Tofu Overload Part I

As I mentioned in my previous post, I don't really eat that much carbs or meat at dinner because I'm just left with a very sensitive stomach in the morning. Hence, my main source of protein becomes tofu which I don't mind becase I LOVE it. 

Yes, strangely I'm getting used to nonalcoholic beer. It's just like bitter and flavored version of carbonated water. :P

Today's meal: tofu steak, flax-seed crackers with onion anchovie paste, tamagoyaki, assrted pickles, namasu, daikon/seaweed salad

This tofu steak is awesome because it's crispy on the outside and so so soft on the inside! Plus as always, simple to the max. Just rid of excess water in tofu (cover with papertowel and stick it in the microwave so the towel will soak up the water) and coat it with cornstarch. Grill with olive oil until surface browns and hardens. I topped it off with a onion and carrot vinegrette salad but you can top it with anything because tofu is so versatile. Another favorite of mine is to have it with soy sauce and some green onions.  

Detox Weekend

As a way to reprimand myself from my behavior last week, I went on a detox diet of no sugar, no meat, and no alcohol this weekend. I also had a full body detox done with yoga and running session in between.

Though I must say, I feel so much more healthier and energized today. And I lost 2 kilos in a weekend.

Non-caloric & non-alcoholic beer was my best buddy. Oh my. Shockingly (and a bit sadly) I've come to like it quite a bit.


Today's meal: sauteed eggplant over tofu, daikon pickles, rice crackers my mom gave me, namasu (marinated carrot/daikon), hijiki tamagoyaki, simmered kabocha, seaweed & daikon salad, non-alcoholic beer

Sunday Afternoon

These days I spend my weekend afternoons in the kitchen. I do all my week's worth of cooking in one sitting. It may sound like a tiring process but it only takes about an hour and a half. I just put on a movie or bunch of podcasts and time just flies by. Not only do I save on money by going out to eat less but I also save daily cooking and cleaning time, not to mention gas/water bill. But most importantly it saves me on thinking what I should have for dinner everyday because I map out a whole menu for the week while I'm cooking!

I put everything in plastic bags or tupperware and store them in the freezer and fridge:

Plus I think all the chopping and packing is weirdly soothing...I think that's only me but hey whatever helps!

CADOS

Avocados, the miracle food from mother natre.

In my family, we slice it and eat with soy sauce like sashimi. During college, I used to stock up on them to make dips like guacamole or spreads for sandwices.

But recently I discovered it tastes absolutley the best with lemon juice and salt. I topped it off with my marinated onions and mixed it with some mayonnaise and topped it with blck pepper.


Absoluely amazing and it's healthy! Miracle indeed.


In my family, the most common way to

Low and Nutritious

OH goodness. I've realized I gained 2kgs in the past 2 weeks so it's mandatory that I need to get my body in order. However with that said, I do eat 3 meals a day and exercise daily so nothing to the extreme. I'm just "tidying up" on my meals shall I say? I think I'd go crazy if I had to eliminate meals.





Today's meal: mushroom salad with flax seed oil, Asian-style shirataki noodle stirfry, 1/2 glass OJ, sashimi and avocado salad (appx 480 kcal)


Asian-style Shirataki Noodle Stirfry
I stirfried shirataki with leftover vegetables on hand and added grated ginger, soysauce, sake, garlic powder, Vietnamese hot sauce, and a little bit of chicken broth. Topped it with sesame to give it a nice aroma. It's so flavorful and healthy at the same time. And do note it's 7kcal for 1 shirtaki pack. Score.

Sashimi Avocado Salad
The wonderful thing about supermarket in Japan is that you can get sashimi on sale if you go right before it closes. A pack of tuna and octopus sashimi for $2.80! Double score.


I mixed this with dice-cut avocados and marinated onions and voila:

It's full of anti-oxidants and good rich sources of good oil.

Btw, I always keep marinated onions (mix sliced onions, flax seed oil, parsely, salt, vinegar, olive oil, pepper) on stock in my fridge because it's so extremely useful. It's great to add on top of grilled meat or fish and it also serves as a dressing for salads. 


Ever since I started to pre-prepare my food on the weekends, all this takes maybe about 10-15 minutes to make. It saves time and money and needless to say a lot of mess in my tiny kitchen so it's working out wonderfully :)

Meal

All the chopping and steaming I did really paid off because I was able to make all this plus packed a lunch in about 20 minutes!  Talk about a time saver :)

Today's meal: 1/2 glass of OJ, carrot salad, steamed pupkins, tofu steak with green onion and ginger, grilled salmon with marinated onions, greens and mushroom stirfry with pasta, yogurt with prune, pickles

Meal

I realized that I gained 3lbs after my running season officially ended as of last week. I'm cutting down on drinking at home and switching to non-calorie non-alcohol beer (yes, it exists and actually quite popular here). All my repatoire has also switched to vegetarian but I made it look colorful so doesn't look too bad right? 

Pancakes

People think that because I'm Japanese, I'm good at cooking Japanese food. The thing is, I'm better at Chinese food. My ex-rooomates and a lot of my friends are Chinese American so I've learned more from than rather than my mom.




These green onion pancakes I leared from my ex-roommate whom she got the recipe from her grandmother. The tip is to use a lot of sesame oil both in the dough and when frying it. Also roll the dough in circle layers. The layers gives it a flaky, pie-crust kind of effect when you fry it.

It's good as is or with some soy sauce but I like it with a bit of hot sauce, cilantro, and grated ginger.

And the grand total is...

Apparently the tab from my coworker drink session last week was 20,000 yen (appx $245) so I am broke to the bone. I need to be a hermit for the rest of the month and not go out. I don't really like eating out anyway so it's good, but it'll be a challenge not hitting the bars after a stressful day of work....let's see how this goes!

Today's meal: natto pancakes, miso soup, shiroae (spinach salad with mashed tofu), takuan pickles,  avocado salad, 1/2 glass of orange juice, strawberries

Beauty of Food

Ah yes, food is beautiful. Very very beautiful.

Well, unfortunately it's just my dinner so I don't know it's not really the case.. (Sorry pics of good Tokyo food to come next time!)

Ever since I picked up running again and started training for races, I stopped eating meat for dinner. I train after work so the streneous workouts/runs really put a burden on my digestive system afterwards and used to wake up the next morning ill. I was never a big meat-eater so I switched to eating meat at lunch and then fish & vegetables at night and it's made a big difference. The habit just stuck even on days when I don't run and it's a good one for sure!

Today's dinner: grilled salmon with chives, miso soup, stirfried cabbage with organic olive oil, Korean style namul, onion/carrot salad in balsamico vinegrette, strawberries, daikon pickles, 1/2 glass of orange juice