I heart Asian grocery stores

Today I loaded with friends and gossip and I repeated my study-abroad adventures for the gazillion time! I'm so glad to see again all the people that I missed when I was in Belgium and I even managed to eat in my fav place in Pavia (my University city, by the way). I'm looking forward to return there to live at the end of this month.

Dinner was the same as yesterday, but I diligently documented the whole process this time. Sorry for the yellowish light, I should buy daylight bulbs.

Soba, Tofu and Veggies Stir-Fry

Ingredients (for one):

3 oz. (90gr) Soba noodles

Coarse Salt

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 oz. extra-firm Tofu

drained and cut in cubes

1/4 red Bell Pepper, ribs and seeds

removed, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 Zucchini, chopped

3 big leaves of Bok Choy,

trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

a little more than 1/2 tbsp peanut butter

1/2 tbsp apple vinegar

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

1. Cook soba noodles in a large pot of salted water until al dente, following the package directions. Drain, and then rinse with coldwater; set aside.



2. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet overmedium-high heat; add tofu and season with salt. Cook,tossing occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.Transfer to a plate; set aside.



3. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in same skillet overmedium-high. Add bell peppers, zucchini, bok choy, garlic,and red pepper flakes; season with salt. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally until vegetablesare crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.





4. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter and 2 tablespoons water, then whisk in vinegar and soy sauce. Add reserved noodles, tofu, and sauce to pan with veggies. Cook, tossing until noodles are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.



Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Whole living

***

Tomorrow I think I'll return in my normal (?) regime of photograph every meal. I successfully completed two weeks resolutions (still no flossing, though! Bad bad!!).

The Hal's plan provided rest for today, but I walked a lot (3 hours at least) since I needed to run some errands and I came home by foot from the station while chatting with a friend.

Now I'm off to some blog reading- on Friday night, I know, lame- but everyone has to study and I'm strangely tired in this period even though I sleep a lot.

Do you like Soba noodles? How do you usually cook them?

Making Peanut Butter is fun!

(if you bought unshelled peanut!)

Yesterday evening, after a second unsuccessful trip to the grocery store for looking for
my drug
Peanut Butter, I decided to do it myself (I told you I was addicted!). I found a uber-easy  recipe with photos (I’m totally picture-dependent when it comes to food and recipes) here, so after dinner, while watching Hitch for the second time (it gave me the right strenght to persist in doing what you’ll see soon), I started.

Home-made Crunchy Peanut Butter

Ingredients for one jar:

2 abundant cups of dry roasted unshelled peanuts

1 tsp of vanilla extract

a pinch of salt (I used 1/2 tsp)

Normally, the whole proceeding takes 10-12 minutes, but only if you have roasted unshelled peanuts. Well, I didn’t find those! At the grocery store there were only dry roasted salted unshelled peanuts OR dry roasted shelled peanuts. As you can see, I chose the latter, thinking that for obtaining 2 cups I should have not unshell 500 gr of peanuts with bare hands (cooking can be as hard as a boot camp sometines!). I think the next time I’ll make half and half and I won’t add salt!!

Directions:

Put a little more than 1 cup and half of peanuts in the food processor for 7-8 minutes, mixing from times to times (when the food processor is off!). The peanuts should be creamy and oily. Add a pinch of salt (approx 1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and the remaining peanuts to make the crunchy part. Process for other 5 minutes approx. to achieve the desidered consistency.



Taa Daa

Starting with basics

Tonight I made a yummy and basic thing, but I'll reserve it an entire post tomorrow... surprise surprise!

I went to the gym and ran 4 miles; I was bored most of the time, switching from outside to inside running it wasn't a brilliant idea!

I complied my resolutions (even the big one!), except flossing and since now I'm already in bed there is no way I can make it (my dentist will be disappointed, I know..).

I ate usual things, between which this

Veggie-Soja burger on whole wheat bread

plus tomatoes and yellow mustard

with a side of boiled broccoli and Brussels sprouts

(I found them here, yes!!)

Dinner was Soba noodles with veggies, I'll post the recipe later that week since I have to take an early train tomorrow to go to my University city to run some errands and to see my friends there! =)

Travel back in time

I'm slowly returning back to normal, unpacking all my stuff (that I'll need to pack again in one month ah!) and so on. I'm also so happy for being able to use a real (and clean) kitchen!

Food Chapter

• Breakfast
• Lunch was home-made really garlicky hummus, leftover toasted Baguette aux céréales and carrots. I home-made the hummus since here there isn't in grocery stores (I know, cavemen). Actually, this evening I found one in a kind of bio-store; I'll give it a try, but I think I'll stick with my own, it takes like five minutes if you use pre-cooked chickpeas and you can adjust the flavor as you like (less garlic the next time!). I also ate an apple and drank an espresso with milk.

I'm pretending it's Summer, so what?

• As undocumented snack I had a banana, a half of eat natural bar and a cup of green tea
• Dinner was pumpkin tortelli (mmm) with a side salad of lamb's lettuce, cranberries, mixed seeds and balsamic vinaigrette. It actually was the fastest dinner ever. I also ate a pear and a plain goat yogurt.

***

Run Chapter

I did a 2 miles run plus some stretching as scheduled. Oh wait! I forgot to tell you that I'm doing this Hal's running plan that I found while reading this useful tips on one of the cutest and amazing blog that I've ever read! I started today with the plan so I think I'll repeat the first week x 2, even if I usually run more than 4 miles, but I want to do the things right! I'm also not sure if I'll sign up for an half marathon since by the end of the program I'll be in the middle of exams and thesis writing, so we'll see! Anyway it's a good way to challenge myself!

***

Resolutions Chapter

Besides the huge monthly resolution (that I haven't broken yet!), I decided to add some more weekly resolutions and try step-by-step to make them habits.

This week the chosen ones are:

1. Drink a cup of green tea per day

2. Daily yoga/stretching

3. Floss (it's gonna be hard!!)

***

Now I'm off to watch the Biggest Loser; yes, one day after since it's not televised here. I know, cavemen.

February resolution

After a never ending day, I'm finally home.

But before here are some pictures of the yesterday's amazing and oversized dinner at Lukemieke



Both my mom and I had the soup of the day

Pea soup

As main course I had the dish of the day that was a mixed dish of potatoes salad with cream, beets salad, Belgian endive, millet, polenta with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese

My mom's main course was a tomatoes Belgian endive quiche plus potatoes and beets salad with cream. It absolutely was outstanding.

She actually received a whole quiche!

I ate nearly half of every part of my dish and a tiny slice of quiche, soooo good. It was too bad we couldn't bring home the leftovers since we were leaving the morning after.

The place is also very homey

I definitely recommend this place if you want a real vegetarian restaurant!

***

Today's eating was random and messy as trip day's eating can be. As usual breakfast is here.

On the bus to the airport, I had a half of this yummy thing

"Lunch" was an half of this, a piece of my mom's veggie-quiche (she is a little addicted) and another piece of apple tart

Baguette aux céréales

Veggie Quiche

Apple tart

***

Today my workout was carrying the heaviest baggages of my entire life to the station, since I didn't know the number of the local taxi service eh eh! I think my arms will be terribly sore tomorrow!

Now I'm off to my fav dinner ever: Pizza (the real one!)

Home sweet home...

Oh wait! Thanks to the whole-moving thing I'm really realized how many clothes I own, way too much; so my February resolution will be not to buy NOTHING for the whole month (not even shoes). It's gonna be hard, since I a trip to Paris will be involved... Will I be able to respect my self-imposed jail goal?

Some more

I've just had an amazing dinner at Lukemieke. That place rocks!

Lunch was nothing special; just a mixed salad with pomegranate seeds, hummus, whole wheat bread and carrots, plus a banana.

This picture isn't really illustrative of my lunch, but I love the colors!

***

I said goodbye to all my friends here since my flight is tomorrow. I'll miss them all for sure! =(

Gilmore Girls

Despite the ordination mess, yesterday was a nice evening, especially after a whole day of packing. My mom and I went to Mykene, a restaurant that i loved the first time I went there, but where I've never came back during these six month basically because it'a a little pricy for a income-equal-zero (or almost) college student like me. So, having a paying-parent around it's a good excuse to go in nice places to eat great food (or I thought this!). Anyway, first things first!

I really appreciated the time I spent with my mom since I don't live at home anymore and when I came back for the weekend we couldn't have proper time to chit chat or to really talk with each other, because there were always something to do or someone to meet. I think that this whole moving-madness has actually helped me to get closer again with my mom like we used to be.

This is my mom, say hello!

***

Back to the restaurant that I loved so much the first time, well, we broke up. Definitely.

Why? I'll tell you soon...

The first course and the bread were amazing, like I remembered

a vegetable soup (really appreciated since here is sooo cold)

and 3 slices of whole wheat bread, mmm

The second course was planned to be jacket potatoes with grilled vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese plus a side salad, well, not exactly what I received...

Ok, I hate when the waitress mess with my ordination, but this time (I'm usually more bitchy on this point) I decided I could live with that (and eat it) since it looked like spinach and cheese jacket potatoes and sufficiently yummy.

Well, it turned out that there weren't only spinach and cheese on the jacket potatoes, but also a meat-hamburger in the mix! (Can you spot it?) I was really pissed off since I explicitly told the waitress I was vegetarian even if the dish was already marked as vegetarian. By the time they changed my dish (actually I'm not even sure if they redid the whole thing or just switched the hamburgers), I knew for sure I won't come back again!

What do you usually do when the waiter mess with your ordination?

Do you change it or you eat it anyway?

***

Yesterday's lunch was this

Whole wheat Spaghetti with tomato sauce, black olives, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes

Now I'm off to the real-deal at Lukemieke, a vegetarian restaurant that I hope won't reserve me unwelcome surprises!