Rice Bowls and Meteor-Watching + a smoothie

I'm amazed at how much extra money I spend (waste) on food. I haven't been going crazy or anything with not spending money on food, but I've been able to cut back quite a bit. Basically I've been trying to use as much stuff in my cupboards and freezer as I can. More grains and beans. I've been packing all my lunches and coffee to take to work and school instead of buying them. I'm not going to cut vegetables and fruit out of my diet, though, so I have been going to the grocery store for some small things, but I won't buy anything expensive. Last week I ate mashed potatoes with the punk rock chickpea gravy and vegetables and miso soup a lot. Later this week I'm probably going to make Ethiopian food. So I've still been cooking a lot, but I won't choose a recipe that I need to buy half or more of the ingredients for and then make it - I'm only making things I have most of the ingredients for already. It's not too bad.

I made this yesterday. It was originally supposed to be a knock-off of the rice bowl at the Wooden Monkey, but it's been a few weeks since I went there and I can't afford to go back for a while, so I don't really care if it tastes exactly the same, it's more 'inspired' by the version at the Wooden Monkey.

Rice Bowl

Rice Bowl

1/2 lb firm tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

2 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 cup braggs

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain brown rice

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup chinese cabbage, sliced thinly

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped*

Start cooking the rice. Put the tofu in a shallow dish and add 1 tsp. sesame oil, the braggs and rice vinegar. Mix gently and allow to marinate. Prep the vegetables. Heat the rest (1 tsp) of the sesame oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until almost translucent, about 2 minutes. Drain the tofu (reserving the marinade), and add it to the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When the rice is almost done, add the chinese cabbage, the stuff in the skillet, and the almonds. Pour the tofu marinade and mix together. Cook about 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Serves approx. 4

*to toast the almonds, just cook them whole in a small skillet at medium-high heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until they brown a little bit. WATCH THEM LIKE A HAWK. Chop afterwards.

Last night was the biggest meteor shower of the year. In Halifax, at least. A group of my friends decided to get together to watch. It was really interesting. A lot of time was spent staring at the sky, waiting, then of course when people started to get distracted because nothing was happening, someone would say "I see one!" and then everyone else would look up. Those sneaky meteors are too fast, though, so they'd miss it. Anyway, I decided to bring an appropriate treat to munch on while meteor-watching: rebel rocks from Cooking with Kittee. That website is amesome, I used to have an unhealthy obsession with it. Every recipe I've tried from it is delicious. This one was no exception.

Rebel Rocks from Cooking with Kittee website

Yesterday was really hot out, so (while stocking up on fruit and veggies) Josh decided to get a watermelon. Then he went home and made an amazing smoothie. It was seriously the most refreshing smoothie I've ever tasted. I will include the recipe, but let it be known that Josh made it, and not me. OK? OK. Oh and the recipe is extremely simple, but I say simple is often better, especially when it comes to smoothies.

Josh's Watermelon-Banana Smoothie

Josh's Watermelon-Banana Smoothie

2 frozen bananas, roughly chopped
1 cup of soymilk
2 cups of watermelon, roughly chopped
2 ice cubes

Throw it all in a blender or food processor, and blend for a minute or two. That's it, but it is sooooo good!
serves 2-4