Back in the Game with a Vegan House Party!

So sorry for the several week hiatus!

Between school ramping up and my internship and law review and training for the marathon I have been completely stripped of all of my blogging time!

But don't worry because this post will make up for it!

Really.

There are no cupcakes in it BUT it is full of lots of other fun stuff to entertain you.

First things first!

FOOD

Colin and I had a house party for Jefferson Smith (Portland Mayoral Candidate)!

Ever heard of him? He's pretty cool. Check him out here if you have a sec.

We've gone to a couple of his events and done a bunch of research and are pretty jazzed on this guy.

See how jazzed we are?

So jazzed. In fact, we like this guy so much we threw him a party!

And the best party about parties is the food. And the drinks, of course (Shout out to Burnside Brewing for the keg donation).

But really, the food.

To start out the table I prepared two kinds of Bruschetta (pre-made from Trader Joe's - don't give me too much credit but at least I made it look pretty).

Traditional Bruschetta atop basil and a toasted baguette and drizzled with a classy balsamic vinegar.

Eggplant and sundried tomato tapenade atop basil, vegan cream cheese and toasted baguette.

Chocolate dipped strawberries. My Go-To at events like this. Easy to prep, easy to keep and everyone loves them.

Aaand the BEST part:

My SUPER GREEN cous cous salad.

Why is it SUPER GREEN you may ask?

Because stuffed into this gorgeous little fresh spring salad are each of the following green things:

• Edamame
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Basil
• Parsley
• "Noodled" zucchini 

Take that, mix it with two boxed of Trader Joe's Israeli Cous Cous, the juice from an entire lemon, 1/4 cup Vegenaise (or more, to taste), a hefty sprinkling of salt and pepper and a kick of hot sauce and you have this delicious and wildly popular spring salad.

Perfect for parties.

Rounding out the rest of the spread was: veggie straws, pop chips, homemade veggie tray w/pita bread, a 4-hummus platter and guacamole and salsa with tortilla chips!

All in all (thanks to the food, all of Colin's work and Jefferson's charming company) the party was a blast and I think everyone had a great time :) Including us! Such a successful feeling. 


Also in the news - Colin and I and some law school friends participated in one of Portland's biggest races: The Shamrock Run!

It was an absolute blast (other than being freezing and snowing for part of the time) and I'm very excited for the 10k and half-marathon races we have coming up! (OK - Colin is doing the 10k but I couldn't convince him of the merits of a half).

Training is going great -- lots of kettle bell classes and integrative weight and circuit workouts.

Despite the endless rain and homework I have not been slacking on my training! Yay!

Send me good sunny vibes in the next few weeks as I prep for these races!


Last but not least - Wyatt requested a little shout out.

 There he is. Adorable as usual.

(By the way: His tongue doesn't always stick out - just in case that wasn't clear)


In conclusion: Happy Spring!

Live long and prosper! And throw some killer parties!

Asparagus and Pesto Tofu Scramble

 

After stocking my fridge with a full batch of radish pesto yesterday, I have been cooking up a delicious pesto storm!

Trying to be more creative than my usual "pesto pasta with zucchini," I decided to use the zippy radish pesto in this complimentary tofu and asparagus dish because I knew would result in a great meal AND great lunch leftovers (I pack my mom's lunches for her. Sometimes I label them for the day of the week. We have a pretty good thing going on in our household).

Tofu is a great base to use when cooking with strong herbs or sauces like pesto because of its ability to absorb and disseminate all those lovely flavors. I am one of those freaks who loves to eat plain tofu straight out of the container (and do, frequently) but if you are just beginning to experiment with it or if you are cooking for a non-believer, use something flavorful like a pesto to help you ease into the glorious world of tofu.

Asparagus and Pesto Tofu Scramble

• 1 block tofu, cut into small cubes
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 lb asparagus, chopped
• 4-6oz crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly
• salt/pepper/garlic powder/paprika/italian seasoning - to taste (about 2 tsp total I would say)
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 head rainbow chard or other greens, chopped (mine came from the garden - yay!)
• 1 recipe garden-fresh radish pesto

Start by dry-frying your tofu in a smaller NON-STICK pan. Bring pan up to temperature over medium heat and toss in your tofu (no need for oil or fat source here; that's why it's called dry-frying). Lightly cook the tofu on each side until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a larger fry pan, bring your veggie oil (I used grapeseed) up to temperature over medium-low heat. Toss in your onions and saute them for 2-3 minutes before adding the asparagus and mushrooms. Continue to saute for another 5-6 minutes before adding in the tofu.

You want to add in your spices and nutritional yeast right after you add in the tofu to allow them to toast up before you add in the pesto for maximum flavor enhancement. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes.

As soon as the asparagus is cooked evenly - not too soggy and not too stringy - toss in your greens, spices, nutritional yeast and pesto and give the whole thing a good stir.

Cover the pan and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or until the greens are wilted!

Serve right on up and enjoy!

 

Live long and prosper! And don't fear tofu!