Busy, busy time of year!

It's a busy time of year for us teachers, so I'll keep this short and sweet (and yummy!). My hubby was away for a bit recently, so I was able to explore some recipes that I know he'd have no interest in. For example, he doesn't like coconut or ginger flavored foods, at least at dinner time. I try to explain to him that the coconut is not at all sweet, and you really can barely tell the flavor sometimes, but he doesn't care.

So, pictured here is the Tofu Satay with Coconut Peanut Sauce, from The Candle Cafe Cookbook. I actually didn't use their coconut peanut sauce, because I still had lots left over from the Snow Pea and Soba Noodle Salad (Vegetarian Times) recipe I had made the night before (another recipe he wouldn't have cared for, I think). So, using the other sauce and some vine ripe tomatoes (not pear or grape ones), I had an excellent, hot weather dish! I prepared the marinade in the morning, and by evening it was ready to be baked! The tofu came out awesome - spicy and herby, and so perfect with the sauce!

For those interested in protein, tofu is an excellent source, with 9.2 grams per serving (4 oz.- that's almost 20% of your daily needs) with almost no saturated fat and only 86 calories! That is zero cholesterol, by the way, compared with 25mg per serving of meat. It is also a wonderful source of calcium, omega- 3's (14.4%), iron, selenium, and copper! I always mention tofu when some asks me, "but do you get enough calcium?" I was annoyed the other day at a friend asking me, "I'm concerned that you are not eating healthy enough. Are you getting all your nutrients?" If I ate any more healthier, organic, natural foods, I'd throw up.

I used the leftover coconut milk from the sauce to help cook down and flavor the red kale, which I secured at the local farmer's market. I was excited to get the kale, because it was from an "all natural" vendor, who stated she didn't use any chemicals or pesticides, but wouldn't apply for the organic label because it still allows farmers to use 5% non-organic materials! Way to go!

That weekend was also the last meeting (until the fall) for my local vegetarian group. I made these Cookies and Cream cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, for the potluck meeting. I could have eaten the icing (buttercream with crushed cookies mixed in) straight out of the bowl. Wait a minute - I did. Anyway, the cookies are Newman's Organics, not Oreos, which actually are still vegan but probably definitely not as healthy and definitely not organic. Unfortunately, the pictures came out kinda' crappy. Still, there wasn't a single cupcake left at the end!
















Last, we have the cookies I baked in record time last night, due to thunder in the distance, and then crashing all around me. I was yelling at the storm, "Stay away until I'm done baking!" It pretty much did. Thanks to Isa again, for her wonderful Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (I think they are also entitled, Gigantoid, but I made them the regular size). These got eaten up by my Sierra Club friends. If you haven't made these yet, you must!!
Well, that's it for now - I've got some studying to do and report cards to write and parent volunteer gifts to make. Oh, and a few dishes to wash...