Tofu & A Crisis

Blink once and another week has gone by; blink twice and a whole four years have flown by.

My life as an undergraduate student is finished. Done. Finito. I know I'm being dramatic, but I think the situation calls for it. I am officially in the "real world"--to quote the amazing student speaker that gave the speech at my graduation--and I'm not afraid to admit that I'm scared/sad/nostalgic/any other emotionally-charged adjective.

People always tell you to make the most of your college years; they say it's the best time of your life, the most fun you'll ever have. But it's hard to grasp the idea until it's no longer in your reach. Like most things, you never know what you have until you don't have it anymore. I no longer have the freedom to flunk a paper or bomb a test. I can't sweet talk my way into an extension anymore. I'm not allowed to swipe into an all-you-can-eat dining hall and smuggle out bananas. And I certainly can't skip classes because karaoke-Tuesday was great and I overdid the vodka. Everything I do from now on is on me.

--Insert existential crisis clause here--

Just kidding, I'm far from having an existential crisis, but I am having a post-graduation dilemma in which I can't seem to decided what I want my life to look like in one, two, or five years. Knowing me, it is necessary to have a plan. Well for now plan is to go with the flow. So here's to flowing, and eating while I'm at it!

Tofu Scramble Salad Wrap (adapted from Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook)
Active time: 20 minutes; Total time: 40 minutes.
Makes 6 servings

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup red onion diced
• 1 - 6oz. package extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry and crumbled
• 1 carrot shredded
• 3 small beets, chopped
• 1/2 cup low-fat greek yogurt
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 6 pieces of lavash or pita bread
• 1 small bunch parsley leaves

1. In a small saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Heat a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes, adding 2 tablespoons of water, one at a time. Transfer tofu to a large bowl and mix in onion, carrot and beets. 
3. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lime juice and zest, dijon mustard, agave and curry powder. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over tofu mixture and stir well. Chill tofu salad for about 20 minutes or until cold. 
4. Place a piece of lavash on a flat surface; add about 1/2 cup tofu salad and top with parsley leaves. Roll up into a wrap. Repeat with remaining lavash/pitas and tofu. 

New Me?

Guess what?

It's a new year. . . And a new me!

This semester I vow to cook/bake and blog more often. I also promise to try more new (and exciting) foods--I already had some lamb shank just the other night. I will tackle my challenges in hopes of increasing my cooking skills and my palate.

Truthfully, there were two things I missed in my life last semester, home-cooked meals (be them gourmet or not) and blogging. This year I am not ok without them, so now that I will have my evenings off--or at least I hope I will--I can devote them to this lovely blog--and making my stomach happy!

I have no idea where to begin the story of what my life was like the last six months. I was happy and sad; relaxed and stressed; carefree and worried all at the same time. The second half of 2012 was one of the hardest semesters of my college experience--both emotionally and academically--but also one of the greatest. I'm not prepared to go into details because a) I don't expect you to read all about my issues and b) you can't expect me to tell you all about my issues. So lets just leave it at this: fall 2012 was different.

Anyways, the reason I will have my evenings off is that I'm only taking one class this semester. Wait, don't tag me as a slacker just yet. For some odd reason, I failed to realize (last semester) that I only needed one class to complete my second minor and meet the graduation requirements. Either way I wouldn't have liked graduating in December though, so the situation worked to my advantage. I'm taking a once-a-week class and working four days a week. My arrangement is a smooth transition into the real world.

I'll be posting more about my job and the excitement it's brought to my life, but for now here is some talk about food.

I've recently entered a tofu stage. If I could have it all day every day I would, but who am I kidding, I would just end up hating it after a week. But having a tofu scramble once day--or sometimes twice--is definitely possible, so here's an idea. Take the best of a burrito and combine it with a cheesy tofu scramble and you get a delicious anytime meal. Plus, the best part of a tofu scramble is that you can add whatever chopped vegetable you're feeling for. Think of it like an omelet. The possibilities are endless.

Tofu Scramble Wrap
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 10 minutes.
Makes 1 serving.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/3 cup mild fresh salsa (I used Trader Joe's)
• 3 oz extra firm tofu (about a 3/4-inch slice)
• 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese.
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 piece lavash bread

1. In a smal pan heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms and salsa for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Using a fork, crush tofu until it resembles coarse meal. Add tofu to pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Add cheese and stir to combine; cook only until cheese is melted. 
3. Place lavash flat on a plate. Put tofu scramble in the middle of the lavash and top with cilantro. Fold in lavash corners and carefully wrap around tofu scramble.