didn't write the name of-anyone know what this is?
  

Note to self: they have a big 3lb bag for about $4 of brown rice "powder" which looks like flour to me that's cheaper than buying the 1 lb bags at normal grocery stores. 

 Filipino Mung Bean Soup (mongo)-Veggie Style (makes enough for 4-5 servings)

adapted from Lisa's Kitchen and a video I saw on YouTube (idea for some ingredient variations)

Seems like mongo recipes really vary by what veggies you throw in-get creative!

• 1 cup dried whole mung beans-soaked over night
• 1 tsp Coconut Oil for the onions and Chinese greens and 1 tsp for the bunapi mushroom and fresh garlic cloves
•  1 tbsp garlic powder, and also 2 cloves of fresh garlic (or 6 cloves fresh)
• I added 2 shallots for 1/2 cups chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes or 2 fresh red chiles
• 1 can of tomato sauce (or 2 medium fresh tomatoes)
• juice of 2 limes (4 tablespoons)-used lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 4 cups water or veggie stock
• 3 bok choys, very bottom part cut off so leaves separate for washing out dirt (or another leafy green, Lisa called for1/2 lb (225 g) baby spinach leaves)
• stems of 6 Chinese greens (that I didn't get the name of)
• 1 pkg bunapi mushroom, cut apart and washed

1. To a larger soup pot, add the water or veggie stock. Add the soaked mung beans and cover with a lid. Heat on high until boiling, then reduce to medium with the cover on to cook at least 25-35 minutes or until mung beans are soft enough to eat.

2. While the mung beans cook, in a small sauce pan heat on medium 1 tsp of coconut oil for the mushrooms and garlic cloves. Cook them until tender. Remove these into a bowl to stop cooking.

3. Add 1 tsp coconut oil to cook over medium heat the chopped shallots and Chinese greens. Cook until browned. Then add to mung bean pot.

4. Add  the tomato sauce, garlic powder, lime juice, salt and stir into the mung bean pot. Add your bok choy and cover again for 3-5 minutes until the bok choy is crisp tender.Add the mushrooms and ladle into bowls for serving. Add red pepper flakes to taste.

 Dairy free Pesto-using mystery Chinese green leaves and walnuts- 2 servings

 

Sorry for the ugly plastic bowl, it's my lunch at work!

adapted from "The 15 Minute Single Gourmet by Paulette Mitchell"

 4 tbsp walnut pieces

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 cup of chopped greens

2 t bsp nutritional yeast

4 tsp fresh minced basil or 1 tsp dried

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 box of quinoa/corn pasta

1/2 cup dried (not oil packed) sundried tomato pieces

1. Prepare pasta as the package directs.

2.  While waiting for the pasta to cook, if you like, toast the walnut pieces (200 degrees in toaster oven for 2-3 minutes or can try doing in a frying pan).

3. Add first 7 ingredients to a blender or food processor. Add water by tbsp if mixture is too thick.

4. Serve pasta with pesto and top with sundried tomato.

What is the biggest thing you would like to ask for right now?

Detox Days 1-3: Fruits, Veggies, Grains & Oils

Have you tried a juicing detox/cleanse/fast before? Maybe you're feeling sluggy or the stomach is off. Maybe the beautiful weather is just reminding you that you want to work towards showing off some skin. There can be weight loss, but for long term-health I would count on the detox just being a diving off point to help make eating cleaner a habit. I've seen detoxes range from 3 days (even saw a business based on this at the La Jolla Farmer's market this past weekend and on Groupon) to 30 days (online paleo challenges, juicing). From my experience, consistency in a mostly healthy (occasional treats ok!), varied diet and exercise is really the best, most sustainable way to be the best you.

In the past I have tried 14 day detoxes, the Master Cleanse (cayenne-lemon-maple syrup) and a juicing/Master Cleanse (juice for breakfast, dinner and lemonade the rest of the time), both times using senna tea for...ahem... moving the junk out. After it was all said and done, I did come out feeling like I was more alert, a light/happy feeling and my hip joints seemed to loosen up a bit when practicing yoga. Yes, usually the first 3-4 days blow as far as feeling crabby and deprived...after that the body/mind adapt mostly. Have to say drinking the exact same sweet and cold for that many days was boooooring.

I wanted to try something a little different this year. Not following a particular plan-just making something that fits my calendar (promised to go out for a graduation dinner Saturday). Start off just eating very light and clean for three days, then go three days of juicing only and two days to come off with juice, veg soup and raw salads. I was a bit hesitant to start a detox this year given I wasn't hitting the gym when I did detoxes before, but a friend sent me an article from Bodybuilding.com about benefits for weight lifters.

I would just caution if you have health conditions, you want to check with a doctor or registered dietician before you try.

After setting my mind to it (probably the hardest part) and making sure my perishable food was eaten already, I was ready to go buy my food supplies (already had a Jack Lalanne Juicer and have some plastic cariffs for storing juice, ideally you make it and drink it fresh but we can't always carry a juicer with us or take 3 days off work to be at home...also cleaning the juicer that many times a day would be a drag).

So here's my progress so far on cleaning up my solid foods in phase 1. Those with recipes**

Day 1: 
 Breakfast: Oatmeal = 1/3 cup coach's oats + 4 chopped dates + 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes toasted (250F for 3 minutes in my toaster oven...otherwise unpleasant blackening!) + 1 cup water + 1 scoop brown rice protein powder + cinnamon
Snack: 1/4 cup toasted walnuts and 1 apple
Lunch:  No-name #1 = 2 cups cabbage steamed in veggie broth with shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili-spice mix for udon), 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked overnight, save the broth for a soup or okonomiyaki) sliced, 3/4 cup cooked brown rice , eaten with Korean seaweed.
Snack : **Curry-spiced shredded carrot patties & popcorn made with coconut oil and salt
Dinner: Salad. Topped with 1/2 cup roasted carrots,3/4 cup home-sprouted mung beans (really easy and cheap to do yourself, but you need 3 days prep time! I followed Padhu's Kitchen with great success.) with a grapefruit-garlic-vinegar dressing. Similar to previous post but no Sriracha, mustard or honey. Note to self: do not eat if going out to any social events or if having meetings at work. Keeps the vampires away though.

Day 2:
Breakfast : Oatmeal again
Snack: Walnuts, Grapefruit
Lunch: Vietnamese Spring rolls with leftover roast carrots, leftover curry-spiced carrot patties, shiitake mushrooms, lettuce, mung bean and leftover salad dressing.
Snack: dried dates, baked sweet potato fries
Dinner: 3/4 cup brown rice, carrot top/pea sprout saag with 2 hard boiled egg whites (bring eggs to boil in water, turn off heat and let sit 18 minutes with lid on)

Day 3:
Breakfast: same as last night's dinner
Snack: 1 scoop brown rice protein with water, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries and 2 pitted dates shake.
Lunch: Same dinner as Day 1
Snack: 1/2 cup fresh strawberries;** Toasted celery leaf-Navy bean soup with togarashi, shiitake mushrooms; baked sweet potato fries
Dinner: mung bean and brown rice "okonomiyaki" with shredded zucchini and minced garlic filling eaten with lettuce. Ate 1/4 cup brown rice with the small amount of saag while waiting, cuz okonomiyaki is not a quick dish to cook.And I was impatient so it came out quite ugly and not set in the middle.
 
I feel ok, but only felt happily full after noshing on the sweet potato fries and the saag. (At least for working out/yoga I don't have to worry about feeling too weighed down.) The other times I was just made to feel no longer on empty. Having the mint tea after meals helps. The next phase (three days) will be tough with just juicing, two of the days I need to make enough to take with me to work. I stocked up at farmer's market today...will see if it's enough to make it through (plenty o' grocery stores in my hood if I need to re-supply).  I got 2 bunches of kale, 1 heart (?) celery, 6 cucumbers, 5 lb bag of valencia oranges, 1 small cantalope, 1 bundle swiss chard and a bundle of carrots. Have good variety of herbal tea: jasmine and mint! and of course senna leaf (those don't taste so good to me but I'd rather do this than the salt water flush-that made me want to hurl).

CURRY-SPICED GRATED CARROT PATTIES-makes 5 small (golf ball) patties (light lunch/two snacks)

Ingredients
3 tsp sesame seeds
3.6 oz grated carrot
1 tbsp flax seed ground and mixed with 3 tbsp hot water (allow to sit 10 minutes)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp thinly sliced ginger
4 tsp chickpea flour

Heat pan on medium-high with a tsp of sesame oil (or other oil of choice)

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Form patties.

Fry about 4 minutes on each side until crispy and warmed through.

TOASTED CELERY LEAF-NAVY BEAN SOUP (1 serving)

Ingredients
1/3 of celery heart's leaves-rinsed and dried, and baked ~350F about 5-10 minutes until crispy
1.5 cups veg stock
3/4 cup cooked Navy bean
3 soaked overnight and sliced shiitake mushrooms (also tastes good using nutritional yeast, probably a couple tablespoons is enough for one bowl)

Stick all ingredients except the mushrooms in a blender if you like a smoother texture.

Heat it up in the microwave or on the stove.

*Stay tuned for progress/recipes on the 3 days of juicing. On day 2 of 3 today!

Juicing means less dishes and time spent cooking, what's the first thing you would do with your spare time?

Keep it Light with Sesame: Konnyaku-chicken Soup and single serving salad dressing

As the temperature rises, the appetite seems to go down. And maybe you've popped your t-shirt in the freezer before putting it on for bed? No? I saw it in a magazine. Well, it's a very temporary relief only. There are some old stand-by food remedies: refreshing trip to the ice cream store (TCBY's cookie dough blast), an Otter Pop from your freezer (was your favorite Alexander the Grape as well?),  or even the opposite, a spicy bowl of Korean soup (instant soup powder from the market,add your own veggies, clear noodles and tofu) to sweat it out.

Sweet interpretation by Rich Werner  I found thru Google...his recent stuff looks really fun. I did a little poking around, looks like he's made a book and he illustrated Plants vs. Zombies.

 In terms of new solutions, the other week I had a great ginger-lemonade on vacation made by the Guest Chef at Wilbur Hot Springs. Just subtly sweet and slightly fizzy, it quenched my thirst as good as Gatorade without the fake coloring!

With the heat (or something else), my appetite for meat based protein is dwindling. I've been feeling like I need to do a detox soon but I keep going on these vacations. I'm not quite ready having bought items that need to be used. So these last two weeks I've kept it light using low or no meat sesame based recipes. The first uses a jiggly-low calorie, vegan gluten free "noodle" made from a block of konnyaku. What is konnyaku? Luckily many other people have written about it, this one was my favorite and provides tips for preparing it (rinse it off thoroughly and blanch to get rid of the funky smell). I didn't blanch mine and it came out ok. You buy it at Japanese markets. Marukai in San Diego has been having it on sale once a month for about 70-90 cents per package. Nice filler if you're looking to cut down on carbs for the later in the day meals and also get a fun texture in your soups, stews or stir fries.

Apparently there are some desserts you can make if you buy powdered konnyaku-it's like a jello! I have yet to find the powder so I haven't tried it yet.

The second recipe is just something nice and quick to throw together. Once you make it you won't really need to see the recipe for it-for it's so few ingredients and mostly to taste.

Konnyaku Chicken Soup (adapted from the konnyaku package)

2 cups of broth
2 tsp sesame oil
1.5 tbsp coconut aminos (if you do soy can use Braggs Amino or soy sauce if you do gluten)
3 slices of ginger
1.2 lbs chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 package of bunapi mushrooms
3 ounces of pea shoots (about 2 cups chopped)
1/2 cup green tops of onions, chopped
1 package of konnyaku (white or gray), rinsed and sliced into fat noodles (see picture)
1 tbsp honey

1. Heat 2 tsp of sesame oil in a wok pan on high. When oil shimmers add in the mushrooms and onion. Saute 3-5 minutes or until some browning has occured

2. Add in the chicken and 1 cup of broth. Cook 17 minutes. Add more broth during cooking as needed.

3. Add the sprouts and konnyaku. Add the honey. Stir and cook 3 minutes.

4. Check to make sure the chicken is no longer pink when cut into. Enjoy your soup!

Sesame-Vinegar Dressing for single serving

1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
freshly ground pepper to taste
salt to taste
1/4 tsp honey

Stir ingredients together in a teeny bowl and then toss over your favorite salad fixings.

I put mine over a lettuce mix, hard-boiled egg whites, sun-dried tomato pieces and raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds). I liked these textures/flavors together the best out of other combinations I tried this week. If you eat fish, you can add some bonito flakes (aka "sawdust" as Dad calls it, made from tuna) for a nice smoky flavor on the salad. I guess just like canned or fresh tuna, something not to consume in excess because of mercury. If you want to know more about how it's made and get an egg-rice breakfast dish recipe, them check out this What's this Food episode! And I just learned you're supposed to use the package a week after opening the bonito flakes.


What kind of food do you turn to in hot weather?