Restaurant Review: Arabesque (Boulder, CO)

It was a Friday afternoon, we had both gotten off work around 12:30pm and we were ready to eat! It was beautiful out, unlike the few random snowy May days we’ve had. On these kind of days, we want to have a nice slow meal, and enjoy ourselves off somebody else’s food. We went through our options and decided on Arabesque, a highly-rated place on Yelp with one $. We’ve always wanted to try it. Its customers boast that it has the best chicken shawarma in Boulder. We had to compare it to our favorite place, Mediterranean Market.

When we arrived, it was packed. And it wasn’t exactly what we expected. We expected it to be small and family-owned, yes, but there were lots of rich, well-dressed people (and we come directly from work in our YMCA gear) and just had a chalk-written menu. We looked over the (short) menu and decided what we wanted and then took a table outside (the inside–which is tiny–was packed, and it was beautiful out!). This place supposedly also had the best Chai in town, so I ordered that along with water.

Delicious hot chai

Now this chai was delicious. It came in a big mug and was piping hot. But I still love my Tibet Kitchen homemade chai too. The water came out in a tall pitcher with thin glasses–very elegant. And it was flavored with something I couldn’t place…lavender and honey, or something similar. Very refreshing. Chris ordered the chicken shawarma plate and I ordered the hummus wrap.

Chris’ shawarma plate

Our waitress, I think, was near the end of her shift and didn’t take our order down correctly. I ended up receiving a chicken wrap instead of just hummus, but I told the kitchen, and spoke to who happened to be the owner and he was very apologetic and delivered a fresh hummus wrap as quickly as he could. Chris wasn’t pleased with that service, but the wife of the owner (who also was the cook) bustles out to clear off a table next to us and Chris asks if he can have their scraps (yes, we don’t like to waste food). She says, “Of course!” and he says, “Never want to waste food,” and she goes, “Yes, I know! Stupid!” She has an accent…not sure where from. She shoulders me with good humor and says, “You’ve got eat chicken in my place!” Her good humor and friendliness got us back on track.

Wrong chicken wrap (still looks delicious)

My hummus wrap

I ate it up quickly as did Chris. Chris said it was the best chicken shawarma he’s had. And you can tell–he cleared the plate completely. Buuuut, the portion was way too small for him. Not even just for him, I agree that there wasn’t that much chicken and pita. Probably because we’re used to Mediterranean Market’s huge portions. And just because we were enjoying ourselves and–more so–because we can’t turn down baklava, we ordered a big baklava. We, of course, devoured it completely. It was one of the best baklava I’ve had. Perfect texture and structural integrity, filled with goodness–can’t really describe the perfection.

BAKLAVA

If you’re in Boulder, stop by this place. It’s good food, but small portions, so don’t go too hungry. And don’t you DARE skip out on the baklava–it’s just too good. I wish I still had my chai with the baklava, it would have been perfect together. The owners really made our experience that much better, we would come back again. Cheers!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Hi, my name’s Sajah and I’m a firefox

May042013

Power Protein Breakfast: Waffles, Greek Yogurt, and Fruit

Besides Weetabix, this has become one of my go-to breakfasts when I have enough time in the morning. It’s packed with protein and fiber, sending you ready to kick butt on the day ahead. Now, typically, store-bought waffles aren’t the best for you. But that all changed when one day I was craving waffles while we were grocery shopping, and I scoured the frozen section for some decent waffles. Tip: always pass up the Eggo’s. Another tip: NEVER PASS UP THE VAN’S.

Yep. The name of this natural brand of waffles is Van’s. And no, I did not receive any money from them for this post (though, I wouldn’t mind a tip if they stopped by). Good nutritional value at 180 calories per 2 waffles, 10g protein, 2g fiber, 6g sugar and no saturated fat. Can you say, “YES PLEASE.” But there’s more to this power protein breakfast. What’s a breakfast without greek yogurt? Alright, enough chit-chat–look down for this 5-10 minute breakfast recipe.

Ingredients

2 Van’s protein waffles
2 dollops of 0% Fage Greek yogurt (or any kind you have)
1/2 tsp butter (optional)
100% pure maple syrup OR agave nectar
2 strawberries (but any fruit will do)

[I’m literally salivating as I write this–it’s that good]

Directions

Put waffles into toaster/toaster oven for 5-10 minutes (or until golden brown on both sides)

If you want to, spread a minuscule amount of butter atop the two waffles and plate them.
Put a spoonful of greek yogurt on each waffle

Pour your syrup or agave on top (however much you’d like)
Cut up your fruit and put on top

And DIG IN. I literally look forward to this the night before I know I have time in the morning to make it. It’s a perfect-sized breakfast with enough protein to start the day off deliciously and will keep you satisfied more than that bowl of Raisin Bran. Next time you go waffle shopping, try Van’s. It is so worth it. This is a mouth-watering breakfast that doesn’t leave you feeling guilty or heavy afterwards. I have a very active job (I’m a personal trainer after all…) and this is the perfect thing to start the day right. This is a meal that will encourage you to be…hungry and fit! ENJOY!

I mean, come on, LOOK AT THAT

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria being lazy and tired…and cute

May032013

Health and Fitness Reviews: King Spa (Fort Lee, NJ)

While I was in Korea, I spent a lot of time in a place known as a jjimjilbang. It’s essentially a spa, translates into heated bath room, but it’s unlike those I’ve found in the United States (Not that I go to many spas). Although King Spa is not as extravagant, in terms of activities to do, it is an excellent destination. Essentially I want to discuss these places so that you can look for one near you and experience something amazing.

It’s a treat for the body and mind. The ones in the United States, including King Spa, are ridiculously more expensive than those in all parts of Korea. I’ve stayed in ones in Seoul, Boryeong, Jukjeon, and Donghae. Maybe some others but I can’t really remember. I spent the most time in Jukjeon because it was so close to the school I attended so I frequented those jjimjilbang and they were obviously my favorite. But moving on to why they are so amazing.

King Spa

At King Spa, you can park your car and enter the spa for a full day and night of peace and relaxation… and delicious food! Obviously the choice of food and television is Korean and there are mostly Korean Americans at King Spa, but you get other individuals that have discovered the magic within as well. They have lots of showers and different temperature baths. There is a nice warm one, a burning hot one, and a freezing cold one.

There are also equivalents for steam rooms. These are painfully hot. In my opinion, the main attractions are these dome like rooms that are typically made of mud that contain special scents and materials that help heal the body. These domes are also temperature controlled and they range from hundreds of degrees to freezing. Some rooms require wearing burlap sacks and some have snowmen in them. There are chairs for watching television and relaxing and rooms dedicated to complete sleep and relaxation. There are tons of delicious food to snack on and if you want to find out more about the food there… then make sure to read our review on Korea House in Boulder. Alana also gave her go at Korean food too.

I don’t want to go into too much depth because King Spa doesn’t have as much to offer as places in South Korea, but it is your responsibility to treat your body right. Find a spa like one of these and treat yourself to some rest, relaxation and recovery. It will make you healthier and stronger and such a happier person. Find a jjimjilbang if you want to stay hungry and fit!

This picture was AFTER all-you-can-eat sushi at around 11pm after no sleep from flying to NJ. But still happy

May022013

Healthier Fish and Chips

I say healthier because fried fish and chips are to some degree “unhealthy” due to the oil. However, I did not use as much oil as calls for in most recipes and I did not beer-batter the fish or the fries either. So you don’t have to feel too bad eating this, it’s good fresh fish, with a light crust, and sweet potato fries instead of regular potatoes.

DELICIOUS

You may be surprised to hear that growing up (in Southern California, no less), I didn’t like seafood. With the exception of fried calamari, but what kid doesn’t like that. The only real fish I would eat were fish & chips from Jack n the Box. It was mum and I’s go-to quick meal if it were just the two of us. And not only was that the only fish I would eat, but the only way I would eat them is literally to put them in a pool of malted vinegar. I am not exaggerating, my family can testify–a pool. Completely saturated. And I would eat it. Jeez, looking back, I wonder how much malted vinegar we went through because of me.

Anyways, now that I’m a weirdatarian (only eat hunted or wild caught meat/fish), I eat lots of fish now because it’s much more common to get wild caught fish than hunted game in a restaurant or the grocery. So here I am, cooking up some wild cod and sweet potato fries for dinner. I got the recipe from this lovely blog and altered it to fit me. Instead of tartar sauce, we used ketchup and salsa (yes, we’re strange).

Prep Time: 15-25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients

1/2 pound wild cod
1 huge white sweet potato
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp old bay
salt & pepper
olive oil

Directions

Cut sweet potato into 1/4 inch thick long pieces

Put sweet potato slices into a bowl of cold water and leave them there while you work on the fish

Get three plate-bowls (or pie dishes) ready. Put the flour in one, the eggs in one, and the panko in the last. Beat the eggs with a fork.

Slice your fish into a few inch cuts
Cover all sides of fish with flour. Shake any excess flour off and move to the egg. Make sure you get it soaked on each side. Finally, completely cover and bread the fish with the panko

Ready to be cooked

Lay out the fries and dry them from the water. Season with salt, pepper, and old bay.
Heat up oil in a deep straight-edged pot. Make sure there is 1-2 inches of oil in the pot.
Get the oil so it’s hot and sizzling. Drop the fries in the oil and let it fry. Cook for about 4-8 minutes, until golden brown.
Lay out the fries. Pick up your fish and place it in the hot oil. This only takes 4 minutes. You want to turn the fish as each side gets browned.

And that’s it! We had a beautiful salad (that Chris made) with spinach, red cabbage, carrots, feta, and more to go with the fish and chips. The longest part about this process is cutting the sweet potato and even that doesn’t take long. So grab some fresh-caught fish and fry it up! Enjoy!

DELICIOUS

Salad

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah ninja-attack

May012013

H&F Attend Puttin’ On the Leash 2013: Animals in Wonderland (HSBV)

This past Saturday night the Humane Society of Boulder Valley held its annual Puttin’ On the Leash event. The theme for the 21st year was Animals in Wonderland (influenced by the story Alice in Wonderland) and there were lots of fun costumes and decorations to play into that theme. As soon as I saw advertising on their web page and in their thrift store, I was immediately curious. I saw that it was a fundraiser and silent auction so I immediately bought us two tickets because I love auctions!

The table seating and premium seating were all sold out, so I bought general admission tickets at $60 a piece and it was quite a steal in the end. The event was catered by some great food providers and there was free liquor. It was also all you can eat and drink. So we ate a ton and drank a good amount. It was not extremely long but just the right length. We walked through the doors a bit before 6 p.m. and left around 10 p.m. For the first two hours we walked around eating and checking out all of the auctions… bidding on the ones that were interesting. We were probably some of the least wealthy individuals there so it was hard to compete with large older bankrolls but we did our best.

Adorable kittens to “awww” over

“Mad Tea”–the special bourbon/lemonade drink of the night

In the end, there wasn’t much that we really had to have with the exception of a series of paintings by Scott Kennedy about dogs (huskies/malamutes). I won one of the three and although it was my least favorite, it was Alana’s favorite, so I was happy. A lot of people immediately bought some items at a buy it now price which really ruined the spirit of the auction, in my opinion.

The one we won–up on our bedroom wall

We also won a private tour and lunch for eight people at the Celestial Seasonings factory, an Ubooly, two salon grade haircuts, and a Moosejaw clothing package. All in all it was an expensive night but the money went to a good cause… the source of three of our little precious babies (Sajah, Nymeria, and Misty). The HSBV hoped to raise 115k and it ended up raising 370k so we are thrilled for them.

The live auction was in another world because the starting bids ranged from $1,000 to $7,500. Even though we were only interested in a few prizes, we could not compete but it was fun to watch the auction. It was a tremendously fun time and part of one of the best Saturdays of my life. Not only do we plan on returning next year but I’m going to save up for the event and buy premium seating ahead of time. Check it out if you’re in the area or just visit the HSBV to see all their adorable rescue animals! Having a pet can really help you stay hungry and fit!

Live auction

A great part of our Saturday–finally a beautiful weekend!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria and Sajah

Apr252013

Scrumptious Whole-Wheat Banana Date Muffins

We had dates and bananas that needed to be used. Okay maybe the dates didn’t need to be used since they last forever, but I’ve been wanting to try this. Like my other muffin recipe (which this one is actually based on), it’s super simple and quick to do. I threw this together late last night after a leg workout. It’s very healthy, estimated at about 167 calories with 3 grams of protein and fiber! Not too shabby.

Prep Time: 7 minutes
Bake Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
10 dates
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
3/8 cup honey [a little more than 1/3]
2 eggs
2 bananas mashed
1/4 cup hot water

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together dry ingredients: whole-wheat flour, salt, and baking soda

Chop up your dates, 5 into little pieces, 5 into long quarters

Put dry ingredients to the side and get a bigger mixing bowl. Put the olive oil and honey into big bowl and whisk!

Crack both eggs and drop them in. Whisk away!
Now, mash your bananas so they are nice and smooth. Scrape the bananas into the wet mixture
Add the finely chopped dates (don’t put in the long date quarters)

Slowly stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with pouring in hot water

Grease your muffin tin and pour them in. Make sure they don’t overflow, but you want them high enough so they puff over the top when baked.

Top each muffin with the quarter slivers of dates we cut ahead of time as a garnish!

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Mine took about 17 minutes

And enjoy! Oh they are SO good warm right out of the oven. And of course, before I brought them into work, I had to taste test them. And…I approve! Another fail-proof recipe to enjoy and not feel the slightest guilt eating them.

BONUS KITTY PIC

Nymeria cuddling Chris

Apr242013

Bibimbap: Korea’s Perfect Meal

Let me start off by saying I’m pretty proud of myself for creating this dish tonight after a day’s worth of work and a workout. It took a good bit of work and time, but it was so worth it. Most of you are probably wondering…what in the heck is bibimbap? Well thanks to my Korean-obsessed partner, I am now blessed to the amazingness that is Korean food (and yes amazingness is a word). Bibimbap is basically mixed rice with vegetables, but is so much more. It really proves why and how Koreans are so healthy and why the obesity rate is so low there. I can’t wait to move to South Korea one day where this will be a regular meal.

You can really make it your own, using a variety of vegetables and proteins. I used this recipe and this one as well, deciding from each what I wanted to do. Chris had a so-so day so I wanted to surprise him with a Korean dinner that he would really enjoy. Now that I know how to do it from heart, I believe I will be doing this on the regular (I know that makes Chris happy).

Prep Time (for n00bs like me): 20-40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2.5 normal people (Chris isn’t normal)

It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but it really is a simple dish once you get the hang of it. Let’s first start off with a special sauce that is for non-spice people (Chris unfortunately can’t have spice). It’s easy and delicious.

Ingredients

4 green onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame teriyaki
1 clove minced garlic

Directions

Chop up the green onions and put into small bowl
Pour in the soy sauce
Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Stir well

Now onto the good stuff– the bibimbap!

Ingredients

red cabbage
2 small zucchini
bag of bean sprouts
spinach
1 cup (uncooked) rice
5 mushrooms (any kind)
4 baby carrots (you can use regular)
2 eggs
1 Korean radish
sesame seeds
soy sauce
sesame sauce
garlic
salt and pepper

Directions

First off, I didn’t include cooking time of the rice. I did a running and core workout, so before I started that, I put the rice on ahead of time. DO THIS
Rinse your bean sprouts and cook them in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain them and season them with your special sauce and some salt

Bring a pot of water to a boil (doesn’t need to be much water). Grab your spinach (whether it be a bunch or separate leaves) and put into boiling water for 1 minute. Take out and drain, run cold water over it, wring it out, then season with salt and sauce.

Cut all your veggies into thin slices and sprinkle salt over

Separately, saute each veggie one by one [except for carrots] in pan over medium-high heat. You can use oil and garlic, or use the special sauce we created earlier to season and wet them. You only need to cook them for a few minutes to heat them up and infuse them with flavor.
You can either put them back on the cutting board OR have the rice ready in a wide bowl. Place the veggies in a circular fashion on the rice, leaving the middle open

Waiting for a few more ingredients..

For the carrots, just throw them in the hot pan for 30 seconds, so that they’re still crisp
For the last ingredient, throw your egg (or eggs if you’re making for two or more people) in the pan on medium heat. You want to cook it sunny side up (over easy). Put the egg in the middle

Ready to be eaten

Pour the special sauce over the top for extra flavor. And that’s it! Not so hard, is it? It looks like a long list of ingredients, but once you get the hang of it, it can be done quickly (as I found out the next night–yes, I made this two nights in a row…red cabbage goes forever!). You can cycle a ton of different ingredients into this. Whatever you have or whatever is fresh at the market. Last night, I used green pepper, beets, and tofu as well as some from the night before.

A traditional way to do this is to serve it in a hot stone bowl, so that the rice gets crispy on the bottom. I did this style for Chris, but it was less attractive as it was a little too big. But that same fresh delicious FILLING flavor.

Chris’ “plate”

It didn’t last long as we both dug in and watched Chopped All-Stars. I, of course, couldn’t finish it all so Chris ate his huge serving AND the rest of mine. Big surprise.

After we tore into it

Enjoy! And use this recipe to…stay hungry and fit!

Apr232013

The Best of Best of Boulder County 2012

This is a review of a review. Every year the readers of Boulder Weekly vote on the Best of Boulder County and while it is all opinion, local businesses love to hang their awards throughout their shops and eateries. Although we haven’t even lived here for a year, we have tried to eat and venture to as many places that our busy lives allow. We are also very opinionated, especially when it comes to food. People can claim they love food as much as me but I would challenge you to put your money where your mouth is if you doubt our hunger. So I’m essentially going to flip from page to page and rant when I feel necessary so hang in there.

The cover features a picture of Naoto Kanda, the owner of Sushi Zanmai. His restaurant won Best Japanese Restaurant. Despite recommendations from my boss, Ryan, and our family/friend, Fred, we have yet to try this location because every time we walk by it is closed. Despite mediocre Yelp reviews, we’re going ASAP so look for an upcoming review.

Before I move on, since I have already gone through the whole magazine, I would like to say that this isn’t really a fair judge of the Best of Boulder County. I would venture to estimate that 90% of the votes received are from people living in Boulder like ourselves. Other towns in Boulder County, with lower populations and population density, most likely are not fairly represented but it is a poll for readers and everyone acknowledges that truth.

Best American Bistro… who cares. I don’t eat bistro sized or priced portions typically so I can’t say much about the top five here. Best Appetizers went to The Med and the one time we went we did enjoy the multitude of appetizers that our large group got so fair enough. Who cares about best brunch? Not me. I want more meals so I break them down… not combine them.

Megan's Graduation...and Chris has Bell's Palsy here so no judging!

Megan’s Graduation at The Med…and Chris has Bell’s Palsy here so no judging!

Here is the first crime. Best Asian Fusion Restaurant. Chez Thuy won with Japango coming in fourth place. Chez Thuy was one of our worst dining experiences yet. We ordered a lot of variety and nearly everything we had was bad. Not decent, but bad. The pad thai was awful. Second worst I’ve ever had to Pong Sri in New York City. Japango was also a bad meal and the menu did not represent many Asian cultures. You want good Asian Fusion… go to Kho’s Asian Bistro in Longmont. It’s New York or L.A. quality.

Kho’s

I’d have to give Best Bakery to Spruce Confections. Their pies and croissants made our family from across the country and world very happy on Thanksgiving. Breadworks serves “fresh” bread at the Farmer’s Market and by fresh I mean stale. Dot’s Diner rightfully wins best breakfast for the bucks. Don’t sleep on The Buff or Turley’s for best breakfast even though they place third and not on the top five. And please try the Panaderia on 28th Street. It has a museum’s worth of delicious Mexican and Latin American baked choices. That should definitely be on the top five for best bakery now that we think about it.

Our latest trip to Spruce

Dot’s Diner breakfast

Us at the Buff! (that's my brother on the left)

Us at the Buff! (that’s Alana’s brother on the left)

Racks of delicious baked goods at Panaderia

Larkburger winning best burger is a sham. It was the worst burger I’ve had in town yet. Expensive, slow, small, and worthless. Mountain Sun takes the cake for me, and Mustard’s Last Stand is the best burger for the buck. Moe’s bagels and service has been awful every time that I have gone and we have Einstein’s in Pennsylvania so it wins by default for having locations near New Jersey and New York.

Tempeh burger at Mustard’s (basically what Alana gets)

Las Palmeras in Longmont has the best burritos along with some Taqueria on Lashley Street. Seriously, if Boulder locations win best burrito with the population of Mexican Americans that exist in Longmont, it’s obvious where people have eaten. Not in the right place. China Gourmet and Tsing Tao are the best Chinese restaurants. China Gourmet is one of the best Chinese food places I have ever eaten in my life. If you want a good restaurant dessert, you need to go back to Kho’s Asian Bistro or Pasta Vino in Boulder. They have a tower of puff pastry and fresh fruit greatness that tops anything I had at The Med.

Pasta Vino awesome dessert

I have no quarrels with Best Fine Dining because we’ve only been to John’s Restaurant and The Cork. Ripple and Glacier win as they should for frozen yogurt and ice cream. Tibet Kitchen should win best Indian/Nepali Restaurant or whatever category it fits best into. We haven’t been happy with any Italian yet so that’s that.

Tibet Kitchen…heaven

Snarf’s sandwiches are the best. Sun Deli has some good sandwiches as well, definitely better than Deli Zone. Best overall restaurants are Kho’s Asian Bistro and Korea House. Tibet Kitchen and Mediterranean Market are best non restaurant style eateries. Abo’s is the best slice and pizzeria… the makers of this poll don’t know what a pizzeria is. The best gyro is Med Market and not Falafel King. Kho’s and Korea house have the highest quality fish for sushi we’ve had so far. Much higher than Tora and Japango. Tibet Kitchen is the most vegetarian friendly so says Alana the veggie. It also gets the best chai drink. You can tell where we like to eat right? Well that’s enough of my ranting. I’ll stop there before we get into gyms and grocery stores and useless things. We’ll try more restaurants and have a better input for next year. Stay hungry and fit!

Alana's choice...Tuna Melt with everything from tomatoes to lettuce to hot peppers

Snarf’s

Mediterranean Market platter

Apr222013

Biscuits, Tofu, and Vegetarian Gravy

So this is a twist on the traditional biscuits and gravy. First of all, the biscuits are pretty healthy. Second of all, the gravy is vegetarian. So those are two big upsets there. And if you’re a constant reader on this blog, you know that we do tofu and we do it well. This idea came from a friend of ours from Bali. She made it for us a few weeks ago, and I know how much Chris loves biscuits and gravy, so I gave it a try and it turned out wonderfully. I took the recipe from several different places and made my own. Let’s start with the gravy first.

Vegetarian Gravy

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-45 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
2.5 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp dried sage
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 onion [I only used 3/4 one]
1 clove garlic

Directions

Chop up the onion and garlic
In a medium pot, heat the oil and then add the onion and garlic. Only cook until soft (not brown)

Add the sage and thyme
Slowly add in the flour and cook until the mixture is a golden brown

: Now to brown…

Pour in the vegetable stock and continue to whisk and/or stir to prevent clumping. You want the mixture to simmer as long as it needs to until it thickens

Once thick, put the gravy through a strainer in order to discard the garlic and onions and let the rest go into a pot for serving.

Your gravy is ready to go! Just put on low heat until everything else is ready.

Now as you were letting the gravy thicken, you should start the biscuits. Let’s try these out, it’s a very easy recipe!

Biscuits

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 1/3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl
In a smaller bowl, combine the buttermilk, olive oil and honey

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until it is well-mixed and dough-y.

On a lightly-floured surface or cutting board, knead the dough for about 12 strokes and then roll to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Mine were all different because that’s how I…roll.

Cut into pieces and place on an non-greased baking sheet
Put into oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown [this is when you start working on the tofu…]
Make sure to serve warm!

While that’s baking, quick let’s do the tofu!

Tofu

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 box firm tofu
nutritional yeast flakes
olive oil

Directions

Drain the tofu juice out of the box and place the tofu on cutting board. Cut long-ways first, into thin 1/2 inch pieces
Cut short-ways, making little squares
Have a pan hot with a very light amount of olive oil and carefully place tofu on the pan, letting each have enough room to cook. I put the temperature on a little less than high (medium-high)
Takes about 5-10 minutes to cook, I use a fork to turn them over. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn on the outside, but get cooked on the inside. Turn them over one by one when the first side is done.
After both sides are ready, pop them onto a plate. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast flakes on top of each piece

Okay, so all of our dishes are ready to be put together! Let’s do this

Directions

Open the biscuits and lay the tofu on top of one half
Once the biscuits are ready, go ahead and SMOTHER THEM with gravy!

It may look like a mess, but boy is it delicious! We ate all of it up (somehow), and I was incredibly full after but it was well-worth it. We ended up burning it off while trying to sled down a hill after 13 inches of snowfall last weekend. That was a blast.

You could try this with regular gravy or store-bought biscuits, but I always prefer to make my own. I actually bought a Pillsbury can of biscuits just in case I screwed up (I obviously have incredible faith in my biscuit-baking ability), but never used it. It looks like a lot of work but, boy, is it worth it!

Cheers! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Apr212013

Ridiculously Easy and Healthy Oat Chocolate Chip Raisin Drops

This one has no sugar or flour…OR EGGS. Wait, what? How is this possible? You got me, but it worked and here they are…delicious, warm, and gooey. I got it from this awesome blog, and added a little bit to it. I’m amazed at A) How healthy these are (just choc chips + raisins for sweetness), B) How easy it is (took me 5 minutes to assemble), and C) How good they are! You can play around with the recipe, add or subtract, have fun with it! And you don’t have to feel guilty eating them. A healthy, nutritious (delicious) snack awaiting your baking:

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Baking Time: 12-16 minutes

Ingredients

2 large bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oats
handful of raisins
small handful chocolate chips [optional]

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
Mash up the bananas til they’re smooth and gooey

Mix bananas with oats in a medium-sized bowl
Pour in the cinnamon and then fold in raisins and chocolate chips

Place little rounds on a greased cookie sheet and place in oven for 12-16 minutes

Deeeeelicious!

And that’s it. What’s an easier baked good than that? PLUS with it being so healthy! I’m very happy I found this recipe and I have a feeling I will be frequenting it. Cheers! And stay hungry and fit!

BONUS KITTY PIC