Pad Thai Wrap

Yesterday, my Yesenia did a 2-3 minute shoot in warm and sunny Venice Beach for YouTube sensation Beck Bennett.
The woman who played her mom was talking about cable and how expensive it was. She asked me what cable company we belonged to and I told her we did not have cable.
Her response was the typical response I have been hearing for years: What no Disney? Do you own a TV? Do you not watch TV at all? What do you do to relax? What do you do for fun?
First off, I told her we don't watch TV for fun.  Fun is to all jump into the car and GO somewhere.  We go to Disneyland.  We go to the museum.  We go somewhere where we communicate and joke around.  For relaxation, we pop lots of popcorn and watch a movie from our own DVD library or we pick up what we find at the library.  We own 2 televisions.  One in the living room and one in my bedroom and they are all powered by a regular TV antenna.
So, what is the big deal?
I think we rely too much on hiding in front of too many electrical devices.  When my kids are filming or are at an audition, I see about 98% of the kids hiding in front of their phones, Nintendos and tablets.  I have made it our business to not do that at all.
An up and coming director told me she prefers to see kids communicating with other children or adults in the waiting room or onset.  It shows they are friendly and have better communications skills.
How refreshing!
My teen and husband always take a book to Disneyland.  Most of the time we are deep in conversation about Disney facts or whatever. When we are waiting on a line and are trying to be patient and I find myself defending them.  One woman said out loud "why would someone bring a book to Disneyland".  I confronted her and was also loud when I said "why is it okay for someone to hide in front a device be any different that someone in front of a book? Is it not the same thing?"
She gave me a surprised look (I'm little but I have a big voice and it carries) and agreed.
By the way, she was reading from her Nook.
Now, I am not perfect.  Sometimes I am behind my computer or phone but I always try to be mindful of others and be more approachable.

Now about some eats!

A couple of months a new cookbook came in the mail, Vegan Junk Food by Lane Gold.
My new favorite recipe is my 2 favorite things, a wrap and Pad Thai.
For real.
And is so good that you will have to control yourself and not more than one.

1 8oz package flat rice noodles
1 tsp oil
1 6oz package savory baked tofu, Teriyaki flavor
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili paste
2 tbsps peanut oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chili, sliced
3 green onions, green and white parts, cut thinly on the diagonal
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
6 tortillas or flatbread
3 cups mesclun greens
peanut sauce (they said spicy but I can't deal with so much spiciness)

in a large saucepan, boil enough water to cook noodles, about 10 minutes or until tender.
drain.
toss in 1 tsp oil to prevent them from sticking together
slice tofu into thin strips.
in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and chili paste.
set aside
in a large saute pan over high heat, coat pan with peanut oil and saute onion, garlic and red chili until onions are translucent.
add noodles, tofu and green onion.
toss with tongs to mix well.
add the soy sauce mixture.
stir well.
remove from heat.
stir in peanuts and cilantro.
on each tortilla or flatbread, place about 1/2 cup Pad Thai, 1/2 cup mesclun greens and drizzle on the peanut sauce.
wrap into a cylinder, secure with a toothpick in 2 places and cut in half.

Enjoy!

I am often asked what do vegetarians or vegans eat.  
Being a vegetarian was easy for me but I have been trying to go vegan but I am addicted to cheese.  
You know the stuff for grilled cheese, quesadillas, macaroni and cheese, etc.  
Cheese is always in the house.  
Keeping vegan cheese at home is easy but when I run out of cheddar cheese for some peanut butter grilled cheese, I have to have the dairy kind.  
I was talking to a friend about it and she suggested I blog about it.  My struggle with staying away from dairy cheese and what I eat (what about protein?).  
For example, for breakfast I had tofu scramble with sauteed red peppers, with daiya cheese, green onions, and spinach.  Lunch was oatmeal w/pumpkin spice syrup.  For dinner we're having black bean chili.  
This weekend will be challenging since both of my daughters are filming.  I stay with the tween while the husband stays with the teen.  
Lots of peanut butter sandwiches for me to make tonight!

my week in food...

Just in case you don't know, I love my public library.  We are there a couple of times a week and know us by name.  Better than a bar because we always leave with some knowledge of the our world.
I picked up a new (to me) cookbook called Now Eat This by Rocco Dispirito.
He is big on using Greek yogurt in recipes and all of his recipes cut calories and fat by more than half.  Some hits and misses, though.
Greek yogurt gives food a tangy flavor and I am not a fan of tangy flavors.
The kids did like some.  The man child loved them all.

Macaroni and Cheese with a Crusty Crunch


nonstick cooking spray
4 ozs whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1/2 cup onion-garlic puree
1/2 tsp dry mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded 50% reduced-fat cheddar
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
salt
1/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (good luck finding this.  I just used regular parmesan)


preheat the oven to 425 degrees
spray an 8X8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside
bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
add the macaroni and cook according to the package direction
while the pasta is cooking, bring the onion-garlic puree, mustard and cayenne to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.
whisk in the cheddar until it has melted.
remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt.
in a medium bowl, toss the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce to coat thoroughly.
season with salt to taste.
pour the macaroni into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the panko over the top.
top with the parmigiano-reggiano.
bake until the cheese has melted and the macaroni is hot throughout, about 10 minutes.
serve immediately.


THE ONION-GARLIC PUREE
1 large vidalia onion, roughly chopped
9 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper


combine the onion, garlic, and water in a microwave-safe bowl.
season with salt and pepper to taste.
cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 10 minutes.
pour the mixture into a blender and blend until it is completely smooth.
season with salt and pepper to taste.


No Cream-No Cry Penne Alla Vodka


8 ozs whole-wheat penne
2 cups low fat marinara sauce
pinch of crushed red pepper
one 7oz container 2% Greek yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
6 tbsps grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese


bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil
add the pasta and cook according to the package directions
while the pasta is cooking, bring the marinara sauce and crushed red pepper to a simmer in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat.  
cook the sauce, stirring it occasionally with a heat-resistant rubber spatula, until it is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  
remove the saute  pan from the heat
stir about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into the yogurt until smooth, then whisk the yogurt mixture back into the marinara sauce
in a large serving bowl, toss the sauce with the drained penne and the basil.
season with salt and pepper to taste.
sprinkle the cheese on top, and serve.


Chicken Noodle Soup


1 oz medium whole-wheat egg noodles
2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced thin
1 small carrot, sliced thin on the diagaonal
3/4 cup shredded skinless breast meat from a rotisserie or roast chicken (not me.  I used Follow Your Heart        vegan 'chicken'.
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
cook the noodles according to the package directions
drain and set aside
while the noodles are cooking, combine the broth, onion, carrots and celery in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat.
cover reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.
add the cooked noodles and the chicken to the soup.  
season with salt and pepper to taste.
ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the cheese and parsley and serve.