Mango-Blueberry Smoothie

Apologies for a couple days of silence; I have been living on leftover Shepherd's Pie and Lemon Caper Pasta for a few days now. Not that I am complaining, these are some delicious leftovers. Sadly, due to some laziness and late nights, my breakfast the past couple days has been uninspired. I believe I had yogurt with a banana and walnuts one day and this morning I put together some leftover "Potatoes on the Grill," spinach and cheese which I microwaved once I got to work. Determined to make tomorrow morning more interesting, I whipped up the smoothie below tonight so that I can take it for my breakfast. It is not the most beautiful color, sort of a muted purple-green color. But, I did taste it and I am excited for breakfast! The blueberry and mango worked well together. I added a lot of kale for extra vitamin goodness. I love that you can add this vegetable to just about any smoothie and the flavor is not altered. Also, the carrot juice melts into the background; I think because mango and carrot share some similar flavors. The blueberry definitely jumps out at you on this smoothie, unlike the others I have posted before. All in all, quite a tasty smoothie for something I threw together with what I had in the house. Don't you love when that happens?

Mango-Blueberry Smoothie
(makes about 3 servings)

1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 c frozen blueberries
4 oz extra soft tofu
3 c chopped kale, washed
1 c carrot juice
1/2-1 c unsweetened soy milk

Place all ingredients in a blender (start with 1/2 c of the soy milk) and blend until smooth. Add more soy milk if it is too thick.

Berry Smoothie

Lately I have been drinking smoothies for most of my lunches. I like being able to get extra fruits and vegetables while also feeling full. Plus, it is easy to drink at my desk. I workout during most of my lunch breaks, so a quick lunch that is desk-suitable is perfect. I recently saw this smoothie recipe on the New York Times and it inspired the smoothie below. It is bright pink and not too sweet, which is perfect in my opinion. The recipe makes about four cups, so you can cut it in half to make just enough for one serving.

Berry Smoothie

1/2 c frozen blackberries
1/2 c frozen mango
1/2 c frozen blueberries
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 3-4 inch beet, washed and cubed
3 leaves kale, washed and torn into pieces
1/2 c yogurt
3 oz silken tofu
1 c water (or a little more, if needed)
1 tbsp honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Collard Greens with Red Bell Pepper

A friend came over the other night for dinner. She brought a delicious lentil barley soup that she had added kale, cumin, and dill to. I loved it and plan to attempt making something similar myself. I decided to make collard greens to go with the soup. I adore collard greens. They are one of the most flavorful greens out there and I find they are not bitter like some other greens. They also stand up to cooking, so they still have a lot of texture, while greens like spinach easily become mushy. I know there are people out there that enjoy collard greens cooked to oblivion. I am not one of those people, therefore these greens are quick to put together. You could serve them with baked tofu and have a healthy and filling meal. I will even include a recipe for how I typically prepare baked tofu!

Collard Greens with Red Bell Pepper

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
1/2 a large onion, peeled and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks (I cut mine in half widthwise and then sliced)
1 1/2 large bunches collard greens, sliced into 1 inch wide strips, washed and dried well
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
When hot, add shallot, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to soften.
Add red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper turns a brighter color.
Add collard greens, mix so that the other vegetables are mixed in, then cover with a lid and let steam about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with sugar and salt and then stir (I use a tongs, which allows me to pick up bunches of the greens and turn them over).
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until greens are desired consistency. After adding the sugar and salt, I typically only cook them until they are wilted, but still bright and have body.
Remove from heat and serve.

Baked Tofu

1 package extra firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil
seasonings (I have used whole grain mustard, balsamic vinegar, various dried herbs, it really depends on what you are making and how you want the tofu to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice tofu lengthwise into quarters.
Place a thick layer of paper towels down and put the tofu side-by-side on this.
Put more paper towels on top of the tofu, then add a large flat object that will cover the tofu (I use a cutting board).
Put something heavy on top of the board (I typically use a cast iron skillet).
Allow the tofu to press for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, mix your olive oil with your seasonings.
Uncover your tofu and put it onto a baking sheet. Spread half of your seasonings/oil on one side, flip and put the rest on the other side.
Put in the oven and bake 25 minutes.
Turn the tofu over and bake until desired brownness and texture. The longer you bake it, the tougher it becomes (and more "meat"-like in texture).
Remove from oven and serve.

Guilt me into blogging...

So, I am talking with my mother last night and she starts teasing me about how I have not posted since January 6th. Sheesh. One problem with following a budget is, it's most economical to make one or two large dishes for the week. So that's what I've been doing. This week was Dry Curry, because it sounded good, and Swedish Meatballs, because I needed some comfort food. Dry Curry isn't a very appetizing name, but it's a very delicious meal. Swedish Meatballs have a very bad reputation, but when made properly are delicious, not grease ridden blobs. Let's hope the family does not attempt to remove my heart for sharing the recipe for one of our family favorites.

Dry Curry

1 tbsp oil
2 to 3 medium onions, finely chopped
5 to 6 carrots, peeled and finely diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tofu blocks (soft)
3 cans tuna, drained
5 to 7 curry roux blocks
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, then add oil.
Once oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and garlic.
Cook until onions start to get soft.
Add tofu, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, and tuna.
Make sure that the tofu and tuna are chopped up and evenly distributed in the pan.
Add curry blocks and cook, stirring often, until curry blocks melt and blend into the dish.
Taste. If more curry is needed, add them and allow them to melt.
Add salt and pepper and stir in the cilantro.
Serve over hot rice.


Swedish Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey or beef (I use turkey because I like lighter meatballs)
1 stack of saltine crackers, crushed
1 egg
dash of milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
about 1/2 a nutmeg, ground

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together well with your hands.
If using turkey, add 1 tbsp of oil to a large skillet. Do not turn on the heat.
Shape meat mixture into balls smaller than a golf ball, but larger than a ping pong ball.
As each ball is shaped, place in the center of the oil, then slide to the edge of the pan.
Once the pan is full (which may be before all the balls are shaped), turn heat to medium-high.
As soon as the meatballs start to brown, turn the heat down to medium and start turning. The goal is to brown all sides.
As the meatballs shrink, add more to the pan and brown.
Once all meatballs are browned, spread evenly in the pan.
Add about 1/2 c of water to the pan and cover. Turn heat down to low and let meatballs steam until centers are no longer pink.