Food: how do you like your salad?

I had an AHA moment the other day! I finally know how to make a restaurant-style salad at home!!! 😆

There are 3 key steps!!!

#1: Chop the veggies!!! Even those triple-washed-greens-ready-to-use.

This salad contains greens, tomatoes, raw broccoli, bell peppers, endives, palms and canned salmon.

It sounds stupid, but it does really make a difference.

#2: A lot of dressing!!!

I’m not talking about 2-3 tbsp of dressing that is usually called as 1 serving. But at least 1/4-1/3 cup of dressing. How did I make it? Inspired by Erin’s Fu-salad. I made the dressing with the following:

• 1 tbsp real mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup silken tofu
• 1-2 tsp mustard
• 2 tbsp balsamic
• S+P

Blend all together and voila. 1/3 cup of homemade goodie dressing. 😉

#3 Mix and wait 10 min before serving.

the 10 magic min let the dressing mix with the ingredients.

Serve with a miso soup

I love love this homemade salad because in each bite you can taste the dressing and at least 2-3 ingredients. 😆

In a second note, I’m seriously addicted to this sauce

Yesterday I had veggies and chicken stir-fry with it

served with millet

and miso soup

It’s such a satisfying meal!!! And do you know how long it takes to make? 12 min 😯 YES, I counted it!!! Yesterday I worked at Starbucks until 12:45 PM and I was so hungry when I arrived home. I watched the kitchen clock and it marked 12:55PM when I started and by 1:07 I was sitting in front of the meal already 🙂

Lastly lotus root power is back to my life!!! 😆

Love eating it slowly while watching Sex and the City 😉

NEWS: My mom arrives today!!! 😆 It has been 3 months since I left Shanghai, I really miss her! 😀

Q: How do you like your salad? What’s your favorite homemade dressing?

Day 2 & rambling

Day 2 of Petit Macro went well. I really enjoy savory breakfast. It satisfies more and makes me crave less sugar.

miso, tofu, shiitake mushroom and daikon soup

boiled cabbage and carrot with toasted sesame seeds

Packed lunch: apple + nuts + sandwich

The original recipe calls for sourdough because it is easier to digest, but I didn’t had any so I used Rudi’s spelt bread

spread was a tofu mayonnaise made with 1 tbsp olive, 1 tsp dijon mustard and 1 slice of silken tofu

The vegan mayonnaise was rich and slightly tangy. I like it.

Dinner

steamed cauliflower with more tofu mayonnaise

a pickled salad of cucumber and radish in a sweet and sour sauce made with equal part of mirin and rice vinegar.

Hato mugi vegetable stew

Hago mugi is the best grain for improving the condition of your skin. It’s hard and has a slightly bitter taste, better cooked with sweet vegetables.

A very satisfying meal indeed. I didn’t need dessert or snack afterwards.

******

Totally unrelated rambling

We need to be thankful of everything we have. I know that. But sometimes it is hard to ignore the tiny part of life that is missing or I don’t like.

We need to love the person we are with just the way they are. It is impossible to change anyone, so do not ever try because failure is guaranteed.

Perfection does not exist. There is no perfect job, perfect person nor perfect life. I know that, but why do I keep looking just to realize over and over again that I’m just being stupid.

As we age, we become less emotional and more rational. It is good and bad. I don’t want to feel extremely depressed but I don’t want to feel nothing when something terrible happens either. Being excited about something for days seems ancient history and I’m not that old yet.

End of rambling. Ignore me. Don’t ask. I’m just feeling blue today. I know I’ll be fine.

Q: Do you care about weddings? Do you like wedding planning? I need to start thinking about my wedding but I have no clue. Any advise?

Petit Macro day 1

I started the petit macro 10 days plan!!! 😆

This is a very simple macrobiotic meal that you can have almost any time of year.

soft cooked brown rice

miso soup with daikon and onion

blanched collard greens with toasted white sesame seeds

book pic

I was lazy and didn’t feel like making lunch according to the plan, so I had leftovers.

After a yoga class in the evening I made proper dinner: Spiral Rice Pasta with Salad and Soy Meat

It was way more delicious that I expected!!!! 😯 You have to try it!!!

Spiral Rice Pasta with Salad and Soy Meat adapted from Mayumi’s Kitchen

Ingredients for one:

• 40 g TVP
• 1 tbsp shoyo
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1.5 tbsp kuzu powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 cup (55g) dry spiral rice pasta
• 1 oz. diced onion
• 1 oz. diced carrot
• 1 oz. diced celery
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch of collard greens chopped and boiled

Method:

1. Hydrated TVP with water for 15 min, discharge the liquid.  Add shoyo and mirin and soak for 10 min. Squeeze out excess liquid, reserving it and mix with kuzu powder.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil and dry the TVP until nicely browned. Add 1/8 cup water plus shoyo and mirin liquid from step 1. Cook until it absorbs all the liquid. Set aside.
3. Cook the pasta and collard greens.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and saute the veggies, seasoned with S+P.
5. Mix the pasta, the veggies and the soy meat and serve.

The menu has no snack options, so I had copious amount of brown rice with pickles!

I love macrobiotic meals!!! Everything tastes good, comforting and calming. The only downside is that the amount indicated for one is too little food for me. I had extra 2-3 cups of brown rice along the day.

I think the biggest changes from the way I used to eat is to cut on dairy, eat more brown rice, snack little and almost no fruit. I’ll see how all these make me feel 🙂

A random question: How many times per month do you eat meat (fish/chicken/beef/pork)?